W had his best mate and her mum for a sleepover. The plan was to sleep in the tents but as I needed a good sleep at the moment, I piked. Also, W had a touch of croup so I suggested we all stay inside. Despite how excited he was he happily went along with it because he was so happy to have Z there.
R, Z’s mum said she was fine to have both kids out there with her so I thought about it a bit. He loves them, feels safe around them and we were so close by if there was a problem. So I sat him down and told him he could sleep out there if he wanted to and gave him the option to come back in if he needed to at any point. I knew R would be really tuned into his needs. He was super excited!
He slept out there all night like a big grown up boy! R said he went to sleep fine and she said he woke up in the middle of the night, sat up and asked for some water then re-made his bed and went back to sleep. WOW. And he felt so confident and happy about it. It was a real milestone for him.
They played so well together. The kids respect one another and stop to listen to each other and ask for clarification etc so nothing becomes a bother. They bring out the best in each other. They are so beautiful to one another and it is so sweet to watch.
One time W was carrying the heavy tent and he said "Could somebody please help me with this". Z went right to his aid and they did it together. He said "I could do it on my own but it is much nicer with two". Oh my heart just melted!
When they left W explained to me all the thinking that he had done to work out that he was safe in the tent. For example; he said he heard a noise and woke up and wondered what it was and where he was, then he felt the tent and thought about it and realised that he was in the tent and I was inside so he gently said R’s name and she was there for him and he felt safe.
So interesting that he thought to share his thinking with me about how it all felt for him.
Then after they left we got an invite to a bonfire to roast bunya nuts. There was going to be about 5 other families there so about 10 kids. I checked with W about it and he was really excited but said he really wanted to go for the fire, not to play. So he helped the 2 adults who were doing the fire and they are really awesome with him, they always have been; and he followed them and referenced them perfectly.
By the end of the night everyone had commented on how much W has grown and changed and how wonderful it was to see me out and about and enjoying myself.
SO WONDERFUL!
Thankyou RDI!!!!!
M and M parents of W aged 6 and S aged 2
"I feel this program is for pro-active parents who understand that nobody will give their child the best opportunities in life other than themselves. It’s an intense program for parents, you have to be committed and put in the work to get the benefits. When we first started Eloise had no eye contact, she was reluctant to spend time with my husband, myself and her brother and sister, she didn't like to visit friends or for them to visit us, she used to run away from me in shopping centres, in car parks, out our front door and down the road, very scary!!!, we were in despair we didn't know how to help her and how to make her life more bearable, we were only involved in conventional intervention programs that were demanding of her attention, interaction and cooperation, everything that ASD sufferers hate. We could see that this disorder was hurting her but we didn't know how to help her. We were put onto RDI through our paediatrician and met with Bronwen and haven't looked back since (well only to marvel at the milestones that we have reached). All I can say is that this program is real, it works, it doesn't invent the wheel it just goes back to basics, slows life down for the kids to catch up, it re-connects you with your child, they gain trust in you as their guide, it just all makes sense. Life is not only about learning abc, life is about living and communicating and building relationships and this program will give you that. I can’t express in words how thankful I am for getting involved in this process, it has changed our family already and we are only just beginning!!!" RDI parent of 6 months
“Before I started RDI, I had two children and a child with a disability. After doing RDI for 18 months I now have 3 children who play together and we can all do new things as a family.” A mother of an ASD child
"A recent comment made about our son... We thought there was something about him but not ASD …He's too aware and interactive and affectionate! Our Feelings… GO RDI®.... love it when he breaks every expectation of ASD!!!” Parents of a 7 year old boy with ASD
"Before I started RDI, anything, no matter how small, was enough to set me off. I was seriously considering suicide and even attempted it twice. Now I've started RDI®, it takes a whole lot more to push me over the edge and I feel better able to cope with life." 13 year old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome
"I have to consciously think back to remember where we were; how difficult even the simplest things were to do.Going shopping, having friends over, visiting, going to the park, Birthdays were all fraught with tension and trouble.Now we just go places and do things and don't even stop to think about what we might need to plan for or allow for. Life has normalised. Our family has laughter and unexpected moments we all can cope with and often be joyful about. Thanks to RDI we can look forward to the future as positive, promising and full of potential. " Mother of a 13 year old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome
“RDI® helped us to gain a greater understanding of what was happening to our child and his reaction in different situations. The feeling of competence instead of frustration has changed our lives considerably. We have ownership and a positive outlook for our future.” Angie and Michael Parents
“Because of RDI®, thousands of parents and educators have now realized that we can give our children and ourselves a second chance. We can provide our children with the opportunity to become dynamic thinkers and communicators. We can create pathways to success and a quality of life." Steven E. Gutstein, Ph.D.
"I am writing in support of Connect and Relate for Autism Inc. This professional group of highly trained RDI Certified Consultants has organized to meet the critical needs of families with autistic children in the underserved areas of Australia. They are committed to providing high quality, cost-effective and multi-disciplinary early intervention services that will empower parents to function as the primary guides to their child’s emotional, social and mental development. We have developed a sophisticated set of tools so that they can combine the best of face-to-face consultation with distance audio-video communication and on line education. I am certain that they will play a significant role in providing a quality of life for many families in the regions where they practice. Sincerely yours, Steven E. Gutstein Ph.D.
How RDI® is Getting There
Investing in building minds, not shaping behaviours
Developing the dynamic abilities needed for real-world success
Applying modern, “best practices” for learning
Investing in families first
Including older children, teens and adults
Tailoring intervention to each person’s unique needs
