RDI® Professional Online Training Programme

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1. My name is Andrea Marinac, I am a European Certified Family Psychotherapist, founder of a kindergarten in Zagreb, and currently in training to become an RDI Consultant.
   In the RDI approach, I found everything I had long been searching for – an approach that brings the focus back to the relationship between the parent and the child.
   The training with the director, Andrea Štefulj, was demanding but also deeply inspiring. With the support I received from my supervisor Andrea, I learned how small changes in everyday routines can completely transform family dynamics.
   Working with families brings many shared insights and creates the feeling that we are not focused solely on the child, but on the entire family system. This is extremely meaningful to me as a family therapist because only in that way can true and lasting change occur.
   RDI impressed me because it doesn’t work only with the child but gives parents the role they truly deserve – to be the main guides in their child’s development. That is what personally moves me deeply.
   Through the RDI program, I want parents in Croatia to have the opportunity to discover this approach and to experience how transformative it can be for them and their children.
   My goal is for RDI to be recognized and acknowledged in Croatia as a method that profoundly changes lives.
2. As for the possibility of completing RDI training in our own language – that is truly a big deal.
   Thank you, Andrea, for making this possible and for fighting to bring the RDI program to our region.
   As a mentor, Andrea was extraordinarily dedicated in every sense. She made great efforts to explain everything to us in the best possible way and answered every single one of our questions – and there were many!
   With great understanding, she approached each of our meetings and explained everything “in depth.” After every session, she gave us space to share our thoughts, comment, and check if everything was clear to us.
   She regularly provided us with materials after each meeting – various webinars, as well as recordings of the sessions and lectures.
   I have been working with Andrea for two years now, as the mother of a boy on the spectrum, and I can recommend her from the heart.
   She taught me what autism truly is and showed me that life with autism can be beautiful – if we know how, and if we have the right tools.
   She has been my guide – from the moment I started this journey as a student until today – and I am excited to continue walking this path together in this new chapter.
   Once again, thank you from the heart – for every meeting, for all the support, and for the moral strength you gave us to believe that we can truly achieve so much.
   With respect,
   Ervina Emurli 
3. My name is Gordana Zečević. I am a speech therapist with more than 30 years of experience and a co-founder of the Association for the Support of Functional Communication “Logopediliste” in Belgrade.
   This year, I finally got the opportunity to become the first person in Serbia to enter the RDI training process.
   The chance to fulfill my long-standing dream – to become an RDI Consultant and build upon all that I already know – came through the wonderful Andrea Štefulj.
   It is precisely a person like Andrea who is the perfect choice to be the initiator and promoter of RDI on the European continent.
   She radiates warmth but also great professionalism. With immense passion, she is dedicated to the idea of bringing RDI to life in Europe, starting with us in the Balkans – for which we are especially grateful.
   It is clear that Andrea is someone who can carry out such a complex task in the best possible way.
   She is deeply committed and always ready to help – whenever and however it is needed.
   The lectures are excellently organized and designed to be highly interactive and dynamic, with constant exchange of experiences within our group.
   Andrea explains everything clearly, and in addition, we always receive plenty of useful materials.
   The RDI platform is very extensive, and Andrea’s help in mastering it has been incredibly valuable.
   Thanks to the training, I have implemented many changes in my own work and have come to realize how powerful and effective the RDI approach truly is.
   I would love to see even more practical examples – demonstrations of work with different families and the ways specific goals are achieved.
   I told Andrea that I want to be her trainee.
   My overall impression is that the education is very thoughtfully organized, and now I understand why we go through the learning process in precisely this order.
   Andrea also organized a number of additional meetings that have been extremely useful and applicable for all of us.
   The meeting times are always arranged so that everyone can participate, which is greatly appreciated.
   I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to receive this education, to apply RDI in my work, and to promote it in my community.
   Andrea, with her personality and knowledge, has forever won my heart.Warm regards,
   Gordana Zečević

4. “When working with children, we are often focused on the tasks themselves – to have them finish something, learn, or repeat it. With children on the autism spectrum and those with other developmental challenges, parents are often even more burdened with skill acquisition because they worry additionally about their child’s development. However, this is often carried out in a way where the child learns mechanically, without engaging deeper cognitive processes. Through RDI training, I became aware that the true goal is not the task itself, but the process that happens when we are together in an activity. It is in those moments that the child learns how to think, adapt, and build trust.
   RDI has given me a different perspective on how to help children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental conditions – not through forced learning, but through creating relationships and experiences that empower them. In working with parents, it quickly becomes clear that when a parent becomes a guide, the child gains the opportunity to develop in a natural and deeper way. For me, this was a completely new way of seeing development – less about ‘success in the task,’ and more about the shared journey and growth that bring results and activate dynamic intelligence in children, regardless of developmental challenges.
   As a Consultant in Training (CIT), I emphasize the great satisfaction I have gained from the RDI program, which naturally expanded and deepened through the RDIconnect platform. This platform has proven to be an exceptionally rich source of knowledge, both during my training and in supervision work. The value of RDIconnect is also reflected in the participation of RDI consultants from all over the world. Through it, many recorded and shared cases from parents are available, documenting the growth and development of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. The RDIconnect platform is also a great source of support for parents, as families who choose the RDI path have a foundation in both the professional and parent community—continuously building knowledge based on real-life experiences.
   With the professional guidance of always available and highly experienced educator and supervisor Andreja Stefulj, I experience this process of learning about the RDI program and the supervision work as extremely structured, clear, and inspiring—something that truly transforms both me and my work with families.”

   Irena Kos, Consultant in Training (CIT)

5. I am a special education teacher working in Taiwan. During my RDI training and learning under Andreja, I deeply felt the encouragement she consistently offered to her trainees. She guided us in a clear and approachable way, making complex ideas easy to understand and apply.
   Through RDI, I encountered an intervention approach that is completely different from what I had experienced before. This approach respects each family’s individual pace and gradually supports individuals with autism in building growth in both relational engagement and cognitive development. Reflecting on my past experiences with other intervention methods, interactions with students often felt more like repetitive procedures, with limited genuine connection or meaningful engagement.
   In contrast, RDI allowed me, for the first time, to truly experience authentic and heartfelt interactions with my students. Because RDI is a family-centered approach, it is honestly not easy for either consultants or parents. However, the process is filled with deep meaning and emotional resonance.
   If given the opportunity, I sincerely encourage others to participate in RDI-related learning or activities, and to personally experience the genuine warmth and meaningful connections that RDI offers.

   Sincerely,
   Ke-Li Chen
   23/12/2025