RDI®
Relationship Development Intervention
“Over the years, I have talked at length with many adults on the autism spectrum about their lives and their dreams. They recount their desire to have an opportunity for the same quality of life you and I take for granted. They are not so different from us, just human beings who have gone through life in a state of perpetual confusions. They constantly experience feeling as if at any moment they might be swallowed up by stepping into a chasm. They feel discouraged and hopeless of attaining many of the things we take for granted: true friendship, a comfortable work environment and a loving intimate relationship. If you can, imagine trying to navigate this world all day, every day, then you will understand why even the most successful person on the spectrum feels like he or she is always at the edge of a precipice.”
Dr Steven E. Gutstein, Founder of RDI
What is RDI®?
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) offers educational programmes for parents of children with autism and other developmental needs and educators. RDI® is an individualised programme, customised for everyone with developmental needs. In order to receive training, you need to have a certified RDI® consultant who you meet up with regularly. The RDI® consultant guides you over the obstacles that you and your child/student are facing. It can be an intense programme as we also work on adults and grown-ups' challenges. As a certified RDI® consultant, I provide RDI ®programme in person and remotely all around the world.
Instead of focusing on symptoms, the RDI® programme works to support the growth-seeing mindset essential to addressing the challenges associated with autism and other developmental difficulties. It is often described as “the missing element” in the treatment of autism.
RDI® programme teaches parents and other adults around individuals with autism or other diverse needs how to guide them to seek out and succeed in truly reciprocal relationships, while addressing key core issues such as:
- Relationship between parent and a child
- Motivation
- Communication
- Emotional regulation
- Episodic memory
- Rapid attention-shifting
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Co-regulation
- Appraisal
- Executive functioning
- Flexible thinking
- Creative problem solving
Basically, if you understand Dynamic Intelligence and are able to take on your learning, you will be able to become more flexible. This can help alleviate the stress and anxiety that often comes when an individual on the spectrum navigates the neurotypical world.
Who is RDI programme for:
RDI is an intensive parent training programme and includes involvement from the beginning and real-life coaching that takes place in the home setting with the whole family. The goal is first to guide parents to develop new ways of thinking, perceiving, and acting to know how to best use their precious time for their child’s mental growth.
After parents receive the training, RDI is also recommended for to other people who are in the child’s life such as other family members, teachers, therapists, educators, and schools.
The programme embraces the premise that every adult around individuals with autism and diverse needs plays a critical role in their growth.
A trained RDI Consultant works with each family to develop a personalised set of objectives that may include:
- simplifying the home/school
- slowing down the pace of life
- balancing the entire schedule and life outside of a spec diagnosis
- developing a mindful communication style
A role of an RDI® consultant
The main goal of the RDI consultant is to help parent/educator/carers to empower themselves.
RDI programmes coach parents and primary caregivers on how to break down – and then gradually rebuild – complex dynamic processes by carefully and systematically orchestrating the presentation of dynamic intelligence objectives within day-to-day interactions. These interactions are embedded in daily routines and activities thus, building memories of competence and fulfilment and increasing motivation to engage in our complex world.
Where to start from?
If you want to start your RDI training, follow these steps:
1. Book a free 30-minute initial consultation with an RDI consultant here to see if RDI is the right programme for you
2. Book the assessment
3. Book your sessions with the consultant
Collaboration
Parents/Carers/Educators work together with an RDI consultant to create a personalised programme according to their specific goals and needs.
Parents/Carers/Educators learn to alter established routines in their daily life to provide safe but challenging opportunities for mental growth.
Consultants meet Parents/Carers/Educators in person or online and utilise the RDI® Learning Community for feedback, objectives, yearly assessment findings and unique collaboration.
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