The RDI® Program for Autism Remediation
Q. What is RDI®?
A. RDI® (Relationship
Development Intervention®) is a parent-centered, home-based intervention
focused on REMEDIATING THE CORE DEFICITS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
and related disabilities.
Q. What are the “core deficits
of autism”?
A. Recent research is demonstrating that the
“core deficits of autism” relate to the way the brain physically processes
information.
Neurological research shows
that the brains of persons with autism have fewer connections between major
brain centers than do persons without autism.
Normal daily activities, situations, and social interactions require
flexibility in thinking. The lack of
coordination between brain centers prevents such flexibility.
Q. How does this processing
deficit relate to the behaviors I see in my child?
A. The deficit in the brain’s ability to process
information flexibly and fluidly results in the behaviors and difficulties
typically seen in autism, such as an obsessive need for structure, routine, and
predictability, difficulty forming and maintaining social relationships,
difficulty with social communication including nonverbal communication,
difficulties with creative thinking, and perseverative behaviors such as
“stimming.”
Q. What is remediation?
A. Remediation is a reduction or lessening of
the severity of a deficit to a degree that the deficit no longer constitutes an
obstacle to a quality of life.
Remediation is not the same thing as a “cure.”
Q. How does RDI® work?
A.
RDI® Program Certified Consultants train and coach parents on how to work with
their own child in their everyday lifestyle in ways that result in remediation
of the core deficit areas over time.
Research on brain-injured patients demonstrates that, with proper
therapy, it is possible to build new connections between parts of the
brain. The goal of RDI is to build such
connections in the autistic brain by mimicking the way such connections develop
in non-autistic people.
Q. How is RDI® different from
A. RDI® is different from
·
·
The teaching method of
·
Q. What kind of results will I
see in my child?
A. In many cases children show improvements in
the following areas:
- Adaptability to new situations
- Ability to problem solve in a
flexible manner
- Improved social competence including
initiating and responding appropriately to social contact
- Emotional and behavioral control
- Ability to interpret the appropriate
meaning of situations
- Empathy and perspective-taking
- Feelings of their own competence
- Quality of parent-child
relationships
- Level of independence in the school
- Level of autism (testing instruments
such as the ADOS or the CARS)
Q. What kind of time commitment
is required of parents?
A. Typically, parents spend
one hour per week with an RDI® Program Certified Consultant. Homework (1-2
hours per week) is assigned between sessions to reinforce parent learning. Parents learn to apply the principles to
their everyday lifestyle with their child.
Q. How long does a typical RDI®
program take to complete?
A.
RDI® is a long-term, gradual remediation program. It can take as little as six months to a year
in some situations and several years in other situations. On average, after 2-3 years, the family
should no longer need the use of a consultant.
Many parents report positive changes within the first few months.
Q. What is the cost of an RDI®
Program?
A. Typical cost is about $10,000 per year for
the first year and about $5,000 per year for subsequent years. Most families don’t require a consultant
after 3 years. This compares very
favorably to the cost of other intensive intervention programs.
Q. Is there peer-reviewed
research on RDI®?
A. RDI® is a relatively new intervention and
research on its effectiveness is now emerging.
The September 2007 issue of the journal Autism published the
results of a study on RDI®. This study
showed the majority of the RDI® group demonstrating significant gains on
standard autism measures (ADOS scores) and independence at school. Another
study, conducted by researchers at the Tavistock Institute, is underway.
What Parents Have to Say About RDI®
“Before RDI, I was a
caregiver. It was lonely, exhausting and non-fulfilling. I was giving 110% and
I got nothing in return. My child was 7 1/2 years old, didn't speak, wouldn't
eat but 5 things, wore pull-ups and had the official diagnosis of moderate to
severe autism and mental retardation. I would sit and watch him hit
himself in the head and he would come home with marks on his arms where he'd
bit the blood out of himself at school. He couldn't handle change....He was
getting too big for me to physically control… I was crying about the situation
most of the time. It was tough.
RDI came along....my life changed....I became a parent instead of a caregiver.
It is fun, rewarding and engaging… We are a typical family now. We can go
shopping with no fears of losing our child [we developed a zone of connection
and social referencing skills through RDI]. He…will eat almost anything now. We
are able to try new things…
without a meltdown…My
child no longer stims. He doesn't hit himself in the head and hasn't bitten
himself in years. My child appropriately orientates himself to communicate...We
are able to tell jokes and he truly gets them…What RDI has given to me...is
nothing short of the second chance to have a really good life. There are no
words to describe what that feels like.”
-Larien, RDI Mom
“Since we started RDI,
(our daughter) learned to read our body
language and even interpret wordless communication. She now uses
her face and makes gestures... Her communications are much more declarative and
sharing... She can follow eye gaze and use it to guide us. (She) references us
and other people for a variety of reasons. She is just starting to have small
impromptu conversations with people we bump into running errands...Even though
(our daughter) is "old"--nineteen--we are full of hope that RDI will
help her continue to achieve more milestones that will take her a step closer
to being able to succeed in a dynamic and messy world.”
-Tammy, RDI Mom
“The changes we are
noticing early on (after a few months) are his increased interest
in faces...he (now) talks
about his school friends… and even blushes over a girl. I thought that
was encouraging for a 4 year old.”
-Donna, RDI Mom
The RDI® Program for Autism Remediation
|
Autism Family Services, LLC
Laura B. DeAngelo, A.B., M.B.A.
RDI® Program Certified Consultant
deangelo@autismfamilyservices.com