Over the last
few years, several health professionals have recommended that I look into RDI –
Relationship Development Intervention – for Nicky. I didn’t know much about it and the more I asked around, the
more I realized that most of my autism mom friends had never even heard of the program. Around the same time, Lisa Strata
came into Nicky’s life. She and
her staff at Spectrum Consulting are trained in RDI and work in Nicky’s class
at the public school. She’s agreed
to help me break down RDI, so that we can all learn a bit more about it.
Lisa, could you give us a general
definition of Relationship Development Intervention?
What is “guided participation?” Well, as parents we have a natural tendency to want to lead our children without relying on their feedback. In the beginning stages of RDI, all parents learn how to be “guides” to their children, not directors. They’re taught to be in the moment and share in their children’s participation and interaction.
How do parents accomplish this?
Is there an ideal age or time to begin RDI?
RDI is appropriate for all people with
autism, regardless of age or mental ability. Brains are not “hard-wired,” therefore at any age we can remediate
the brain to become more flexible and capable of good problem-solving
What are the main differences between RDI and other therapies such as Applied Behavioral Analysis?
Comparison of Service –
Typically, a parent will hire a staff to implement ABA therapy with their child. These therapists work with the child during scheduled therapy times, often in a specific therapy room.
RDI, on the other hand, is parent-based and isn’t usually done at specific “therapy times.” It’s considered a lifestyle program. Instead of adding therapy time to a parent’s already hectic day, it is incorporated into what the parents have to do or want to do in a typical day. RDI can be done anywhere, inside or outside of the home. While it’s best to start in an environment free of unnecessary distractions, not special rooms or environments are needed.
Parent Role –
Depending on the ABA program, parents may receive training. When it’s offered, the training consists of teaching the parents how to be therapists to their child. They are taught behavior principles, such as extinction, reinforcement, data collection, prompting, etc. They are taught to interact with their child in the same way a therapist would.
With RDI, parents are the primary agents for change and do not take on a therapist role, but maintain their role as parent. The role of any parent, whether they have a child with ASD or not, is to guide their cognitive growth. In order to accomplish this, parents are taught to slow down the entire process and afford their child a re-do on the developmental stages they missed.
An RDI consultant helps the parents re-establish a reliable feedback system like that of neurotypical children and their parents. In addition, some consultants work as RDI “extenders,” to carry over the developmental and social goals from that family environment, to other settings, such as the classroom.
Static vs. Dynamic Thinking
The structure of ABA promotes static – black and white – thinking. There are correct answers and there are incorrect answers, just as there are appropriate behaviors and inappropriate answers. While this teaching can work quite well for learning “cut-and-dried” skills, it can also reinforce static neurological pathways in the brain and individuals on the spectrum can become rigid and inflexible in their thinking. They may not develop the ability to think dynamically or understand that most real-life problems don’t have black and white answers and tend to fall into what is commonly referred to as “grey areas.” ABA does attempt to generalize those learned black and white answers into more grey situations, but those static pathways the therapy’s created make it difficult.
Because RDI isn’t a skill-based program, it doesn’t place the same emphasis on “correct” answers. Its focus is more about developing the dynamic function of the brain and individual with ASD’s ability to think like his or her guide. So for example, if you think about the question, “where is the correct place for a bag of chips?” The child learns with the aid of their guide that there are many “correct” places, but some may be better or worse than others. In this way, the child will discover how to make “good enough” choices in “grey area” problem.
What are the most important things a parent should consider when weighing the decision to start RDI?
The RDI program requires a strong commitment from you, the parent. You must be ready to work and commit to a different lifestyle that consists of slowing down and talking TO your child, not AT your child anymore. Working on family and peer relation ships is a priority. You must have the mind set that RDI is a lifestyle, not a therapy. That means making time in your schedule; chores, making dinner, eating together are the best opportunities for incorporating RDI.
Where can parents learn more about RDI?
Obviously, from other families who have embarked on RDI, but also from these resources:
http://www.rdiconnect.com
http://specrumconsultinginc.com
Autism Speaks
About Lisa Strata:
Lisa Strata MS Ed, founder and director of Spectrum
Consulting, Inc. has a Master’s
Degree in Special Education with an emphasis on autism, and
holds a Bachelor of the
Arts for Teacher of the Handicapped Degree. She’s developed
and taught in many public and private schools within NJ & NY as well as served as
an Early Intervention Evaluator and a Developmental Interventionist. In
addition, she was one of the first 50 who were certified 10 years ago as RDI
Certified Consultants. Lisa continues to help families develop balanced treatment
plans for their children while addressing the core deficits of autism. In addition,
Lisa consults with many local school districts, provides training on the
various behavioral and educational interventions, and speaks at many
conferences and school inservices.
