The History of RDI®
The beginnings of the Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) program happened around 30 years ago, when Dr. Steven Gutstein and Dr. Rachelle Sheely began to ask some questions about autism, like “Why do intelligent, capable adults on the spectrum struggle to maintain independence? What is it about autism that sets people up to not be independent?”
Autism and Parent Empowerment with RDI®
In this episode of “Autism: A New Perspective,” Dr. Sheely talks about RDI® and parent empowerment. So many parents of autistic children find that they don’t know what’s going on with their child’s learning and growth – they don’t know what’s happening at the clinics or at school – and they don’t know the next step, or how they can help, and it leaves them feeling powerless.
Autism and Anxiety
Feeling anxious, especially when beginning autism remediation, is common among both children and their parents, but anxiety can have a positive side. It can often make us more responsive and more creative.
Moving into Adulthood with RDI®
RDI® can help all families, and your child can benefit from starting RDI® at any age, but the program is designed to promote growth, learning, development, and the ability to have relationships and perform necessary life skills, and, eventually, independence in adulthood. Your child can benefit from RDI® into their teen years and into young adulthood, if they are not yet ready for adulthood.