What is Relationship Development Intervention?

Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) was developed by Dr. Steven Gutstein. This is an intervention program designed to remediate the cognitive processing deficits of autism, and focuses heavily on developing these through the autistic child’s relationship with their parents. The goal of the RDI® Program is to provide people on the autism spectrum with the potential to attain a higher quality of life (e.g., the ability to have meaningful friendships, live independently as adults, marry, etc.).

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Friendships represent a significant and important role in most of our lives. Developing and maintaining those relationships seems to come ‘natural’ for most of us, something we were born knowing how to do. However, friendship building is difficult for individuals on the autism spectrum. The “Circle of Friends” process can help students learn to build relationships with peers and increase their overall sense of belonging as well as participating in the social sector.

For more detailed information visit the iCAN training modules.

Or check out this site for Nebraska’s 2008 Teacher of the Year, Mary Schlieder.  Mary has a book out titled, “With Open Arms:  Creating School Communities of Support for Socially Challenged Kids Using Circle of Friends, Extracurricular Activities, and Staff Learning Teams”.    This book will give parents and school staff practical, easy to use tools to create a welcoming school community for kids with social challenges. Best of all, Mary is a Nebraska teacher and willing to come speak to local parent groups.  You can contact her at mary@schoolswithopenarms.com. 

(For more tips please visit our Autism News section where everything is archived!)

A Social Story™ describes a situation, skill, or concept in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives, and common responses in a specifically defined style and format. The goal of a Social Story™ is to share accurate social information in a patient and reassuring manner that is easily understood by its audience. Half of all Social Stories™ developed should affirm something that an individual does well. Although the goal of a Story™ should never be to change the individual’s behavior, that individual’s improved understanding of events and expectations may lead to more effective responses.

excerpted from The Gray Center.  To learn more about Carol Gray and the Gray Center visit www.thegraycenter.org

or you can see examples and learn more about how social stories can be used at the iCAN training module site.

(For more tips please visit our Autism News section where everything is archived!)

Generation Rescue is an international movement of scientists, physicians and parent-volunteers researching the causes and treatments for autism and mentoring thousands of families in recovering their children from autism.

Are you wondering what biomedical treatment is all about?  Start here.

(For more tips please visit our Autism News section where everything is archived!)

Our daily lives are made up of an endless stream of thoughts, decisions, actions and reactions to the people and environment in which we live. The internal and external actions fit together.  Sometimes seamlessly.  Sometimes not.   This is largely dependent upon a set of invisible yet highly important skills we call Executive Functioning (EF). These skills, which involve planning, organizing, sequencing, prioritizing, shifting attention, and time management can be well-developed in some people (think traffic controllers, wedding planners, business CEOs, etc.) and less developed in others. They are vital in all parts of life, from making coffee to running a profitable business. The skills develop naturally, without specific, formal training, and we all have them to some degree - or at least, we all assume we all have them.

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Women historically have dominated teaching fields, and autism education is no different. But among autistic students, the ratio of boys to girls is almost reversed.   So, what happens when all those boys become teenagers? Who teaches them some of the basics of male behavior - how to avoid fights, how to horseplay, how to act in a public restroom?

Check out this story.

And this is an interesting video that might help you out.  Please keep in mind that some topics are just down right hard to teach and this is about as “clean” and open of a discussion as you can have.  Probably more appropriate for our older guys…but they all have to learn it!   Yeah.  It is a bit uncomfortable but then there are a lot of uncomfortable topics we have to cover, huh? Maybe this will help you — or maybe not.  You decide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGGVuNI43z0

(For more tips please visit our Autism News section where everything is archived!)