What is RDI? Relationship Development Intervention program a research-based treatment program that helps parents learn how to guide their child to desire and succeed in genuine give and take relationships, while addressing flexible thinking, rapid attention shifting and emotional regulation. This treatment is specifically aimed at treating the social impairments of autistic kids.

The 5 core areas of difficulty which define Autism Spectrum Disorders are:

:: Declarative Communication- can they share experiences with you? Can they share their emotional reactions to a mutual experience by smiling or laughing with you? Can they share their feelings about what an event meant to them personally?

:: Referencing- can they borrow your perspective? Can they look to you to help them resolve uncertain situations? Can they be soothed by just a reassuring look on your face? Or notice if you are approving or disapproving?

:: Regulating – can they “dance” with you? Can they do their part in coordinating with you when playing? When walking side by side with you?

:: Episodic Memory – can they reflect on past experiences and anticipate future experiences? Can they use an experience they had yesterday or last week to avoid a negative result or repeat the positive one? Do they understand consequences?

:: Flexible Thinking – can they “go with the flow”? If plans change can they easily adapt to new conditions? Can they come up with multiple right answers?

RDI can help if your child is unable to do some of these things. There is a great web site with tons of information on RDI I highly recommend it.