Parents of autistic children often seek alternative methods of therapy that fit into their busy schedules and work in their child’s most effective learning environment—the home. For this reason, online therapy is a growing and popular choice.
How Online Autism Therapy Works
Virtual therapy models vary. Some include learning materials for the parent alone, and some include the collaboration of a consultant (sometimes untrained personnel) from a distance.
Parents typically start online therapy programs by reading blogs or books, watching videos, or attending virtual classes.
Online therapy models and products typically fall into several categories:
Play therapy
Play Therapy is offered for free at a base-level product with “no therapist needed.” This type of therapy model instructs parents via online materials to guide their children in unstructured play, intending to build social interaction and communication skills. The theory behind this program is that children learn on their own through playtime.
Another play therapy model, which is not a free product, involves the parents, children, and a therapist working together to design and implement play sessions for the child. These programs are often built from session to session. Parents are instructed in this type of therapy model through online courses, watching videos, reading books, and working with therapists.
Speech therapy
Online programs for autistic children are offered through clinics that teach parents speech therapy techniques through purchased books, recorded audiovisual materials, and some include meeting virtually with trained professionals.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
ABA is one of the most common forms of autism therapy in today’s world. Parents can purchase online guides or books to get started with ABA therapy.
Online ABA therapy models include working virtually with consultants, but not necessarily ABA trained or certified therapists.
In its in-person format, ABA therapy involves up to 40 hours per week with an autistic child. It encompasses a training process for autistic children to learn skills that begins with basic communication and includes academics and life-skills.
ABA is offered online through videos, online consultation, and virtual curriculum.
How RDI® Online Therapy Works
The RDI® therapy model has always been an online platform.
RDI® therapy involves meeting with a consultant from a distance (the most important tool in the home program) through an online communication platform every two weeks. The virtual learning platform includes systematic ways to organize communication, submit videos, and post current and future objectives—a personalized plan, as well as yearly assessments.
Parents have access to an online community which contains a video library with samples of RDI® work donated by other parents, as well as live and recorded webinars on various topics, and shared communication in discussion groups with other parents.
RDI® Online Therapy May be the Only Program that Works
RDI® is significantly different from traditional autism interventions. It may be the only autism therapy model that can successfully be done entirely online.
The program includes an intensive parent training component designed for the parent’s involvement from the start, as well as real-life non-invasive virtual coaching that takes place in the home environment and is designed around the whole family and their personal lifestyle.
Our model isn’t focused on play therapy, speech, or the learning of skills. Instead, the parent is trained as a guide, which develops their way of thinking, perceiving, and acting in their home setting with the child, and with a strategic goal to guide the child to mental growth, through growth-seeking.
This doesn’t happen solely through a set of books or online videos (but, the online video review with our program is a powerful learning opportunity), instead, success happens through the parent-child guiding relationship.
The RDI® program is based on the belief that making lasting, meaningful and lifelong changes begins at home—initially with the child’s parents, and that the remediation process should take place amongst each family’s unique culture and relationships.
Access to RDI® Online Help
In order to help your family, we are throwing open our doors and are making our resources available to you for only $5 a month through June 30, 2020. Learn more at https://www.rdiconnect.com/join-the-rdi-learning-community/
0 Comments