Scheduling and Prioritizing - Excerpt #2
Continuing Education Webinar for Parents, Hosted by Certified Consultant, Bruce Carroll, Ph.D.
This is another short excerpt from a live webinar presented on December 12, 2007. Bruce talks about "date night" and how it might fit into the "basket" system of setting priorities. He will be repeating this webinar on February 7, 2008.

The week of January 10, 2008 marked the official launch of consultant-hosted webinars exclusively for parents. An exciting addition to the RDIos™, these webinars give parents the chance to gain insight and continuing RDI® Program education from consultants around the world. With 4-7 webinars a week, parents can re-familiarize themselves with RDI® concepts, prepare for the future and ask consultants questions regarding the topic of the morning, afternoon and evening. There are also webinars for parents at every stage of the RDI® Program from beginning to advanced, and webinars dedicated to teenagers, children, homeschoolers, siblings, and more. These one hour sessions are not just a learning experience, but a way to connect with other parents who are experiencing similar difficulties in the same area or subject. Parents will not only be learning from consultants, but from each other.

The list below shows the schedule for the first half of 2008. For more details, including the name of the Consultant hosting each webinar, the link to the webinar room, or any last-minute changes, please see the Parent Calendar on the RDIos™.

RDIos™ Continuing Education for Parents
The following webinars are all included as part of an RDIos™ subscription. (Click here for information about the RDIos™ and how to subscribe.) Each webinar is limited to 50 participants due to the size of the room, however, they will be posted in the RDIos™ archives for later review.

Note: all dates and times are USA CENTRAL TIME. To convert the times to your local area, please use the time and date converter at http://www.timeanddate.com/.

January 2008
1/10 - Scheduling and Prioritizing webinar, 7:00 PM CST
1/14 - Advanced 1: Intermediate and Advanced (parent stages and guiding, internalization, transfer), 8:00 AM CST
1/14 - Beginners 1: Parent Objectives from education to commitment, 6:00 PM CST
1/15 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
1/15 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
1/16 - Paying for the RDI Program, 6:00 PM CST
1/17 - Finding Opportunities, 5:00 PM CST
1/18 - Objectives to Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
1/21 - Advanced 2: Transferring Responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
1/21 - Beginners 2: Beginners 2: Working on parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
1/23 - Siblings, 5:00 PMCST
1/24 - Behavior Management and RDI: Setting limits and learning from consequences, 6:00 PM CST
1/25 - Video Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
1/28 - Beginners 1:Working on parent objectives from education to readiness and commitment, 6:00 PM CST
1/29 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
1/29 - RDI as Lifestyle,- 8:00 PM CST
1/30 - The RDA, 5:00 PM CST

February 2008
2/4 - Advanced 1, 8:00 AM CST
2/4 - Beginners 1:Working on parent objectives from education to readiness and commitment, 6:00 PM CST
2/5 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
2/5 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
2/6 - Paying for the RDI Program,6:00 PM CST
2/7 - Scheduling and Prioritizing, 7:00 PM CST
2/8 - Co-occuring disorders, 5:00 PM CST
2/11 - Advanced 2, 10:00 AM CST
2/11 - Beginners 2, 7:00 PM CST
2/12 - Transitioning from ABA, 10:00 AM CST
2/14 - Finding Opportunities, 10:00 AM CST
2/15 - Objective to Feedback, 5:00 PM CST
2/18 - Beginners 1:Working on parent objectives from education to readiness and commitment, 6:00 PM CST
2/19 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
2/19 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
2/20 - Siblings, 10:00 AM CST
2/21 - Behavior Management, 5:00 PM CST
2/22 - Video Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
2/25 - Beginners 2, 7:00 PM CST
2/26 - Homeschooling, 3:00 PM CST
2/28 - Pre-School through Kindergarten, 5:00 PM CST
2/29 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST

March 2008
3/3 - Summer Programs, 5:00 PM CST
3/4 - Involving Less-Involved Member of the Family, 10:00 AM CST
3/6 - Communication 1, 10:00 AM CST
3/6 - Working Parents, 5:00 PM CST
3/7 - Cognitive 1, 5:00 PM CST
3/10 - Advanced 1, 8:00 AM CST
3/10 - Beginners 1, 6:00 PM CST
3/11 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
3/11 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
3/13 - Communication 2, 10:00 AM CST
3/14 - Objective to Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
3/14 - Cognitive 2, 5:00 PM CST
3/17 - Advanced 2, 10:00 AM CST
3/17 - Beginners 2, 7:00 PM CST
3/18 - Transitioning from ABA, 5:00 PM CST
3/20 - Communication 3, 8:00 PM CST
3/21 - Cognitive 3, 10:00 AM CST
3/21 - Video Feedback, 5:00 PM CST
3/24 - Self-regulation, 5:00 PM CST
3/25 - Home schooling, 4:00 PM CST
3/26 - Siblings,10:00 AM CST
3/27 - Behavior Management, 5:00 PM CST
3/28 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST
3/28 - Cognitive 4, 5:00 PM CST
3/31 - Journaling, 6:00 PM CST

April 2008
4/2 - Co-occuring disorders, 10:00 AM CST
4/3 - Japanese Webinar, 5:00 PM CST
4/4 - Cognitive 1: Developing Cognitive Apprenticeship, 10:00 AM CST
4/8 - Involving Less-Involved Members of the family, 5:00 PM CST
4/10 - CST Working Parents, 10:00 AM
4/10 - Communication 1: Effective communication with children who are talking too much, 6:00 PM CST
4/11 - Cognitive 2:Developing Cognitive Apprenticeship with an over-controlling child, 10:00 AM CST
4/14 - Advanced 1: Intermediate and Advanced parent stages, 8:00 AM CST
4/14 - Beginners 1: Working on parent objectives, 6:00 PM CST
4/15 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
4/16 - Pre-school to Kindergarten, 10:00 AM CST
4/17 - Communication 2:Developing Effective communication with children who are not talking, 5:00 PM CST
4/18 - Cognitive 3:developing cognitive apprentice with passive children, 10:00 AM CST
4/21 - Advanced 2: Transferring responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
4/21 - Beginners 2: Parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
4/23 - Self-regulation, 5:00 PM CST
4/24 - Communication 3: broadband communication, 8:00 PM CST
4/25 - Cognitive 4: developing a cognitive apprenticeship with emotionally dysregulated children, 6:00 PM CST
4/29 - Cognitive Development, 10:00 AM CST
4/30 - The RDA, 5:00 PM CST

May 2008
5/2 - Cognitive 1:developing cognitive apprenticeship with adolescents and young adults, 10:00 AM CST
5/5 - Summer Programs, 5:00 PM CST
5/6 - Involving less-involved members, 6:00 PM CST
5/8 - Working Parents, 10:00 AM CST
5/8 - Communication 1: developing effective communication with children who are talking too much, 5:00 PM CST
5/9 - Cognitive 2: apprenticeship with an over-controlling child, 10:00 AM CST
5/12 - Advanced 1: intermediate and advanced parent stages, 8:00 AM CST
5/12 - Beginners 1: parent objectives, 6:00 PM CST
5/13 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
5/13 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
5/15 - Communication 2:children who are not talking, 5:00 PM CST
5/16 - Cognitive 3:apprenticeship with passive children, 6:00 PM CST
5/19 - Advanced 2:transferring responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
5/19 - Beginners : parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
5/20 - Homeschooling, 5:00 PM CST
5/21 - Siblings, 10:00 AM CST
5/22 - Communication 3: broadband communication, 8:00 PM CST
5/23 - Cognitive 4:apprenticeship with emotionally dysregulated child, 10:00 AM CST
5/27 - Journaling, 5:00 PM CST
5/28 - Self-regulation, 10:00 AM CST
5/29 - Co-occuring disorders, 5:00 PM CST
5/30 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST

June 2008
6/5 - Communication 1: Children who are talking too much,10:00 AM CST
6/6 - Cognitive 1:apprenticeship with adolescents and young adults,5:00 PM CST
6/11 - Elementary School,5:00 PM CST
6/12 - Communication 2: children who are not talking,10:00 AM CST
6/13 - Cognitive 2: an over-controlling child,5:00 PM CST
6/16 - Advanced 1 ,8:00 AM CST
6/16 - Beginners 1: initial parent objectives,6:00 PM CST
6/17 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
6/17 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
6/19 - Communication 3, 8:00 PM CST
6/20 - Cognitive 3:apprenticeship with passive children, 5:00 PM CST
6/23 - Advanced 2:transferring responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
6/23 - Beginners 2: parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
6/24 - Preschool to Kindergarten, 10:00 AM CST
6/25 - Siblings, 5:00 PM CST
6/26 - Cognitive Development, 10:00 AM CST
6/27 - Cognitive 4: apprenticeship with an emotionally dysregulated child, 5:00 PM CST
6/30 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST

July - Dec 2008
To be Announced

Scheduling and Prioritizing
Continuing Education Webinar for Parents, Hosted by Certified Consultant, Bruce Carroll, Ph.D.
In this short excerpt from a live webinar presented on December 12, 2007, hear Bruce talk about managing different levels of time using a "basket" system. He will be repeating this webinar on January 10 and February 7, 2008.

The week of January 10, 2008 marks the official launch of consultant-hosted webinars exclusively for parents. An exciting addition to the RDIos™, these webinars give parents the chance to gain insight and continuing RDI® Program education from consultants around the world. With 4-7 webinars a week, parents can re-familiarize themselves with RDI® concepts, prepare for the future and ask consultants questions regarding the topic of the morning, afternoon and evening. There are also webinars for parents at every stage of the RDI® Program from beginning to advanced, and webinars dedicated to teenagers, children, homeschoolers, siblings, and more. These one hour sessions are not just a learning experience, but a way to connect with other parents who are experiencing similar difficulties in the same area or subject. Parents will not only be learning from consultants, but from each other.

The list below shows the schedule for the first half of 2008. For more details, including the name of the Consultant hosting each webinar, the link to the webinar room, or any last-minute changes, please see the Parent Calendar on the RDIos™.

RDIos™ Continuing Education for Parents
The following webinars are all included as part of an RDIos™ subscription. (Click here for information about the RDIos™ and how to subscribe.) Each webinar is limited to 50 participants due to the size of the room, however, they will be posted in the RDIos™ archives for later review.

Note: all dates and times are USA CENTRAL TIME. To convert the times to your local area, please use the time and date converter at http://www.timeanddate.com/.

January 2008
1/10 - Scheduling and Prioritizing webinar, 7:00 PM CST
1/14 - Advanced 1: Intermediate and Advanced (parent stages and guiding, internalization, transfer), 8:00 AM CST
1/14 - Beginners 1: Parent Objectives from education to commitment, 6:00 PM CST
1/15 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
1/15 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
1/16 - Paying for the RDI Program, 6:00 PM CST
1/17 - Finding Opportunities, 5:00 PM CST
1/18 - Objectives to Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
1/21 - Advanced 2: Transferring Responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
1/21 - Beginners 2: Beginners 2: Working on parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
1/23 - Siblings, 5:00 PMCST
1/24 - Behavior Management and RDI: Setting limits and learning from consequences, 6:00 PM CST
1/25 - Video Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
1/28 - Beginners 1:Working on parent objectives from education to readiness and commitment, 6:00 PM CST
1/29 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
1/29 - RDI as Lifestyle,- 8:00 PM CST
1/30 - The RDA, 5:00 PM CST

February 2008
2/4 - Advanced 1, 8:00 AM CST
2/4 - Beginners 1:Working on parent objectives from education to readiness and commitment, 6:00 PM CST
2/5 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
2/5 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
2/6 - Paying for the RDI Program,6:00 PM CST
2/7 - Scheduling and Prioritizing, 7:00 PM CST
2/8 - Co-occuring disorders, 5:00 PM CST
2/11 - Advanced 2, 10:00 AM CST
2/11 - Beginners 2, 7:00 PM CST
2/12 - Transitioning from ABA, 10:00 AM CST
2/14 - Finding Opportunities, 10:00 AM CST
2/15 - Objective to Feedback, 5:00 PM CST
2/18 - Beginners 1:Working on parent objectives from education to readiness and commitment, 6:00 PM CST
2/19 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
2/19 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
2/20 - Siblings, 10:00 AM CST
2/21 - Behavior Management, 5:00 PM CST
2/22 - Video Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
2/25 - Beginners 2, 7:00 PM CST
2/26 - Homeschooling, 3:00 PM CST
2/28 - Pre-School through Kindergarten, 5:00 PM CST
2/29 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST

March 2008
3/3 - Summer Programs, 5:00 PM CST
3/4 - Involving Less-Involved Member of the Family, 10:00 AM CST
3/6 - Communication 1, 10:00 AM CST
3/6 - Working Parents, 5:00 PM CST
3/7 - Cognitive 1, 5:00 PM CST
3/10 - Advanced 1, 8:00 AM CST
3/10 - Beginners 1, 6:00 PM CST
3/11 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
3/11 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
3/13 - Communication 2, 10:00 AM CST
3/14 - Objective to Feedback, 10:00 AM CST
3/14 - Cognitive 2, 5:00 PM CST
3/17 - Advanced 2, 10:00 AM CST
3/17 - Beginners 2, 7:00 PM CST
3/18 - Transitioning from ABA, 5:00 PM CST
3/20 - Communication 3, 8:00 PM CST
3/21 - Cognitive 3, 10:00 AM CST
3/21 - Video Feedback, 5:00 PM CST
3/24 - Self-regulation, 5:00 PM CST
3/25 - Home schooling, 4:00 PM CST
3/26 - Siblings,10:00 AM CST
3/27 - Behavior Management, 5:00 PM CST
3/28 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST
3/28 - Cognitive 4, 5:00 PM CST
3/31 - Journaling, 6:00 PM CST

April 2008
4/2 - Co-occuring disorders, 10:00 AM CST
4/3 - Japanese Webinar, 5:00 PM CST
4/4 - Cognitive 1: Developing Cognitive Apprenticeship, 10:00 AM CST
4/8 - Involving Less-Involved Members of the family, 5:00 PM CST
4/10 - CST Working Parents, 10:00 AM
4/10 - Communication 1: Effective communication with children who are talking too much, 6:00 PM CST
4/11 - Cognitive 2:Developing Cognitive Apprenticeship with an over-controlling child, 10:00 AM CST
4/14 - Advanced 1: Intermediate and Advanced parent stages, 8:00 AM CST
4/14 - Beginners 1: Working on parent objectives, 6:00 PM CST
4/15 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
4/16 - Pre-school to Kindergarten, 10:00 AM CST
4/17 - Communication 2:Developing Effective communication with children who are not talking, 5:00 PM CST
4/18 - Cognitive 3:developing cognitive apprentice with passive children, 10:00 AM CST
4/21 - Advanced 2: Transferring responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
4/21 - Beginners 2: Parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
4/23 - Self-regulation, 5:00 PM CST
4/24 - Communication 3: broadband communication, 8:00 PM CST
4/25 - Cognitive 4: developing a cognitive apprenticeship with emotionally dysregulated children, 6:00 PM CST
4/29 - Cognitive Development, 10:00 AM CST
4/30 - The RDA, 5:00 PM CST

May 2008
5/2 - Cognitive 1:developing cognitive apprenticeship with adolescents and young adults, 10:00 AM CST
5/5 - Summer Programs, 5:00 PM CST
5/6 - Involving less-involved members, 6:00 PM CST
5/8 - Working Parents, 10:00 AM CST
5/8 - Communication 1: developing effective communication with children who are talking too much, 5:00 PM CST
5/9 - Cognitive 2: apprenticeship with an over-controlling child, 10:00 AM CST
5/12 - Advanced 1: intermediate and advanced parent stages, 8:00 AM CST
5/12 - Beginners 1: parent objectives, 6:00 PM CST
5/13 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
5/13 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
5/15 - Communication 2:children who are not talking, 5:00 PM CST
5/16 - Cognitive 3:apprenticeship with passive children, 6:00 PM CST
5/19 - Advanced 2:transferring responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
5/19 - Beginners : parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
5/20 - Homeschooling, 5:00 PM CST
5/21 - Siblings, 10:00 AM CST
5/22 - Communication 3: broadband communication, 8:00 PM CST
5/23 - Cognitive 4:apprenticeship with emotionally dysregulated child, 10:00 AM CST
5/27 - Journaling, 5:00 PM CST
5/28 - Self-regulation, 10:00 AM CST
5/29 - Co-occuring disorders, 5:00 PM CST
5/30 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST

June 2008
6/5 - Communication 1: Children who are talking too much,10:00 AM CST
6/6 - Cognitive 1:apprenticeship with adolescents and young adults,5:00 PM CST
6/11 - Elementary School,5:00 PM CST
6/12 - Communication 2: children who are not talking,10:00 AM CST
6/13 - Cognitive 2: an over-controlling child,5:00 PM CST
6/16 - Advanced 1 ,8:00 AM CST
6/16 - Beginners 1: initial parent objectives,6:00 PM CST
6/17 - New to RDI, 4:00 PM CST
6/17 - RDI as Lifestyle, 8:00 PM CST
6/19 - Communication 3, 8:00 PM CST
6/20 - Cognitive 3:apprenticeship with passive children, 5:00 PM CST
6/23 - Advanced 2:transferring responsibility, 10:00 AM CST
6/23 - Beginners 2: parent objectives from planning to apprenticeship, 7:00 PM CST
6/24 - Preschool to Kindergarten, 10:00 AM CST
6/25 - Siblings, 5:00 PM CST
6/26 - Cognitive Development, 10:00 AM CST
6/27 - Cognitive 4: apprenticeship with an emotionally dysregulated child, 5:00 PM CST
6/30 - The RDA, 10:00 AM CST

July - Dec 2008
To be Announced

Dr. Gutstein Talking about the Power of the Resource Library
Many of you have heard Dr. Gutstein talk about the RDI® Program and the importance of slowing down ... but have you ever heard him sing it?! In last week's webinar for professionals, he was discussing the Resource Library on the RDIos™ and how it will offer so much more than video clips. The whole point of the library is to provide rich resources for every objective so that each one is personally meaningful to every user–no matter what their learning style. Professionals had a rich exchange about how they are working with parents, with one consultant saying she had used the TV show, "Dancing with the Stars" to discuss the concept of apprenticeship. Another consultant said she had asked her family to send back a song for the communication objective, and mentioned the Simon and Garfunkel song, "Slow down, you move too fast ..." whereupon Dr. Gutstein broke into song! The consultant said the family loved having a "slowing down" song they could easily use to remind themselves, and Dr. Gutstein demonstrated the power of using another modality to make an objective fun, meaningful and easy to remember. He concluded by saying communication and feedbacks between consultants and parents could take many different forms: "Be open to all kinds of different ways to make RDI® objectives and assignments come alive: segments of songs, movies, stories, poems, novels, TV shows, "Mr. Rogers", paintings, drawings, charts, documents, audio recordings, still photos, role-playing, enactments–think about what will evoke a powerful episodic memory."

Dr. Gutstein Talks about how the RDIos will help improve the delivery of RDI services

RDI is constantly being updated based on new research and feedback from families. In the past, however, it has not been logistically possible to get feedback from ALL RDI families, because due to confidentiality, the Connections Center had no way of contacting the private clients of individual consultants, or even knowing how many there were, what stages they were working on, what their aggregate "issues" or confusions were, etc. The RDIos solves this problem, by allowing Consultants and parents to maintain their privacy, while at the same time giving a way for parents to provide tremendously helpful feedback to very specific questions. This will allow the RDI® Program to develop better and faster, with updates being instantaneously available to all consultants and families, no matter where they are in the world.

Dr. Gutstein Talks about how the RDIos will help Customize RDI for Families

As Dr. Gutstein talked about in his webinar with professionals last week, one major benefit of the RDIos™ is that it will take the effectiveness of the RDI® Program to a whole new level. No longer will RDI® come from "a pronouncement from the top," just from Dr. Gutstein, but RDI® will become continuously more effective based on input from hundreds of families. For example, everyone on the RDIos™ will be able to easily provide their feedback and contribute data from their own experiences via on-line polls. Families can anonymously help answer specific clinical questions, such as: "Are you having difficulty understanding the Co-Regulation objective (#893) in Stage 1?" "Does it need to be broken down more?" "Are you getting stuck in these places?" With the click of a button, all this information can be submitted along with other demographic information, such as co-occurring disorders, age, etc. By being able to collect and organize all of this very targeted information, the RDI® Program will become much more customized for various sub-groups of families, based on the collective wisdom of our whole community.

Dr. Gutstein explaining how to use some of the new features of the RDIos

This clip contains video excerpts from this week's (October 15) Webinar for Professionals, where Dr. Gutstein talks to the professionals about the new RDIos, explaining more effective ways of consulting to families that will be made possible through the RDIos, and describing other valuable features of the system:

"Webcam" the Assignment (no more having to remember what you talked about!) When Consultants are with parents, they can explain an assignment to them right on video camera, press a button on the RDIos, and have that automatically uploaded right to the parent's Assignment page. You can review the assignment at your leisure later: no need to write it down or trying to remember details... that "memory" will all be right there and available in full color and sound for you, 24/7.

Provide very targeted feedback to Parents ("look at these critical 10 seconds where you were connecting") Consultants can easily edit out precisely the moments they want to discuss with parents. Within seconds, they can send this clip with their comments, directly to the parents' Assignment page. This is a great feature for both distance and local families.

Review video clips together on-line (watch and discuss the same video clip in real time.) Consultants and parents can watch, as well as edit clips, make notes and have the whole exchange become part of the parent's file, placed in the exact order it was done. No more filing!

Connect with other families - without breaking confidentiality, parents can meet families at the same stage as they are, in the same situation they might be in, and receive valuable support and information.

Participate in the growth of the video library: Available only to other subscribers, this invaluable resource will grow exponentially. Even if 1,000 families submit only 1 video clip a month, by the end of a year, there will be another 12,000 video clips, all categorized by age, gender, stage, objective, etc.

Ongoing continuing education for both parents and professionals through the live webinars and learn-at-your-own pace e-Learning.

Helping the RDI Program systematically get better and better results based on the collective wisdom of all participants.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work out the initial bugs in the RDIos! This amazing system will be home to a world-wide community, all committed to improving the quality of life for those on the autism spectrum. It will be the first on-line community of its kind for any medical condition.

Experience Sharing using Coins (Part 3)

This clip is the final one in this series* where Dad and son are doing some great co-regulating and experience-sharing using Canadian coins. Again, notice the effective scaffolding with lots of nonverbal communication, and his pacing, which also gives himself time to think about what he's doing. Even in Dad's verbal communication, he is very expressive, speaking more quietly and drawing out his words in places, to spotlight what he is saying. Dad keeps the focus on the experience-sharing and not on the activity throughout, and Son is an active and engaged participant–clearly wanting to keep going, at the end!

*View Part 1
 View Part 2

Many thanks to Certified Consultant, Lisa Palasti, Ontario, Canada, for contributing this series of clips.

Experience Sharing using Coins (Part 2)

This clip is a continuation from last week, where Dad and son are doing some great co-regulating and experience-sharing using Canadian coins. Again, Dad gives progressively easier clues to help his son guess the kind of animal on each coin, providing very effective scaffolding. Notice too, Dad's pacing, and how he is able to limit his talking to what is necessary, and how he provides lots of "declarative silence" processing time, especially when his son examines the coins. Dad also uses lots of other non-verbal communication in this episode, adding large but gentle gestures and even breaking into full humming song!

Many thanks to Certified Consultant, Lisa Palasti, Ontario, Canada, for contributing this series of clips.

Experience Sharing using Coins (Part 1)

Experience Sharing using Coins (Part 1)

This great series of clips shows a father and his 4 year old son using everyday coins as the "backdrop" for working on joint attention. Dad starts by explaining the game they are going to play, which is about guessing the animals or items (leaves) pictured on the backs of Canadian coins. Notice how Dad spotlights the experience-sharing they are doing together, rather than focusing on teaching his son the name of each coin. Also notice how Dad progressively increases his scaffolding (clues) based on his son's responses, and how he engagingly adds non-verbal clues so he is communicating with his son on more than just the verbal "channel."

Many thanks to Certified Consultant, Lisa Palasti, Ontario, Canada, for contributing this series of clips.

Rating Mom, Part 3

This clip is a continuation from Part 1 (where we were introduced to Dad and his eight year old daughter, collaborating on "rating" their family members based on characteristics of dogs, as categorized by the American Kennel Association!) and Part 2, where Daughter enthusiastically continues the process by rating herself on the same scale. Here, in Part 3, Dad and Daughter rate "Mom" together. Notice Daughter's flexible thinking, guided participation, and on-going discoveries, plus the gentle negotiations and experience-sharing communications Dad and Daughter are enjoying together.

Self-Profile

This clip is a continuation of last week's clip, where we were introduced to Dad and his eight year old daughter, collaborating on "rating" their family members based on characteristics of dogs, as categorized by the American Kennel Association! Here, we see Daughter enthusiastically engaging in this process–this time rating herself–with affectionate help and declarative affirmations from Dad, nurturing her mindfulness, pride and self-awareness.

Rating the Family, Part 1

Just prior to what we see in this clip, Dad and his eight year old daughter have been talking about different breeds of dogs and how they compare with one another, discussing their various characteristics and how they rate according to the American Kennel Association (AKA). But why limit this discussion to dogs? In this delightful collaboration, Dad and daughter take the AKA's rating scales and consider how they might apply to other members of the family! See how Daughter starts off this process by "rating" Dad on such attributes as his size, activity requirements, trainability, bonding, grooming needs, and how good he is with children! In this "opposite-world" type of activity which brings many giggles of glee, Daughter is able to thoughtfully compare and contrast, all the while demonstrating a great deal of flexible thinking, ability to appraise, and most of all, enjoyment of this process with her Dad.

A light-hearted first look at Squish.

Watch Dr. Sheely use Squish for the first time! Note that while she "browses" to find her video clip, on the RDIos™ all you'll have to do is drap and drop your video clip onto the Squish applet! That's it. The compression, conversion and uploading will be taken care of automatically.

This video clip is a short screen shot of one of the self-paced e-Learning modules which will be one of the educational components of the new RDI Program operating system (RDIos™). This lesson is focused on explaining how critical dynamic intelligence is, in helping us manage the "MESSIER" problems of the real world. (MESSIER: Multiple, Ever-changing, Simultaneous, Surprising, Imperfect, Emotional and Relative). Each slide in the presentation is accompanied by recorded audio of Dr. Gutstein explaining the material and all of the courses have been developed from recent live presentations given by Dr. Gutstein. In this clip, we see the "condensed" interface view, with the navigational menu hidden.

In this clip, we see the coach tossing toys for the child to catch within a sender-receiver framework. Although it is rather fast-paced, deliberate pauses are introduced by the coach to give the child sufficient time to process and be an active participant in the interaction. The child is given the responsibility for maintaining the ongoing engagement with the coach. The coach has framed the activity such that the child is responsible for checking the responses of the coach and sharing his own responses with her. Notice how the focus is on the shared experience, not whether the toys are caught perfectly or not.

* Many thanks to Singapore Certified Consultant Genevieve Chua, who provided this clip and commentary

This clip shows a very small excerpt from a recorded "webinar" (web seminar) which Dr. Gutstein presented for professionals last week. The thin window on the far left shows the list of participants, and we also see Dr. Gutstein in real-time video, a PowerPoint slide (titled "Proposed Revision to Tools") in the large white square, and the text chat window on the bottom. This is just one example of a "layout" for a webinar, which can be customized by the presenter for each presentation. In this example, the "host" (moderator) is not shown on live video camera, but was participating through audio only.

In this part of the webinar, Dr. Gutstein was asked a question from the text chat: "How many times do you need to see an objective mastered to know it's generalized?" Dr. Gustein then repeats this question vocally (important if some participants are attending by teleconference only) and continues to answer the question by speaking. He then resumed his PowerPoint presentation.

Making Muffins (Guided Participation)

In this clip, we see mum and her 4-year old child making muffins together, in their first year of doing RDI®. Mother's close zone of connection and slow pace gives the child the opportunity to process the ongoing interaction. As such, he is able to take an active role in participating in the engagement with mother. Mother was attentive to his responses and initiations for interaction, and would also share with him her own subjective response.

* Many thanks to Singapore Certified Consultant Genevieve Chua, who provided this clip and commentary

In this short clip* we see a Dad helping his daughter strengthen her dynamic memory by reviewing an activity they did together the previous day. Spotlighting in the moment is the most important element in developing episodic memory, otherwise there is nothing to retrieve. In this clip, clearly the critical moments had been spotlighted and encoded at the time of the original activity, and this delightful review shows Dad and daughter both "reliving" the experience through their replaying it together and re-enacting both their roles. Notice that the retrieval was effortless for the daughter because she had encoded the right memory in a meaningful way. Also notice how Dad's language is all experience-sharing, and how engaged his daughter is in their review, actively suggesting they pretend they are in the pool again. Dad and daughter use a unique label ("Goggles!" Help") to refer to their experience, with a focus on the safe and happy resolution of their play in the swimming pool.

* Many thanks to Certified Consultant Maisie Soetantyo who provided this clip.

Peek-a-boo Progression (Part 4)

One of the earliest "me-you" activity frameworks found in many cultures is "peek-a-boo." First done between parents and infants, it later evolves into hide-and-seek and much later evolves into flirting.

In this series of clips we see a mom and dad and their neurotypical baby daughter, and the progression of their "peek-a-boo's." So far, we've seen:

• peek-a-boo at 3, 4 and then 5 months
• peek-a-boo around 6-7 months
• peek-a-boo at 11 months

This clip shows:
• peek-a-boo at 16 months.

Notice how Emma has progressed beyond the challenge of straight peek-a-boo and quickly evolves the interaction into pretend play and then mom and daughter co-regulate effortlessly into a different variation of back-and-forth with the blanket.

Because the RDI® Program is a cognitive-developmental approach to remediating autism spectrum disorders, we always want to stay mindful of what typical development actually looks like. At the Connections Center we bring typically developing children into our clinic on a regular basis–at least once a month. We also study video clips of babies interacting with their parents, so we have a clear picture of the very earliest stages of development, when experience-sharing abilities are just beginning to emerge.

One of the earliest "me-you" activity frameworks found in many cultures is "peek-a-boo." First done between parents and infants, it later evolves into hide-and-seek and much later evolves into flirting.

In this clip of a father and his neurotypical baby daughter, we see different examples of them playing peek-a-boo at 3, 4 and then 5 months. Compare the differences in facial gazing and emotion-sharing in the three clips.

Because the RDI® Program is a cognitive-developmental approach to remediating autism spectrum disorders, we always want to stay mindful of what typical development actually looks like. At the Connections Center we bring typically developing children into our clinic on a regular basis–at least once a month. We also study video clips of babies interacting with their parents, so we have a clear picture of the very earliest stages of development, when experience-sharing abilities are just beginning to emerge.

This clip shows Gayle Nobel* and her 22 year old son, Kyle, doing an emotion-sharing, aromatherapy activity together. Gayle explains the clip: "Aromatherapy is now one of Kyle's favorite activities and one we've been doing for over 2 years. Early on in the process I came up with this idea and he enjoys doing it and initiates it often. In this clip we were working on experience-sharing and shared enjoyment. I purposely didn't talk but tried to express myself nonverbally.
 
It's much more of a shared activity now than when we first started and as you can see, as the video progress, he connects more and more. Smelling the candles is not necessarily the most important part of the activity for him the way it was when we started; he seems as interested in my face and watching my reaction as he is interested in the candle. Also, in the clip we reverse the usual roles and I help him offer me the candle to smell rather than me offering it to him.
 
We both enjoy this activity and we can do it in a variety of places, such as candle shops or bath and body works stores. And we can do it with candles, lotions, soaps -- even buying gifts for his sisters or others."

 *Gayle is also the co-author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

This clip shows Gayle Nobel* and her almost 23-year old son, Kyle, doing a gentle regulation activity together. Note how she takes her time at the beginning and doesn't rush them into the activity, but waits for him to regulate and and make the transition for them to be comfortable together. She uses very little language, and a close zone of connection with the additional help of a bar which reinforces the tension, giving him more feedback about the meaning they are creating together. Gayle adds even more feedback when she starts blowing out with her movements. She says about this clip, "We were very connected. I felt him very much 'with me' and he hung in there, not letting go, and pulling his weight in the interaction. He also seemed to very much enjoy it."

 *Gayle is also the co-author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

In this series of clips of parents preparing to work with their 20 year old son we've seen:

• Certified Consultant, Kim Isaac in a planning session with Mom, Gayle Nobel* and Dad,

• Mom and Dad role playing together, with Mom taking the role of their son.

• Mom and Dad switching roles when they role play a second time , with Dad taking the role of their son.

This week, we see the parents "graduate" to the next stage, actually working with their son! By taking the time to prepare carefully, they were able to anticipate obstacles and set both themselves and their son up for successful interactions.

All of these video clips were taken from the first year they did RDI® with their son, and Gayle noted at the time: "we've seen a lot of positive things happen as a result of doing the RDI® Program. Kyle has become more aware of people around him and is taking more interest in them. For instance, now when coming home from school, instead of running away, he often waits for me in the area where we take off our shoes, until I'm done and can come with him. The other change I've noticed in Kyle is that when I take him to the grocery store, it used to be that I was constantly having to chase him and redirect him to stay with me and now at least some of the time, he seems to be watching and paying attention to when I stop and go and staying with me and referencing me. The other thing we've noticed is that he has become a much bigger initiator, and actually takes us into the room where we do our RDI® sessions and wants to be with us, so that's a big change. What I like about the Program is that it fits a little bit better into our lives and we can have RDI® moments no matter what we're doing and always feel like we're connecting with him, even if we're taking out the garbage or hanging up our coats."

Kyle's dad noted: Just a little example .. today, he and I were sitting outside together on a wall, and we just had some gravel put in. So we started a game of putting gravel on his knees, and he had to take the gravel off and put it in my hand and I put it on my knees and his knees, and he had to do one gravel, two gravels, three gravels, . and he did all of it! He just seems to be learning to learn! I really like the portability of it .. we can always use any opportunity to interact with him and I think that's going to give him a lot more experience with us and we hope to continue to see the significant progress we have seen. And, we're just getting started...

*Gayle is also the author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

In this series of clips showing how parents can "go slow to go fast" we have seen:

• Certified Consultant, Kim Isaac in a planning session with Mom, Gayle Nobel* and Dad as they prepared to work with their adult son with autism;

• Mom and Dad role playing together, with Mom taking the role of their son.

This week, we see Mom and Dad switch roles, with Dad taking the role of their son. Note how Kim explains the "why-bother" at the start of the clip, to help Mom feel competent in her guiding role, before taking on the challenge of working with their son. By helping them role play, the consultant has provided some preliminary scaffolding for the parents. Mom practices using a close zone of connection, non-verbal communication and then spotlights the shared experience.

*Gayle is also the author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

Last week's clip showed Certified Consultant, Kim Isaac in a planning session with Mom, Gayle Nobel* and Dad as they prepared to work with their adult son with autism. This week's clip shows them doing the role playing they have been planning, with Mom taking the role of their son. As they begin, Kim (out of camera range) suggests Dad practice doing the activity non-verbally, and he is very successful in helping his "son" be competent, despite the challenges that "son" presents him. After the few minutes of practice, all three of them discuss the role play. This is another example of parents slowing down, so they can make faster progress. By taking the time to think through what their objectives are, what the obstacles might be, and by problem-solving and actually practicing together beforehand, they are setting themselves up to be more successful and "going slow to go fast."

*Gayle is also the author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

Parents and Consultant - Planning session

This clip shows Certified Consultant Kim Isaac coaching Mom, Gayle Nobel* and Dad, as they prepare to work with their adult son with autism. Kim is helping the parents slow down, without rushing into an activity with their son. Here, they are taking the time to really think through what they will be doing and what their objectives are, beforehand. Kim suggests they deliberately anticipate obstacles that will come up, as they prepare to role-play together. Mom and Dad work as a team to discuss the obstacles and problem-solve how they will guide their son successfully.

*Gayle is also the author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

Parents Role Playing Together

In last week's clip, we saw Certified Consultant Kim Isaac coaching Mom, Gayle Nobel*, with Dad behind the camera, observing. Kim and Gayle were role-playing an activity the parents were planning to do with their adult son with autism. In this clip, we see Mom and Dad role playing the same activity, so they will be better prepared before working with their son. By not only carefully thinking through this activity, but actually practicing beforehand, they can get more comfortable and anticipate possible challenges which might arise.


*Gayle is also the author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

Spotlighting Competence and Togetherness

This clip shows Certified Consultant Kim Isaac coaching Mom, Gayle Nobel*, who has an adult son with autism. Kim and Gayle are role playing an activity together, with Dad (out of camera range) observing. Kim demonstrates the activity and then they talk about it. Later, Mom and Dad also practice with each other, so both parents feel competent before working with their son.

*Gayle is also the author of "It's All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism."

What's in the Bag! (#2)

Certified Consultant Maisie Soetantyo provided this video of a family with two children on the autism spectrum during their CATch F.I.R.E. (Family Immersion RDI® Program Enhancement) stay and explains the clip: Last week's video showed Mom practicing her "evening homework" with one of her sons. This clip shows Dad. Just like Mom, he does a great job slowing down, using less language, and sharing this experience with his child.

What's in the Bag! (#1)

Certified Consultant Maisie Soetantyo provided this video of a family with two children on the autism spectrum during their CATch F.I.R.E. (Family Immersion RDI® Program Enhancement) stay and explains the clip: This video shows Mom practicing her "evening homework" with one of her sons. She does a great job slowing down, using less language, and sharing this experience with her son. As she used fewer words, she naturally amplified many of her facial expressions and paused frequently to both increase the anticipation and allow more processing time.

Flipping Pancakes (Framing and Scaffolding)

Certified Consultant Maisie Soetantyo provided this video of another family during their CATch F.I.R.E. (Family Immersion RDI® Program Enhancement) stay and explains the clip: The "secret" to the success you see on this clip (and virtually all the clips from Immersions) is a direct result of how carefully the parents framed the activity in advance. They anticipated their children's initial reluctance, and were ready to provide a lot of scaffolding, in the form of a close zone of connection and physical guidance. You can't see this on the clip, but distracting elements in the room were also removed prior to the activity. The parents deliberately used big "props" (in this case, plates) which makes physical guidance easier. The parents also very deliberately kept this activity really short - each child flipped the pancake just once, and there was a lot of spotlighting the brothers' competence in doing this together. By really thinking through this activity in advance, both parents and children were able to be successful.

Giggles with Momma

Watch how (neurotypical) baby Emma at 5 months, engages in some wonderful anticipation and emotion-sharing with her Mom. Without any words at all, they are able to actively communicate with each other, in a way which delights them both.

Because the RDI® Program is a cognitive-developmental approach to remediating autism spectrum disorders, we always want to stay mindful of what typical development actually looks like. At the Connections Center we bring typically developing children into our clinic on a regular basis–at least once a month. We also study video clips of babies interacting with their parents so we have a clear picture of the very earliest stages of development, when experience-sharing abilities are just beginning to emerge.

Browse the Video Library to see more video clips.

Humpty Dumpty (Guided Participation)

Certified Consultant Maisie Soetantyo provided this video of a family during their CATch F.I.R.E. (Family Immersion RDI® Program Enhancement) stay and explains the clip: Here is Mom and Alex* doing another pool activity, where Alex starts by sitting on the edge of the pool while Mom is in the water and chanting (making great use of the rhyme, "Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!") At first it is not quite clear to Alex what his role is and he is just focused on jumping into the water. Mom then increases the zone of connection by holding both of his hands while she chants, (scaffolding) and this provides a little resistance so he is not just focusing on falling into the water, but also coming to understand his role in this interaction. Notice how he really starts listening to Mom's chat and starts to watch her cues before falling into the water. After a few repetitions, Alex is able to follow Mom even when she hesitates, and she reduces her own scaffolding by just barely touching him. In just a couple of minutes she has been able to guide her son into a co-regulated activity where they are actively participating with each other.

* See more clips of Mom and Alex during the Immersion Program in the Video Library, clips: 124, 125, 126, 129, 132, 133, 135, 137, 138, 144-147.

Conference Spotlight:
Scenes from the RDI® Program's 3rd Annual Conference (2006)

Almost 300 parents and professionals attended the Conference, August 3-7 in Denver, Colorado. This clip shows a few highlights from the conference: the large group sessions introducing the new RDI® Program Operating System, Stephen Shore giving his presentation on "Success with Autism," Variety Performer Matt Levy demonstrating incredible feats of balance, the booksigning and reception for "My Baby Can Dance," and some of the small group sessions. These breakout groups were very popular, and included some wonderfully creative sessions: stained glass windows, drumming, elastic band "dancing," and paper play.

Thanks to all those who contributed photos, with special thanks to Allan Gilbertson.

Browse the Video Library to see more video clips.

Conference Spotlight:
Learn how to "Juggle" - in 5 minutes!

This clip features Variety Performer and RDI® Parent, Matt Levy, live, at the 3rd Annual International Conference in Colorado. Follow along with the instructions below, and learn how to juggle in 5 minutes! Along the way, you'll have an experience of many RDI® Program concepts, such as: productive uncertainty, guided participation, prototypes, framing, scaffolding, and elaboration.


Learn how to Juggle - in 5 minutes!
Some of the RDI® Program concepts that Matt demonstrated through his juggling lesson are mentioned, below. These bold and underlined RDI® terms can be clicked on for more information/definitions.

Come on down! (Productive Uncertainty)
Matt started by issuing a challenge: "For all the people who felt their whole life they could never master something as simple as juggling, I want you to come forward to the stage. We're going to teach you in five minutes or less ... come on down! (By the smiles and excited anticipation of the dozens of people who went to the stage, it was clear most of the attendees were feeling productive uncertainty.)

Getting started (you'll need 3 balls)
If you think learning to juggle will be productive uncertainty for you at home, find 3 balls you can use or improvise by using small bean bags, or even rolled-up socks.

Matt had a roomful of eager apprentices, ready to learn from a master juggler, in a classic example of guided participation (also called the master-apprentice relationship). Following are his instructions as he modeled for and guided everyone through the process:

It's all about feeling Competent
"RDI® and juggling are so similar because they're all about competence."

Right now, you can all throw balls in the air. (Framing)
"Juggling is not about catching anything. Right now, you can all throw balls in the air. And that's all it's about ... throwing the balls." (Note how Matt framed the objective as one of throwing and not catching. He modified the activity to amplify the intended objective, which is a part of framing.)

Throw one ball from hand to hand (Prototype 1)
"Kneel on the floor and put two balls on the ground in front of you and keep the third ball in one of your hands. If you're doing this with others, and your balls get mixed up with someone else's, don't worry! Balls will be going everywhere, and that's good!" (Note this is the prototype that will lead to 3-ball juggling.)

Notice the apex (Scaffolding)
"All you're going to do is throw one ball from hand to hand. Very simple. What’s going to happen is that the first ball is going to go up and at the top of its flight just before it comes down, it’s going to hit what we call the 'apex' and then the ball is going to fall into the other hand. So you are just going to throw the ball from hand to hand but be sure to pay attention to the apex. It doesn't matter if you catch the ball or not .. let the ground 'catch' the ball; just practice throwing and notice the apex. Once you feel comfortable with that, see if you can catch three balls in a row, with just that one ball, tossing from hand to hand. If the ball drops to the ground, don’t worry about it. Catching is nothing .. throwing is everything!" (Matt scaffolded this very nicely by demonstrating. See the video.)

Now.. you're ready for two balls! (Elaborating)
"Take one ball in each hand, and throw the first ball up just as you did when you were throwing one ball from hand to hand. When the first ball reaches its apex, throw the second ball across to the other hand, in an 'x' pattern. PLEASE do not catch the balls. Just throw the balls up to their apex and the ground will catch them for you.

Don’t try to catch any balls; just let them drop to the ground. But if you do happen to catch a ball or two by accident, DON’T PANIC ! So just throw some balls... one and two. One and two. Let them fall to the ground and if balls are going everywhere, that’s great! (In this step, note how Matt started elaborating the activity slightly to eventually correspond to real-world conditions ... you're now well on the way to 3 three-ball juggling!)

When you feel comfortable, you can start catching the balls (Variations)
"You can start catching a ball here or there if you like, but you don’t have to. This is the rhythm: One and two. One and two. Try starting with the other hand, try small little throws, high throws, medium throws ... you've just become a juggler ! Everyone who is juggling two balls, is actually juggling three, but you don’t know it yet. This is the prototype. 'One and two' is the prototype of three."

Now... you're ready for three balls! (Raising the bar)
"When you feel comfortable with throwing and are starting to catch a few balls, you're ready for three! Put two balls in one hand and one ball in the other. With the hand that has the two balls in it, throw one of the balls to the other hand (let it fall to the ground .. don’t try to catch it). When the first ball reaches its apex, throw the single ball in the other hand across in an “x” pattern just like you did previously with the two balls. (See the video.) Then when the second ball reaches its apex, throw the remaining ball to the other hand. One, two, three! Just make three apexes with the balls.

When you feel comfortable with the throws and creating the apexes, you can start to catch one of the balls if you want. If you catch a second ball or third ball by accident, don’t worry about it ! This is the rhythm -- apex, throw, apex, throw, apex throw!" (Note how Matt has continually elaborated and raised the bar within just a few minutes.)

Juggling Practice Tips (more Framing)
"People tend to throw the balls forward for some reason, so kneel down and practice with a wall in front of you. Then just do your throws: one, two, three. One, two three. Throw the balls away. One, two, three. Let the ground do the catching. If you do happen to catch one, that’s fine; don't worry about it." (Another part of framing is determining spatial boundaries and this is why Matt recommending practicing in front of a wall.)

Give yourself a hand! (on your way to Mastery)
"After a while, the catching will start to come in on its own and you'll find that you can start to keep the balls going and it will freak you out! If you've been throwing the balls higher to make catching easier, after a while, you'll be able to bring your throws down, where it's more controlled, and in about two weeks, you'll be able to do a smooth pattern, and eventually start being able to make variations: like one ball over the top, two balls over the top, then three balls to the outside, and then one up the middle and two across, and then to vary the pattern maybe one under the arm if you want, or two up the middle... and you'll find it easier than you think it is!"

Happy juggling!

Other video clips with Matt (or related to Juggling):
A Lesson in Framing, Scaffolding ... and Juggling! (06/20/06)
Juggling, like the real world, is MESSI ("MESSI" stands for Multiple, Emotional, Simultaneous, Surprising, and Imperfect!) (06/27/06)
Learning to Juggle (by Using the Right Prototype) (08/22/06)


Browse the Video Library to see more video clips.

Conference Spotlight:
Learning how to "Juggle" real life -
starting with the right prototypes.

In this clip, Dr. Gutstein is shown with Matt Levy, Variety Performer, at the 3rd Annual International Conference in Colorado. Dr. Gutstein starts off by showing how he originally learned to "emulate" juggling by basically transferring one ball from one hand to the other -- unfortunately, it's a dead end as a prototype for learning how to do more sophisticated juggling, such as with 3 balls. Similarly, many treatments for those with autism spectrum disorders also lead to dead ends because they start with the wrong prototypes. By contrast, the RDI® Program helps those with autism get back on the developmental track by carefully assessing the individual's current level of development and starting with the prototypes which allow for continued growth. For more information on this topic, see the August 22, 2006 newsletter.

Browse the Video Library to see more video clips.

Conference Spotlight:
Stephen Shore at the 2006 Annual Conference

Author, international speaker, husband, graduate student, and college instructor, Stephen Shore, presented an inspirational talk on "Success with Autism," in which he talked about his own experiences as well as those of others on the autism spectrum.

One of the terms he reframed in his presentation was "stimming", defining it as "positive, self-regulatory behavior" (rather than as a "repetitive non-functional behavior".) This short clip shows him totally engaged with the audience, demonstrating the sound of "one hand clapping." Then he and Dr. Gutstein delight the audience with some two-person "stimming practice."

Browse the Video Library to see more video clips.

Conference Spotlight: My Baby Can Dance
Book Signing and Readings in Denver, Colorado

Welcoming us to "The Bookies" bookstore in Denver for the book signing and reading was Hannah Gutstein, Publicity Director for the Connections Center, and one of the Co-Editors of My Baby Can Dance. Authors who gave readings from their chapters included (in order of appearance):

Carmen Gendel (Feel like I got my Baby Back)
Brad and Claudia Andreesen (The Same Destination)
Dr. Rachelle Sheely (Milking Cherries)
Sandy Scheers (Now get this!)
Kim Downey (Happy Birthday Patrick)
Janice Guice (Beginning a Joyful Journey)

These were emotional readings, with tears, laughter and great connection to the audience. Following the readings, Hannah did the honor of cutting the beautiful white and chocolate swirl cake, which was enjoyed by all. The second to last photo shows Dr. Gutstein with Stephen Shore at the reception, and the final picture is of Hannah along with fellow Co-Editor, Carlotta Baird.

Click here for more information about My Baby Can Dance: Stories of Autism, Asperger's and Success Through the Relationship Development Intervention® (RDI®) Program.

Browse the Video Library to see more video clips.

In this fun clip of a dad (off-camera) and his 5-month old neurotypical baby daughter, notice the active engagement, emotion-sharing and back-and-forth "giggle-conversation" they're having together, without the need for any words!

Because the RDI® Program® Program® Program® Program® Program is a cognitive-developmental approach to remediating autism spectrum disorders, we always want to stay mindful of what typical development actually looks like. At the Connections Center we bring typically developing children into our clinic on a regular basis–at least once a month. We also study video clips of babies interacting with their parents, so we have a clear picture of the very earliest stages of development, when experience-sharing abilities are just beginning to emerge.

One of the earliest "me-you" activity frameworks found in many cultures is "peek-a-boo." First done between parents and infants, it later evolves into hide-and-seek and much later evolves into flirting.

In this captivating clip of a father and his 6-month old neurotypical baby daughter, notice the facial gazing, emotion-sharing, and the gentle regulation created by the peek-a-boo pattern and its variations. When dad leads them to switch roles, notice how baby Emma experiences a little uncertainty and looks to her mother to resolve it. She is clearly beginning to reference, and with some encouragement and reassurance from mom (off camera) easily learns her new role and continues to enjoy the productive uncertainty of this simple game.

Because the RDI® Program is a cognitive-developmental approach to remediating autism spectrum disorders, we always want to stay mindful of what typical development actually looks like. At the Connections Center we bring typically developing children into our clinic on a regular basis–at least once a month. We also study video clips of babies interacting with their parents, so we have a clear picture of the very earliest stages of development, when experience-sharing abilities are just beginning to emerge.

Watch to see the shared excited gazes between the two of them towards the end of clip. Also, observe the father's pacing and how little language he actually uses throughout the clip. Lastly, the father did a great job of modifying this activity to be done at chairs instead of on the floor to make it easier for his son to participate.

This clip features the Connections Center's Director of Parent Training, Melanie Smith, and her neuro-typical child, Alex. It is a great example of the early foundations required for later friendship skills. Notice how 26-month old Alex takes on much of the responsibility for the interaction, despite very little use of spoken language. She is able to do this because she is already an expert at emotion-sharing, referencing and co-regulating. These are the skills that are core deficits of those on the autism spectrum and which we can help them learn to develop through the RDI® Program.

This is an excerpt from our DVD, Going to the Heart of Autism. For more information about the DVD, see the DVD Preview or recent newsletters: the DVD Release Notes outline the contents, and the detailed Unpublished DVD Index gives a complete listing. The five-hour Going to the Heart of Autism DVD can be ordered on the web site, from our secure, on-line store.

This week's video feature is the video preview of the Going to the Heart of Autism DVD. It helps explain what is on the DVD, and in the background, shows previews of more than a dozen video clips that are on the DVD itself. Going to the Heart of Autism is an essential introduction for parents wanting to start an RDI® Program as well as an excellent review for those wanting to brush up on the basics. It is also an excellent tool to introduce RDI® Program to relatives, teachers, therapists and friends.

For more information, see below: the DVD Release Notes outline the contents, and the detailed Unpublished DVD Index gives a complete listing. The five-hour Going to the Heart of Autism DVD can be ordered on the web site, from our secure, on-line store.

Browse the Video Library to see more video clips.


DVD Release Notes
Dr. Gutstein writes:
Often when parents are told of their child's diagnosis, no one sits down with them and even explains what autism is. While autism researchers have basically reached a consensus about this during the last ten or twenty years, the problem is the gap between the world of research and the world of clinicians–and parents. So just helping parents understand what autism is, has always been one of our primary goals and this new DVD helps bridge the gap. No matter what treatment options you choose, just knowing what autism is will empower you to make educated choices and to be an informed consumer.

Is remediation possible? or Desirable?
When I set out almost two decades ago to develop a new remediation program for autism spectrum disorders, I was beset by questions and doubts I had never encountered in all my other work as a clinical researcher, program developer, therapist, and teacher. So the first part of the DVD explores these issues:

• Is remediation even possible?
• Is it even right to try to change people with autism? Should we even have this as a goal?
• Is it a waste of time because researchers are already so close to a cure?
• Are traditional intervention programs already helping people recover from autism and function normally?
• Is the "window of opportunity" closed after age five? What does the latest research say?

I explain how my own thinking changed as I explored the science and talked to adults on the spectrum, and the conclusions I reached as a result. I also walk the viewer through some of the latest research, much of which has only been available to those with access to the professional literature.

How do we define Quality of Life?
The next part of the DVD gives a quick overview of the research about adults on the spectrum and quality of life. I have always been convinced that my work will only be valuable if I can help people achieve a decent life, otherwise all the other statistical data, outcome, measurements etc. really don't mean much.

Core Deficits: How do children with autism differ from children without autism?
Researchers have so far determined children on the autism spectrum are different from typical children without autism, in five core areas. These five areas can actually be easily understood as a special type of "thinking about." It is not the type of thinking or intelligence like the kind we find on IQ tests, which might indicate how well a child will do in school. Rather, it is the type of thinking which might indicate how well a child will do in dynamic, changing environments such as playgrounds, friendships, sleep-overs, families, teamwork, and later, dating, jobs and marriage–what most of just call "real life"! We refer to these five special areas of "thinking about," as "Dynamic Intelligence:"

1. Referencing
2. Co-Regulation
3. Experience-sharing Communication
4. Flexible Thinking
5. Episodic Memory

Each of these is clearly explained on the DVD with video examples of children on the spectrum, some compared to video clips of children without autism, so you can see the difference. These five areas are all abilities which require the processing of meaningful change, the ability to function in "Dynamic Systems" which is also very clearly explained.

Designing a remediation program
The Goal of RDI: Competence
So if researchers have given us a good idea exactly how children with autism are lacking in the Dynamic Intelligence that typical children without autism naturally have, is this something we can teach in a systematic, practical way? This is what the Relationship Development Intervention® (RDI®) Program sets out to do. It has been designed as a parent-based treatment method, with the goal of competence: where parents nurture their child on the spectrum in a graduated way so the child is both motivated and confident to take on challenges in the dynamic world of everyday life: from playing peek-a-boo to having genuine, close friendships. The rest of the DVD explains how the RDI® Program works and shows actual video excerpts of live sessions.

The Framework of RDI® - 7 Core Principles
Unlike other programs that do not change from year to year, the RDI® Program is very dynamic. We are in a continual process of learning the best ways of helping people on the spectrum achieve a quality of life, no matter what their age or initial level of functioning. It's been almost five years since my original book, “Autism Aspergers: Solving the Relationship Puzzle" was published, and the DVD includes much new material, including Episodic Memory, Declarative Language, Productive Uncertainty, and the RDI® Lifestyle, etc. The current RDI® Program is based on a framework of seven core principles, all completely explained on the DVD:

1. Prioritize Remediation but maintain balance with treating co-occurring conditions and using short-term compensations.
We help parents clearly understand what autism is vs. what co-occurring conditions are, and also discuss the importance of developing healthy, short-term compensations so they don't become obstacles.

2. Set appropriate objectives.
We also help parents stop thinking about "programs" and start thinking about their specific objectives and goals for their child–short, medium and long-term. We also help parents understand how they can evaluate if they are making progress in treating the autism.

The RDI® Program Curriculum:
Another part of setting appropriate objectives is to find objectives that are developmentally appropriate for each person. The RDI® Program outlines 28 stages and 400 objectives, reflecting the progression of Dynamic Intelligence from babies to adults. The DVD covers the first foundational eight stages, each with detailed video examples.

Note when we evaluate people on the autism spectrum, regardless of their age, language or IQ, whether their diagnosis is Autism or Asperger's Syndrome, we find that it is extremely rare for any individual on the spectrum to have mastered more than Stage Two, and very likely there has not even been mastery of Stage One.

3. Develop a customized treatment plan reflecting the child and family's unique needs.
No two children are alike and no two families are alike, so no two treatment plans can be alike. Assessing strengths and obstacles as part of a customized plan is critical for success, and the DVD explains how we help tailor treatment plans and shows video examples of obstacles for both a young child and a teenager.

4. Teach parents to conduct Guided Participation.
In every culture in the world, parents are the ones who are the primary reference points for helping their children interpret and gain meaning from the world. Parents learn how to be competent atguiding and pacing their children on the spectrum and the DVD shows two wonderful examples of this "Guided Particiipation" relationship.

5. Modify family communication to promote thoughtfulness and experience-sharing
Many people confuse speech with communication. Yet, even before the age of 15 months most typical children without autism are already very competent in communicating non-verbally. They can communicate reciprocally, share experiences, even negotiate in rudimentary ways, before acquiring any speech. We guide families to create an experience-sharing communication environment with their child on the spectrum, whether or not their child is verbal or non-verbal at the beginning. Two video clips in this section illustrate powerful two-way communication between two children and two young adults.

6. Develop Episodic Memories of competence in dynamic systems
Episodic memories are the type of memories which combine events with personal feelings and meaning, and which connect past and future. More than a dozen studies have shown this type of memory is impaired for those on the spectrum. The DVD shows three video clips of how we work with Episodic Memory and help apprentices develop memories of competence, which is so critical for motivation.

7. Modify lifestyle for family health and opportunities for a master-apprentice relationship.
Based on feedback from our successful families, we now emphasize the need to create an "RDI® Lifestyle" right from the beginning. This includes getting out of crisis, prioritizing, simplifying life, creating a workable reality and using everyday activities for doing the RDI™ Program. The DVD also provides dozens of examples for using Productive Uncertainty in the RDI® Lifestyle along with four "lifestyle" video clips.

Unpublished DVD Index
While you can use the Main Menu or Video Library on the DVD itself to go to major sections, you can also go directly to any one of the 50 individual chapters if your software or DVD player supports this feature.*

*In Windows Media Player for PCs, there's a button on the top right part of the screen that has an arrow pointing left.  If you put your mouse on it (but don't click) it says, "Restore the video and visualization pane."  If you click on it, a little menu on the right hand side will appear. Once you've selected "Play Movie," from the main menu on the DVD, all the 50 chapters of the DVD will appear in that screen on the right hand side. This will only work if you've clicked that icon that means "Restore the video and visualization pane." 

In RealPlayer, select "Play Movie" from the main menu on the DVD. Then click the button that says, "DVD." A little screen appears, and one of the options is "Chapters," which will allow you to go directly to a specific chapter. 

In DVD Player for Macintosh Computers, select "Play Movie," from the main menu on the DVD. At the top of your computer screen, select the "Go" Menu. All 50 chapters of the DVD will appear as a sub-menu off of "Chapter."

The DVD Index: Complete 50 Chapters
Here is a list of the 50 Chapters which shows what the 5-hour DVD includes:

1. Introduction. Is remediation possible? or desirable?
    Is it a waste of time? The "window of opportunity."

Quality of Life and Research:
2. Defining Quality of Life. Adult Outcome Studies:
    NAS, Howlin, Seltzer and Krause, Farraly
    What research has shown re IQ and outcome.
    How have adults on the spectrum become successful?
3. Introduction to Michael, age 23. Conversation. (Video)

The Five Core Deficits based on the Research:
4. Research: What autism really is. Research consensus.
    Impaired pathway: limbic system and prefrontal cortex.
    Recent brain research: Minshew.
    How this research helps us understand autism:
    social skills, communication, memory, thinking.
    Summary of core deficits based on the research.
    Deficit #1: Referencing
    The "Visual Cliff" experiment
5. Referencing for Meaning. (Video) Alex, 26 months old.
6. Referencing to Find Mom (Video) Alex (RDA: “Find Me.”)
    Deficit #2: Regulating
    How referencing & regulating go together
7. Co-Regulation. (Video) Alex, 26 months old.
    Deficit #3: Experience-sharing Communication
    Research comparing autistic to typical children.
    Deficit #4: Flexible thinking
    A type of intelligence not measured by IQ tests.
    "Good enough" problem-solving. Child & adult examples.
    Deficit #5: Episodic Memory
    How it differs from rote or procedural memory
    18 major research studies showing a deficit in autistics.
    Dr. Endel Tulving's research
8. How do typical children develop proficiency?
    What is a Dynamic System?
    Examples; Compared to Static Systems
    Autism: a failure to develop competence in dynamic
    systems; how it relates to motivation.
    How this research was used to develop RDI™
    
What is the RDI™ Program?
9. Introduction. The goal of RDI™: Competence
    The 7 Core Principles of RDI™ (Summary)

    Principle #1. Prioritize Remediation
    Maintain balance with treating co-occurring conditions.     Develop healthy, short-term compensations.
    Collaborating with family over a week-long period:
    Assessing dynamic intelligence of child; strengths, etc.
    Being able to evaluate progress in autism.

    Principle #2. Set appropriate objectives.
    Introduction to the RDI™ Program Curriculum
    Evaluating where to start (Dyslexia comparison)

The RDI™ Program Curriculum:
28 Stages, 400 Objectives.
10. Introduction: the first foundational 8 stages.

      Stage 1 - Emotion-Sharing:
      Building the foundations for Referencing.
11. Introduction to Frankcarlo. Pre-RDI (Video)
12. Frankcarlo, Hesitation (Video)
13. Frankcarlo, Monster in the Mountain (Video)
      Spotlighting emotion-sharing; feeling competent.
      How Stage 1 sets the stage for Stage 2

      Stage 2 - Referencing:
      Two types: for decision-making; for meaning.
14. Introduction to Neely. Pre-RDI ("Find Me") (Video)
      Eye contact compared to Referencing
15. Neely working on Referencing - Down Stairs (Video)
16. More Referencing, Neely - Challenge Course (Video)
      Neely: 3 months of RDI:
17. Neely, pre-RDI Mall Trip (Video)
18. Neely, post-RDI Mall Trip, (Video)

      Stage 3 - Coordinating Actions:
      Coordination requires solid Stage 1 & 2 foundations.
      How to determine mastery
19. Introduction to Chris H, Beanbag Mountain (Video)
20. Frankcarlo, with Cars (Video)
21. Frankcarlo, Word Crash (Video) - Mastery of Stage 3.

      Stage 4 - Variations:
      Setting up activities for Flexible Thinking
22. Introduction to Chris S, Drums (Video)
23. Chris S., Building a Beanbag Mountain (Video)

      Stage 5 - Reversals & Transformations:
      Intermediate course in Flexible Thinking
24. Unpredictable Change. Goal Reversals. Opposite World.
      Ana, Melanie and Katy, (Video).
      Reverse role action
      Absurd solutions; Unexpected variations.
25. Frankcarlo: Pretend it’s something different (Video)
26. Neely, Ice Cream Medicine (Video)

      Stage 6 - Co-Regulation:
      Putting the first five stages together
27. Neely, "Are You Ready?" (Video)
28. Introduction to Ryan, Run and Jump (Video)
      
      Stage 7 - Caring for Others:
      Ways to help the child become aware of themselves
      Degrees of preference; memories of relationships
29. Neely, Comforting a Friend (Video)

      Stage 8 - Collaboration:
      The complexities of collaboration: 4 integrated goals
      "Matched" peers: remaining competent
30. Introducing teens, Alex and Ben, keyboard (Video)
31. Buddy Walkers / Skis (Video) - "we-go" language

32. Principle #3.
      Develop a Customized Intervention Plan
      Create a unique, balanced plan for the individual.
      Addressing Obstacles and developing modifications:
33. Frankcarlo, Competing for Attention (Video)
34. Introducing teen, Laura, at Dad’s Gym (Video)
      Potentially healthy, short-term compensations.
      Evaluating and treating co-occurring disorders.

35. Principle #4. Conduct Guided Participation
     "Master-Apprentice" relationship a part of every culture.
      Guiding & pacing, Productive uncertainty, Simplifying.
      Limiting daily stress to allow energy for remediation
      Developing competence for real-world situations
36. Neely at the Piano (Video)
37. Introduction to Eric and Dad, Ball Toss (Video)

38. Principle #5. Modify Family Communication
      The difference between communication and speech.
      Thinking before speaking; non-verbal communication.
      Communicating with self: developing sense of self.
      Limit imperatives to 20%, model declaratives, etc.
39. Alex and Ben, Conversation (Video)
40. Young adult group: Opposite Conversation (Video)

41. Principle #6: Develop Episodic Memory
      What Episodic Memory is; spotlighting & labelling.
      Reviewing and Previewing.
42. Spotlighting: Frankcarlo, Building Motivation (Video)
43. Spotlighting: Intro. to Jonah, Simple Labels (Video)
44. Spotlighting Reduced: Neely, Cookie Memory (Video)

45. Principle #7: Modify Lifestyle for Family Health
      Lab; why "lifestyle" was introduced.
      Getting out of crisis. Energy for productive uncertainty.
      Taking care of every member of the family.
      Sample list of RDI Lifestyle Activities.
46. Jonah, Laundry (Video)
47. Adrian, Supermarket Trip (Video)
48. Frankcarlo, Drlll Story (Video)
49. Neely, Tea Ceremony (Video)

50. Conclusion. The permission to slow down.
       Valuing the small miracles. Thanks.

Like last week's clip, this clip is also from the RDA1™ Administration DVD, a DVD which was created to provide support for professionals learning how to administer the first section of the RDA™.

Monster in the Mountain

Commentary from Dr. Gustein: One thing that is critical about this clip is, I want you to see how we have allowed Frank Carlo to feel competent without giving him undue control. And the way we have done it is this. The monster, who is the father in this case, is hiding behind a pile of beanbags, but he is not allowed to come out whenever he feels like it. He must be summoned out by mother and child, who must recite the following: "Monster in the mountain, come on out." And that gives him permission to come out.

Now what is the uncertainty here? Well, the uncertainty, as you'll see, is that the monster doesn't have to come out just because he is summoned. You'll see, one time the monster will throw an apple out. It will appear from the beanbag chairs. Another time the monster will just growl. And only on the third time will the monster actually appear. So the competent area is that he cannot appear until he is summoned. The level of uncertainty is created by giving him a choice of how to respond to that summons. That's a beautiful example of how we very carefully measure out the degree of productive uncertainty, and how we substitute competence for control. The child and mother soothe each other's distress by facial gazing and even hugging and deciding together to call upon the monster to emerge. The soothing is to regulate the experience by making sure the uncertainty is not too frightening.

This clip is included on the Going to the Heart of Autism DVD: Spotlighting emotion-sharing; feeling competent.

Special RDI Book and DVD Set Offer:
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