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The Cook’s Assistant
Nick is going through a stubborn teenager phrase. He only wants to do what he wants to do. When invited to join me in some form of interaction, he makes the sign for ‘finished’ quicker than you can say, “let’s…..”
Framing through Holiday Activities
Celebrate the Holidays RDI® style with Kat Lee.
Stuck With Monotonous Answers From Your Child? Try These 5 Steps
Declarative communication can be verbal or non verbal. It is the opposite of imperative communication, which demands answers to questions.
With declarative communication a response is neither expected nor required. It’s okay if your child doesn’t respond to your declarative statement. For example: if you stated “These oranges are sweet.”, we would not expect a reciprocal statement.
Holidays and Anxiety
The holiday season is upon us and although this time of the year is fun and full of magic for many of our families, when you have a child with autism the extra chaos and noise can often become...
Autism Spectrum Disorders: How to do Less And Achieve More
Is he hyperactive? Does he lack eye contact, show limited speech, poor motor skills, difficulties with social interaction, crying spells, sleeping problems, or other health issues?
Accept and Believe in Your Child
Accept and Believe in your child. We all know what critical looks and sounds like.
Dynamic Intelligence is Dependent on Challenge
What is Dynamic Intelligence? In a nutshell, it is the mental ability that enables humans to successfully navigate the world and our relationships. Because life is full of dramatic upheavals,...
4 Simple Steps to Build Life Skills in Your Child
Dynamic focuses on problem solving, thinking, flexibility, where there are several solutions to a single problem.
This Concept Will Challenge Everything You’ve Learned About Autism
Static thinking will take your child through school. But dynamic thinking will take your child through life.
The Hope of Happiness for Those with Autism
An RDI® Guide to Happiness
Keeping it Simple
Thinking up planned engagements doesn’t have to be hard work.
Letters Between a Non Speaking Autistic and Apraxic Boy and His Neurotypical Therapist
Alfonso is non-speaking, but he has a lot to say. The world needs to listen and learn from this young man’s wise and whole-hearted way of living.
The Great Divide in Autism Treatment
This week, Dr. Gutstein explains the divide existing between autism research and clinical intervention.
Are You Stealing Your Child’s Thinking?
Changing our style of teaching children with autism from ‘static’ to ‘dynamic’ uses activities that require the child to ‘think’ his way to a solution.
Frames of Reference in Autism
I think that this may be the first time I have truly (TRULY) understood how difficult it is for people with autism to understand the social-emotional world. And how utterly effortless it is for others.
Proactive Pausing
Learning to pause gives our children the time to think of what to do, instead of being told what to do.
Setting up the Most Effective Program for Our Children
It took me years to learn that it’s easy to make a child ‘do something’. The difficulty lies in awakening the spirit in them to want to do things on their own.
Entertaining Your Autistic Child
It’s the ‘easiest’ way to live with your child in the short term. You take him out and do the things he likes as you try to avoid him stimming, nagging or even throwing tantrums. Life then develops a pattern, where any time parent and child have together is spent doing entertaining activities because the child is ‘happy’ and it causes less conflict. But take a minute to ask yourself: “What is my child is getting out of these experiences?”
Partnering with Your Child
For some parents, a partnership – where both parties have authentic roles in a meaningful task, activity, or project – with their child may come naturally, for others, it may feel challenging at first. I encourage you to partner with your child at least 10 times per day, everyday. It will get easier and you can start out small and always build on your successes in length of time you are partnering or ways in which you partner.
Autism & the Parent-Child Relationship
The parent-infant guiding relationship is akin to the interplay between different components of a guided rocket. Learn how ASD affects this relational dynamic.
Listen Up!
Learning to listen to your special needs child.
Growth is Possible for Individuals With Autism
Learn how growth-seeking can be activated through the MindGuiding Relationship
Tips to Prevent Summer Chaos!
Summer is just around the corner, be prepared!
My RDI Hat!
What makes for an effective RDI® activity? One that is familiar, yet adds in a bit of challenge.
14 Days with My Special Child
Here is another success story about conquering the challenges of autism…
5 Steps to Becoming the Most Loving and Effective Grandparent
Tips on how to more effectively understand autism as a grandparent.
What Nobody Ever Tells Us About Meltdowns
This blog post was originally published on saiconnections blog. You can read the original article here. “I don’t know what sets him off. He suddenly gets into meltdowns and attacks his father and...
Outings
Outings, and changes in plans now cause less nervousness for both myself and my son. Thank you, RDI®, for giving us the confidence to spread our wings.
The Roles of Mom and Dad in RDI®
As an RDI® consultant in Asia, specifically Indonesia, I see a lot of dads struggling in the beginning of the program because of the cultural beliefs that influence family life and interpersonal relationship. Even though things have changed so much in the younger generation, in many traditional Asian families the father’s role is primarily to provide material support for the family, while the mother’s role is primarily to take care of the children. The father does not usually start a conversation with his children. He tends to be distant. As a result, dad has difficulties learning how to play, have casual conversation and build close relationships with his child; this becomes even more challenging when they have a child with special conditions.
Meet Your Kids Where They Are
Children have good days and bad days, just like the rest of us. Variability is a normal part of the human experience. Just because your child could do it yesterday doesn’t mean he can do it today. We all have good days and bad days. So does your child.
How to Teach Your Child to Learn by Himself
This real-world example shows why the Mind Guiding relationship is essential for activating growth-seeking.
23 Ways to Help You Communicate with Your Child
A veteran RDI mom gives some tips on communication.
Building Communication with a Non Verbal Child
Can you imagine wanting to say something and not being able to say it?
Change Starts with You, Mom
We autism Moms can’t give what we don’t have! We need help, just like our kids do.
Laughing with RDI
Give a boy a water pistol and he knows exactly what to do with it! Not so with my Nick.
What is Dynamic Intelligence?
The most critical factor in your child’s pursuit of self dependence
Slowing Down to Speed Up
A first go round for families beginning RDI® is that they will need to slow down to speed up. Slowing down leads to confidence – for both parents and their children.
Amazing Progress with RDI
While it is thrilling to see how much he knows, it pales in comparison to what he now shares…how he FEELS!
What´s So Tough About Brushing Your Teeth?
Helping your child learn life´s necesarry skills.
Gaze Aversion and Autism
Do you know where this edge of competence is for your child? Many factors can be combined to smooth the path that will support your ability to lead and your child’s desire to take on his own learning. In RDI® we are always looking for a way to help children realize the importance of using their own minds, not those of others to solve problems.
Hallmark Moments
Our lives are fast and we all take for granted the things we receive from others. Taking a moment to remember these things and to let people know not only feels good for the person who receives, it makes for a really good day to the person remembering.
From Son-Rise to RDI
Making the change to RDI, saved their family.
My Life with RDI
Learn how RDI changed the life of this young man.
When the Guiding Relationship Doesn’t Develop
Typically developing children rely on the Guiding Relationship to provide a safe and challenging learning environment for mental & self growth. But what happens when it doesn’t develop?
Co-regulation: The Bridge to Communication
Co regulation is the simplest form or the prototype of communication.