With RDI you will:
IGNITE… your child’s natural curiosity
IGNITE… your child’s motivation for lifelong development and learning
IGNITE… a lasting change
IGNITE… an emotional connection with your child
IGNITE… your ability to guide your child effectively
IGNITE… a truly curious, connected and developed mind
Curiosity makes all the difference
Children with autism have trouble processing information in ways that are natural to people without autism. As a result they get trapped in routines that are comfortable to them. They can lose their natural curiosity and so never get a chance to develop fully by facing new challenges. The thing is, they are capable of learning and adapting with the right guidance. If we can ignite a spark of curiosity and adventure in their life, then amazing things can start to happen!
How does this help with Autism Spectrum Disorders?
We believe that igniting the spark of a curious mind will make all the difference to your quality of life and that of your child and every member of your family. If you have a child with ASD, have worked with children with ASD or have been diagnosed with ASD yourself, you have a deeply personal understanding of this important mental process.
Our goal is to help guide you to learn how to ignite a natural curiosity within your child (or yourself), to spark the motivation for lifelong dynamic learning. That is the focus of the Relationship Development Intervention program.
A bit about curiosity:
True curiousity does not just happen, it is guided. It is not simply being inquisitive about our own specific interests but it is a very dynamic evolving mental process. As with other uniquely human dynamic processes curiosity:
- typically develops within the lab of early emotional experiences in relationships between a parent and their child
- is a constantly evolving and ongoing process that continues to develop over a lifetime
- requires careful guidance by an experienced member of a culture (a parent) who transfers their wisdom to a willing cognitive apprentice (a child)
- requires complex mental processes such as flexible and creative thinking, desire to share experiences with others, self awareness, dynamic appraisal of the environment and others, and the motivation of successful previous discoveries
- is interpreted in a continuous manner by sharing our thoughts and minds with others
This is the essence of the RDI program. We work closely with parents to educate them as guides or coaches. Parents can then ‘go back in time’ and give the child a chance to ‘do over’ the missing links in the chain of their child’s development. We train the parents to gradually and systematically develop their child’s mind to the point to which the autism no longer constitutes an obstacle to their child’s quality of life.