For a moment, think back to the time before your child was diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. Before there was even the slightest inkling that something was amiss. What were your dreams for your child? For most parents, the answers are surprisingly similar. They want their children to be happy, to have real friendships, to lead an active life of the mind, to make their own unique mark on the world.

Your dreams don’t have to change because your child has an ASD.

"Your dreams don’t have to change because your child has an ASD."

The RDI® (Relationship Development Intervention) treatment program for autism spectrum disorders is a comprehensive and ongoing program of clinical development and research that began in 1996. Our goal is to remediate the core deficits of autism spectrum disorders and give children the tools they need to live a full life in the real world. RDI goes beyond teaching rote skills and limited social scripts. Using a unique and well-tested strategy, we attempt to help people with ASD to regain many of the instinctual behaviors that separate them from their typically developing peers. We can – through focused, guided participation in challenging activities – increase the flexibility and complexity of neural pathways in people with ASD.

  The difference is astounding.

Take facial referencing. The tiniest baby instinctually knows to look at their mother’s face when a stranger enters the room. Her expression tells the child instantly if the stranger is to be trusted or feared. Many children with ASD lack this critical skill. So while a teacher may be able to prompt a child into making eye contact, the skill is meaningless if the child is unable to make sense of what he sees. The goal of RDI is real communication – so the child can be calmed by your smile from across the room or encouraged to interact with a potential friend on the playground.

In this way, RDI is often described as the “missing link” in modern therapies for ASD.

RDI was developed by Dr. Steven Gutstein, an accomplished psychologist and expert in the field of autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and PDD. The curriculum bridges the gap between theory and practice – using the latest cutting edge research and translating it into workable lesson plans that propel children with ASD forward where other methods have left them behind both socially and emotionally.

"In this way, RDI is often described as the 'missing link' in modern therapies for ASD."

RDI requires time and effort. The main teacher in your child’s life is YOU, the person he loves most, the best person to motivate him. But you are not alone. A trained RDI consultant will be with you every step of the way – assessing your child, training you, monitoring your progress and maintaining a regular appointment schedule to keep everything on track.

Together, we can help the child with ASD develop flexible thinking, get motivated to seek out new experiences and to move effortlessly though a changing, challenging world. Simply put, it’s about quality of life. And isn’t that what’s really important?