Frequently Asked Questions

(General RDI® Program)

• Is the RDI® Program effective for everyone on the autism spectrum?

  We find that all people on the autism spectrum can benefit from the RDI® Program. It appears to be helpful regardless of IQ, language, gender or diagnosis. The most important factor in determining the rate of improvement is the degree to which we have to overcome obstacles like the child's desire to control others, and the presence of co-occurring illnesses.

• What about older children?

  Early intervention always yields better results in every form of treatment. But, our methods have been developed for people of all ages, including teenagers and adults. The key is not the age of the person, but developing a customized program that reflects the unique obstacles and strengths of each person.

• What about non-verbal children?

  We have found the RDI® Program dramatically increases children's motivation to communicate and to use meaningful reciprocal language. However, the RDI® Program should not be the sole intervention for any individual with severe speech and/or language development problems, such as apraxia.

• What about the other problems of children on the spectrum?

  The RDI® Program can also be helpful with a number of problems like 'stimming', limited motivation for communication and disorganized behavior. However, children can have Autism, Asperger's Syndrome or PDD along with other serious medical disorders. Part of developing a comprehensive program is evaluating these related problem areas and designing a bio-psychosocial intervention plan that, along with the RDI® Program, cares for the whole child.

• Is the RDI® Program just for social development?

  No. While social improvements are dramatic, children who succeed in their RDI® Program demonstrate dramatic changes in flexible thinking, pragmatic communication, creative information processing, problem-solving, and self-development.

• Does the RDI® Program replace social skills training?

  We view social skills as important but vastly different from Dynamic Intelligence. Skills such as behaving appropriately, following rules, good hygiene and proper dress are essential for acceptance and success.

• Does most of the work take place one-on-one or in group settings?

  Your program will always begin by teaching you methods to effectively coach your child in the foundations of Dynamic Intelligence. When the child is ready, we carefully match him or her with a peer at a similar level of relationship development and we form a dyad. Dyads are often the child's first meaningful peer relationship. Gradually we add other children to the pairing, and increase the number of settings in which children practice so that the child learns to form and maintain relationships in a number of different social pairings and contexts.

• How long do individuals typically stay in the RDI® Program?

  Treating the core problems of Autism and Asperger's Syndrome is a marathon and not a sprint. Many of our families continue working on higher level objectives throughout childhood and adolescence.