RDI Program for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Video Technical Support

We often say that treating autism is a marathon, and not a sprint. Along the way, you will want plenty of support as you undertake the "autism remediation" marathon, and part of this support is help with technical issues as you start implementing the program.

Implementing an RDI Program may look simple, but we find that in practice, parents require a good deal of initial coaching and education before the Program becomes a natural part of their lifestyle. We have found a critical part of a successful RDI Program is video taping sessions at least every two weeks, and having the video tapes reviewed by your Certified Consultant.

We recommend video taping of sessions whether or not you are seeing a Consultant in person for coaching sessions, as it allows the Consultant to provide clear, specific feedback about the work you are doing at home. For example, one family doing a lifestyle activity around filling the dishwasher was having a problem making it work. Just by seeing it on video-tape, the Consultant was able to suggest a small change about where Mom should be in relation to Son, which made the activity much more successful. Especially in the beginning, little things such as these can often make a big difference–for example, with a passive child, maybe waiting an extra 30 seconds for a response will be required, or for another child, “getting this close” but not actually touching them, will be an essential modification.

Even if you are not currently working with a Certified Consultant, it is a great idea to review your own video tapes once every week or two, as you will see things you didn't notice while they were happening. On-going video data should also show progress and mastery of objectives as you are move through the RDI Program, so you will know if you are truly making progress on the core deficits of autism.

What you need to capture digital video on your PC

• PC (recommended specs):
  • Pentium 4 - 2.8 Ghz or greater (or AMD equivalent)
  • Hard Drive (7200 rpm) - for professionals ( > 100 GB)
  • 1 GB+ RAM
  • Firewire card if your system doesn't have one
  • Firewire cable (10 ft. or longer) (4-to-6 or 4-to-4 depending on your DV port specs)
  • Windows Movie Maker (Windows XP or Vista) or iMovie (Mac OS)
  • Camcorder with firewire (DV) connectivity
  • for professionals - wide-angle lens for your camera
  • for professionals - mount for camera (for live feeds)
  • for professionals - Camcorder microphone for better sound pick-up. Here are some for Sony Camcorders
  • for professionals - a UPS battery backup for the PC

Capturing and editing digital video on your PC:

• Connections Center Video Process Flowchart v2.0

• Video Processing Tutorial for PC

• iMovie Support Page for Mac OS