Re:RDI

[Guest guest]

said:

”Hello all. I am considering RDI

with a consultant for my daughter. I am getting conflicting opinions. Is there

anyone out there that has/is going through the program that has had good or bad

results? It of course is expensive and big daily and long term time commitment.

I want to make sure I'm making the right decision either way. Please let me

know if you have or had a child in the program.”

I think you are doing the right thing to ask parents who

have had RDI experience for their opinions. Likely, you’ll still get a

variety of responses, as is true with almost everything; results depend on many

things. There’s the “fit” of the parent and consultant…are

you comfortable with each other, do you understand each other, can the

Consultant give you feedback….and are you able to receive feedback

without being defensive…and on and on. As you said, there is a

financial commitment…expensive, but not nearly as expensive as some other

interventions…but often those interventions are paid for (by the way, in

San , IHFS funds families that qualify for at least part of RDI) and

definitely a time commitment….but if you spend time in mindful parenting

anyway, your consultant will help you organize your life so that you develop an

RDI lifestyle. The most frequent thing families have said to me is that

they feel more like a regular family after being in RDI for awhile…that

their lives aren’t all about autism. I take that as a very positive comment.

Of course, I’m biased since I’m a consultant….but

if you’d like some of my family email addresses to contact, you can write

me off-list and I’d be happy to give some to you. (Then again, since I’m

currently working with them, probably they’d be biased as well.)

I’m including a link to a video made by a young man

named Montana.

He and his mom were going to come to a workshop where I was presenting…but

they had to go to a convention out of town. So, they made a video for me

instead. It turned out great, and will soon be posted on the rdiconnect.com

website. I have permission to show it to interested people, so anyone who

wishes, please take a look. Montana

and his mom have been doing RDI for five years…three years with their

first consultant, and the last two with me. He is a great kid!!!!!

http://www.screencast.com/t/ZjA1YjBiZmU

Dema Stout,

MA

Certified RDI® Consultant

Professional Certified Coach (International Coach Federation)

Texas Special Ed teaching license