RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION® (RDI®)

RDI® might be a good fit for your child and family if you are seeking:

A developmental approach 

RDI® addresses the underlying reasons for lagging skills and other challenges. Missing skills and behavioural differences are often due to weak or less developed capacities such as engagement motivation, attunement, mutual regulation, and non-verbal communication. RDI® helps you understand why your child is struggling and how you can promote meaningful growth. 

An approach that is focused on relationship

RDI® helps you establish the most important foundation for growth - the attuned, connected, and safe-feeling relationship between you and your child. This guiding relationship is the context through which your child will learn about themselves, others, and the world around them; and develop skills that will help them progress toward connectedness and independence. 

An approach that supports flexible thinking and independence

While many interventions focus on instruction and performance - teaching rules, behaviours, and performing skills - RDI® helps you learn to guide your child to become a dynamic (flexible) and independent thinker; to develop their abilities to relate to others; to understand the world around them; and to consider options and make best-fit decisions.

Help with emotional attunement and regulation, social connection, communication, experience and perspective-sharing, managing uncertainty, and flexibility

In summary, RDI® helps you to help your child regulate, engage, and learn through shared experiences by guiding them to tune in to feelings and thoughts of others; read non-verbal cues; communicate for experience sharing and other relational purposes; and think in flexible ways to navigate change, challenge, and other uncertainties. Our focus is your child's and family's wellbeing and growth.

An approach that supports you to be the biggest difference maker

Guiding and growth happens in the context of everyday family life experiences. RDI® is a family-focused program that offers intensive support, guidance, and education. You will be supported to tune in to yourself and to your child in ways that make guided participation and learning possible. What your child develops through the guiding relationship will naturally extend itself to other contexts and relationships, including peers. 

Empowerment for you. Empowerment for your child

RDI® is not about you being the therapist, but rather equipping you to understand your child's needs, offer missing supports, and embrace your role as your child's guide. Your Consultant will empower you to empower your child or teen to experience authentic and meaningful relationships, navigate new and dynamic experiences, and achieve increased independence. 

RDI® Consultants:

Robin Walker, our speech-language pathologist is a certified RDI® Program Consultant who has been offering RDI® and related supports to families since 2016. RDI® and SLP services are integrated to optimize support for those with regulation, engagement, social interaction, and communication needs. Services are offered in person and can include virtual consultation. 

Blair Armstrong, our developmental consultant has been working with Autistic children and youth, and their families since 1995. He is certified in RDI® and DIRFloortime® (https://www.icdl.com/dir), and is a PLAY Project Consultant-in-Training (https://playproject.org/). Elements of these programs are combined to best meet the needs of the individual child and family. Services are offered virtually, using a distance-based model. Occasional in-person sessions may be offered. 

Learn More:

• https://www.rdiconnect.com/about-rdi/ 
• Book a free 30-minute consultation. Email info@ssmopenminds.org or call 705-253-1157