Relationship Development Intervention

Relationship Development Intervention is a treatment specifically designed to address the unique deficits of autism. It is effective and appropriate for all ages, stages, and levels of functioning. RDI addresses the core deficits of autism, such as Emotional Referencing, Social Coordination, Delcarative Language, and Flexible thinking. These deficits are universal to individuals on the autistic spectrum; they are deficits shared by all ASD individuals. In the past, common interventions used to treat autism have not been shown to effect these deficits. In other words, they are lifelong deficits. RDI "targets" these deficits and has been shown to effect them. Please see Dr. Gutstein's pre-publication Research Manuscript on his website www.rdiconnect.com. This research paper has recently been accepted for publication into the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Publication is due to occur in early 2005.

After 12 years of working in the field of applied behavior anaylsis (ABA), Libby Majewski began learning about a new and exciting intervention for children and adults with autism. The new intervention was Relationship Development Intervention and Dr. Steve Gutstein's workshops seemed to be popping up everywhere. Yet little was known about this person and his background in autism. Not in the field of ABA, Dr. Gutstein's work at his clinic in Houston, TX called Connections Center was not familiar to Libby and her colleagues. Intrigued, Libby traveled to Pittsburgh to see Dr. Gutstein's Introductory Workshop titled "Solving the Relationship Puzzle". She was accompanied by a mother looking to help her daughter form deeper, more meaningful friendships.

That first trip to Pittsburgh occured approximately two years ago and its impact on Libby (and countless other professionals) is immeasurable. Libby found that Dr. Gutstein actually defined autism as he called direct attention to its "core deficits". This was an area of discussion that never seemed to surface in the world of autism treatments. And, yet, how can we be treating it successfully if we don't even know what it is?

More important than its effect on professionals is the impact Dr. Gutstein's message has had on parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This message has empowered parents to take the risk of parenting a child who previously seemed lost to them. With the tools to face the obstacles autism has placed between themselves and their child, parents have found confidence and hope. With the introduction of RDI into their lives, parents report improved experience sharing and an overall improved quality of life.

"So we want to practice invitations, declarations, regulatory communications, self-regulations, shared narrative, self narrative, curious communications, celebrations, affirmations, and anticipation, reflection, mental rehearsal too, and conditional 'what if' language, and of course jokes, and silly but creative talk, and sound effects, and chants and poems and created songs and play-by-play narrations ..." (Dr. Steven Gutstein 02/09/04)

For more information on Declarative Communication, click here.