Relationship Development Intervention

Is a Cogntitve behavioural therapy (CBT) develped by Gutstein and Sheely (2002)

addresses core defict in ASD - soical and comminucation difficulties

helps children to understand others thoughts and feelings

treatmeant by caregiver with support from a qualified RDI consultant 

Gustsein and sheely think that children with ASD have missed important develpmet skills that children usally develop naturally

these skills allow children to share a joke, start a converstion 

skills leanrt from parents 

based on Gutsteins's (2009) concept of dynamic intelligence

based on Gutsteins's (2009) concept of dynamic intelligence

ability to think flexibly and to consider events from different points of view 

offers a second chance 

ket focus - helping the child with ASD form personal relationships, starting with their main caregiver 

develops emtional bonds and improve quality of life 

1 emotional referencing - improving verbal and nonverbal communication skills that help the child to understand how others feel. 

2 soical coordination - controlling own behaviour to fit others emotions. 

3 declarative language - developing the type of verbal and nonverbal communication that allows the child to express interest in something, invite soicial interaction, share emotions and coordinate their behaviour with others. 

4 flexible thinking - this is the ablility to adopt quickly, smoothly and calmly to changing situations, even unpredictable ones. 

5 relational information processing - putting problems into a wider context and solving them even when they do not have an obviuous right or wrong answer. 

6 foresight and hindsight - foresight = anticipating what might happen as a result of your behaviour. Hindsight = allows you to recall an example of what actually happened once when you were not friendly. putting the two together allows the child with ASD to predict the future outocomes based on past experince

trained qualified and approved RDI consultant works closely with the family , meeting once or twice a week to establish aims, plan activities and evaluate progress in terms of the 6 objectives

parents may video some of their eveyday intercations with their child for the consultant to assess 

attend workshops to develop their skills and meet others using this treatment. 

child is paried with a other child that is doing RDI as well locally

more children are placed together to eventually form a small group 

childs progress is monitored 

family's are reassessed very 6 to 12 months