[POSSIBLE SPAM] Re: RDI, respite care ( Was:Re: Re: Special schools (UK)

[Guest guest]

Just a few additions from me. We found RDI hard going for about a

year - it just wasnt clicking. However, because I believed in the

theory behind RDI and saw how much of it was actually based on

common sense I just blindly did what our Consultant told me -

sometimes feeling like a right prat in the process but carrying on

regardless.

We had major difficulties with Philip being verbally controlling - I

cant emphasise how much of a barrier it is (to begin with in RDI) if

you have an articulate child with a decent IQ!!

Our Consultant recommended '1,2,3 - Magic' which is actually a

behavioural intervention and it did work like magic. Very simple

but needs to be consistently applied - fantastic for cutting out all

the arguing, backchat and emotional manipulation.

Once Philip understood the rules relating to this it totally changed

our ability to manage interactions and put us on a far more positive

footing as a family. 123 Magic was really the turning point for us -

it gave us the platform we needed to establish the guided

participation relationship. We still use it now with both children.

Now Philip asks me why other parents of autistic children dont do

RDI with them. I ask why he asks that and he says 'well RDI makes

you be nice whilst you're doing it and it helps you to be nice when

you're not doing it too'.

Re doing RDI - it is true what they say about being able to use it

any time anywhere - but I would say it takes a lot of hard work to

get to that stage. We can now do the following in an RDI way:

Load and unload dishwasher

Make beds

Put washing into and out of machine

Cooking and baking - a real mainstay for me

Making fruit salad

Going for a walk

Playing Jenga, patience

Building Kid K'nex models

Sweeping the kitchen floor (dustpan and brush)

Throwing balls/bean bags

and I use the principles of RDI increasingly in every day life -

minimise verbal interaction, maximise non verbals (gesture,

intonation, facial expression), slow things down, let P have time

for 'study response' (work out the answer himself)

You can do almost anything using RDI - the goal is to share emotion -

so watching one of P's favourite TV programmes is good as we share

shock, puzzlement, disgust, excitement etc just by our facial

expressions. Driving in the car is another one - commenting on

things that pass by using declarative language (inviting an

interaction but not demanding a response - e.g. 'I wonder why that

crane is there?')

I wont kid you - it is bloody hard work - but the payoff for us has

been massive.

Zoe x

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Could people tell me what we should expect and hope for

> > from a

> > > > > > > special school

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > We have a SEN statement and 1:1 assistant in a

mainstream

> > > > school

> > > > > > > where our 4 yrs 2 mths daughter is doing fine EXCEPT no

> > speech

> > > > > > > except babbling

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > We have started a 2 day mainsteam/ 3 day special school

> > split

> > > > > > > placement (where she is in a class of 8, with 8

teachers).

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > What additional things should a Special school do to

> > primarily

> > > > > help

> > > > > > > her speech? Because if they arent doing any more than

> > > > mainstream

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > My dream was:

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > PECS - advise us exact details so we can replicate at

home

> > > > > > > ABA - becasue people say it is great - again we need to

> > > > > replicate

> > > > > > > it at home

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > I keep asking the Special school what ADDITIONAL HELP

> > (compared

> > > > > to

> > > > > > > mainstream) they are providing, and am unable to get an

> > answer

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Thanks for any help on this

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > xx

> > > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

> >

>