[POSSIBLE SPAM] Re: Zoe...RDI with non verbal kids

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Helen

>

> I can only endorse what Sara said - yes, definitely, in fact its a

> lot easier with non-verbal children.

I know that Gutstein makes this statement too, but I'd like to add my

bit. My son is nonverbal and we are doing RDI. Mind, we're only a

four months into it, but I would find it really difficult to believe

that non-verbalness makes RDI easier. I think it's something else.

My son has very few interests, cannot tell us anything he wants, how

he feels, what he thinks. This is in part what makes it very

difficult for us to engage him in any activity. So, many of the

things that other people can do with their kids to practice guided

participation and to work on whatever objective they have just don't

happen for us (yet) because ds is so much in his own world--partly a

result of the lack of language. Anytime a verbal child is actually

speaking to someone, he/she is at least reaching out. A nonverbal

child who does no reaching out isn't easy to RDI with, IME. So, I

think there is something else underlying what might make RDI easier

or not.

As difficult as it is putting things into practice, like Zoe and I

suspect all the other moms pursuing this, the theory of RDI makes

perfect sense to me and I will not stop. I don't believe that RDI

will give my son verbal language; however, I do believe it will

eventually allow him to communicate with us. So, to the original

question (I think this was it), will RDI help a nonverbal child.

IMO, most definitely yes. Here, we are seeing little glimmers of

improvement already and I think RDI will help ALL ASD children, but

it may not help in the sense that the child will acquire language. I

think, too, where a verbal child will have an advantage is, once

you're far enough through the stages, an already verbal child will be

able to use the language he/she has appropriately.

One last thought--it really is a huge relief in some ways to NOT

focus on language because of the RDI program. Having a nonverbal

child can make you obsessive about getting the language. In the

past, I have moved in and out of this obsessiveness. However, now

having started RDI I no longer give spoken language such emphasis.

Or signing such emphasis. So, in that way things are a lot easier

for me although I think that things are still very hard for my son in

that his lack of ability to communicate locks him in. Hopefully not

for very much longer :-)

Anita