RDI® Program
Finally - Hope and Real Improvement is Possible for Individuals with Autism and Their Families!
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If your child has been diagnosed with autism or a related neurological condition (or has not been diagnosed but the problems are evident), you need a treatment program that gets to the core of your child’s problems and builds the developmental foundations for things like friendships, meaningful communication, and independence.
Receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis:
No one is ever really prepared to hear the words “autism spectrum disorder” and their child’s name used in the same sentence. Even for parents who suspect their child has autism, having that suspicion confirmed begins a cycle of grieving that in the best cases leads to acceptance and a healthy motivation to do something about it, and in the worst cases puts families into a permanent state of crisis.
“We chose the RDI® program at Horizons because it was the only program that didn’t feel like it was putting a band-aid on the situation. We didn’t want to settle for teaching our son the right words or action for any given situation. We liked the holistic approach used in RDI® with the intent of fixing the underlying issues. Our consultant helps us look at the whole picture and tackle small pieces to get the desired end result. We are learning to work with our child in a more meaningful way. Other programs frustrated us with low expectations and a lack of vision for our child’s future quality of life. We tell people that Horizons is the facilitator of our miracle!”
- Deanna and Ryan Cronk, Grandville, MI
You receive a diagnosis of “autism spectrum disorder” or “classic autism” or “high functioning autism” or “Asperger’s Disorder” or “Pervasive Developmental Disorder” or whatever name the clinician gives it – and you very quickly find yourself face-to-face with the reality that there is no definitive treatment, no failsafe “cure,” no one person to go to so your child can get what he needs. In fact, it becomes painfully obvious that what you originally thought would be the hardest part – getting and coping with the diagnosis – pales in comparison to the process of figuring out what you need to do to help your child.
You turn to the internet, support groups, your local school, and anyone else who will listen and could potentially be a source of information. What you find is a confusing array of treatment options and conflicting opinions. Where do you start? What do you do when you’ve gone down various treatment paths and still haven’t made the progress you are seeking? What happens when you realize that the things you thought would be there to provide assistance and treatment – your school, your doctor, local community agencies – fail to put you on the path to positive outcomes?
We want to believe that the most prevalent autism treatments are based on current brain research, but this is unfortunately not the case. Most of what is touted as “necessary” and “effective” is based on what we knew about the brain decades ago, and these methodologies have not changed to reflect the most current understanding of how the human brain works. This problem is compounded by a lack of collaboration among treatment professionals, which places families in the midst of a web of treatment appointments and service providers. It can become a parent’s full-time job to keep track of everything going on in relation to their child’s autism.
As parents you want to get to the core issues that are creating obstacles for your children. You don’t just want to compensate for or work around the problems – you want to do something about them! The most prominent researchers in the fields of autism, child development, and the human brain are providing us with more and more information all the time that allows us more effectively understand and treat autism and other neurological impairments. We no longer have to settle for “just getting by” – there is real hope for real improvement!
"The RDI® program is an exciting program offered by Horizons. It gets to the core deficits of these kids and feels like a common sense approach to helping them. It is a lifestyle change, a different way of looking at things."
- Don and Kristi Paul, Holland, MI
Remediation is the process of correcting a deficit to the point where it is no longer an obstacle. In the field of autism we have long been trapped in the realm of teaching skills and compensations to help these individuals get by, somehow believing that we couldn’t really treat whatever the underlying problems were that prevented them from attaining typical development. Until recently we have not investigated what the potential is for actually correcting their deficits to the point where they are no longer an obstacle to things like genuine friendships, rewarding employment, or independent living. That investigation into what it means to treat the core deficits of autism and what a remediation program would look like led to the development of the RDI® Program – the only program specifically designed to target the core issues that create obstacles for individuals on the autism spectrum.
The RDI® Program excels where other programs fail:
- Educating and empowering parents to create profound changes in their child.
- Providing a consultative model that puts parents in their rightful role as guides to their children significantly reduces the cost of treatment. Parents spend the most time around their children – not therapists!
- Using an expansive and revolutionary series of objectives for parents and children, based on decades of research literature into how children develop through the guidance of their parents, to systematically move children along the path of typical development.
- Uses quality of life outcomes, such as meaningful relationships and rewarding employment, as the primary end goal of treatment.
- Is based on the most current research in the fields of autism, human development, and the brain.
- Utilizes a balanced treatment planning process that considers the autism as well as other conditions or obstacles, and takes the needs of the family into account.
- Allows families to live life while treating autism. Families experience the quality of life they deserve and learn how to make remediation of autism a part of their everyday life.
- Constantly evolves to reflect new research and information, which ensures that the program remains cutting-edge and relevant over time.
- Uses an innovative web-based system to provide parents with access to program information, communication with their consultant, video footage, and much more on a continuous basis.
If your child has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, or with a related neuro-developmental condition, you simply cannot afford not to investigate the RDI® Program. If you are ready for a change; ready to step away from the status-quo; ready to stop doing things that aren’t getting you where you want to be; ready to really understand the core deficits creating obstacles for your child; ready to significantly impact your child and your family for the better - then you are ready for RDI®.
Why Work With Horizons:
When you choose the RDI® Program at Horizons you will receive individualized support from one of our RDI® Program Certified Consultants. You should know that our team of consultants are some of the most in-demand RDI® Program professionals in the world, and are highly active in the RDI® community. Your consultant will provide you with on-going education and support through a combination of consultation appointments (in-person or via phone), video reviews, and assessment activities.
Getting Started:
Click here to receive a copy of this Free Report: Common Myths About Autism and Why You Shouldn’t Believe Them.
Already know you want to talk to someone about the RDI® Program? Schedule a Free Initial Consultation by calling Betsy at (616) 698-0306 or by completing our online form.
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