Forging New Pathways

RDI Rocks! A Story from a Proud RDI Dad

Elizabeth Alford — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:15:00 GMT

RDI Constultant, Prue Watson, shares the following true story submitted from a family she works with using RDI. It was used with permission and with names changed.

Prue Watson lives in Australia and has been an RDI Certified Consultant since 2007.

"Just so you can understand just how WOW this is....our little 6 yr old boy has had extreme social anxiety (he has slept with us every night of his life because of his fear) and could be quite controlling of those around him as a way of dealing with those feelings of incompetence. We still see these behaviors sometimes, but more and more we see examples of the story below.

RDI rocks!!!!

We have had a TOTALLY WOW weekend...W had his best mate and her mum for a sleepover. The plan was to sleep in the tents. but I wanted to sleep inside with our 2yr old, so I said we could still have the fire etc., but we would sleep inside. Despite how excited he was to sleep outside he happily went along with my idea because he was so happy to have Z there.

R, Z's mum, said she was fine to have both kids out there with her so I thought about it a bit. He loves them, feels safe around them and we were so close by if there was a problem. So I sat him down and told him he could sleep out there if he wanted to and gave him the option to come back in if he needed to at any point. I knew R would be really tuned into his needs.

He was super excited! He slept outside all night like a big grown up boy! R said he went to sleep fine and she said he woke up in the middle of the night, sat up and asked for some water then re-made his bed and went back to sleep. WOW. And he felt so confident and happy about it. It was a real milestone for him.

W and Z played so well together. The kids respect one another and stop to listen to each other and ask for clarification etc so nothing becomes a bother. They bring out the best in each other. They are so beautiful to one another and it is so sweet to watch.

One time, W was carrying the heavy tent and he said "Could somebody please help me with this". Z went right to his aid and they did it together. He said "I could do it on my own but it is much nicer with two". Oh my heart just melted!

When they left W explained to me all the thinking that he had done to work out that he was safe in the tent. Once, he said he heard a noise and woke up and wondered what it was and where he was. Then he felt the tent and thought about it and realised that he was in the tent and I was inside. So he gently said R's name and she was there for him and he felt safe. So interesting that he thought to share his thinking with me about how it all felt for him.

Later we were invited to a bonfire to roast bunya nuts, where there would be 5 other families with about 10 kids. I checked with W and he was excited but said he really wanted to go for the fire, not to play. So he helped the 2 adults who were doing the fire and they are really awesome with him, they always have been. And he followed them and referenced them perfectly. By the end of the night everyone had commented on how much W has grown and changed and how wonderful it was to see me out and about and enjoying myself.

SO WONDERFUL!"

I Am Not Afraid to Fail: Life lessons from RDI by Michelle Tham

Lisa Palasti — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:22:00 GMT

Guest author, Michelle Tham lives and works in Singapore. She graciously shares with us some life lessons she has learned along the way in her RDI journey.

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"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

As I read the quote above, I think about the top ideas in my life that have really stretched my mind. RDI is amongst them. As a consultant, I have learned that for me to work successfully with my families, the lessons that I share with my families, are the very same things that have made a difference to me.

Here're my top three favorite lessons:

It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

RDI advocates that all parents start with the mindset that RDI's approach to remediation will take time, patience, focus, and above all, perseverance and pacing. This prepares the families to understand that there will be a need to keep at "it" (whatever "it" may be; managing logistics, difficulty setting limits, staying calm, breaking habits etc) at a healthy pace because consistency and continuity are needed so that the family and the child with ASD reaches a breakthrough point. It is an important lesson that is not just for the families but for all considering RDI.

A parent of mine selected "Pace ourselves for the journey ahead" as a phrase to remember at this point. This word "pace" made me stop, think, and switch modes as a therapist, consultant, and as a person. It caused me to slow down and tune in....something I didn't do quite enough of. When Carol, a fellow classmate and consultant shared about "pausing", I immediately related this to my own learning about the importance of choosing a pace that allowed time to respond, reflect, and remain on track. I now pay keen attention to the pace of my clients and their families, as well as my own.

Focus on the Process and Not the Product
Possibly the most difficult accomplishment for me since becoming a consultant was to let go of my attachment to arrive at the results and then work with my families to let go of their 'end product' fixations so that their interactions became doors to opportunities. This was hard. Frequently, parents ask, "What should I expect in terms of a child's response?" And my answer was, and still is, "Let him/her surprise us."

I also noticed changes in my own approach to therapy as a speech pathologist, and instead of focusing solely on the child's verbal responses, I started to break things into the processes required and began targeting these instead. This really increased my effectiveness and results. Previously, I would look at different ways I could target a child's response if I asked, "What do I need?" (while holding out wet hands). Now, I just look at my wet hands close to the child, and make a gasping face with "Yikes!" This shift of focus has led to nonchalant glances, puzzled looks, and curious touches. These all tell me that for that moment, the child has been drawn out of his world and into mine, even if it is just for a mere second.

Resilience For a Dynamic World
Resilience, in its purest definition, is the physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elastic limit, flexibility, occurrence of rebounding or springing back. The idea of why resilience is so important in RDI to me is that the opposite, rigidity, has its roots in fear; fear of the unknown, fear of failing, and fear of too many challenges that might be too much. Did I mention that these fears are frequently those of the parents and even me, the consultant!

I began to have a new relationship to the words "fear of failing" after taking on families in RDI. RDI was a new found hope for many of my families and their trust and faith in me to deliver the program made me rediscover a whole new level to pressure. Getting to know each family intimately meant being able to share in their struggles, fears, and yearnings for success. And I was afraid to fail them!

To work through these fears, many of the principals that I had as objectives for parents I practiced alongside them. And with each scaffolded step and small victories, WE built OUR resilience as we faced failing and our fears, and achieved what would have been previously impossible.

And I can happily say, our journey has only just begun...

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Michelle is an RDI Program Certified Consultant and Speech Language Pathologist based in Singapore. She thoroughly enjoys the challenges and opportunities that running a multidisciplinary intervention clinic and working with her treasured RDI families bring. She says of her current position and journey on RDI, "I can't imagine doing anything else!"

The Power Of Keeping It Slow And Simple by Carol Subramani

Lisa Palasti — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:15:00 GMT

This weeks guest author, Carol Subramani, continues her "Power" series and discusses the power of slowing down. You're also in for a real treat because she shares a video example to illustrate this point as well. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!

“It’s fine to pause and use gestures – but how do you do it with a child who is constantly on the move, impulsive and will not wait long enough to notice?”

The Mum you see in the clip asked herself this as she thought about her 3-year old “escape artist” who was just not available for engagement. This was before RDI helped the family understand why and how they could change to working at their child’s level in a way that made it easier for him to process and respond.

They began with just being with their child – no demands - and using largely non-verbal communication: Gestures, facial expressions, sounds; sometimes, a word used only to amplify a message. In addition to all of this they focus on spotlighting and consciously creating innumerable opportunities that a routine day offered as a back drop for him to process, think and problem solve.

It was hard work slowing down; sending clear messages about what was acceptable and what was not and waiting long enough for their child to process and respond.

Watch mum & son at the kitchen worktop, a year into their RDI program…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx-lYPUyN3M

Mum largely uses gestures, sounds and facial expressions to help her 4-year old understand he can’t touch the hot pan no matter how desperately he wants to eat the “dosa”(Indian pancake).

As they proceed, not only does he understand this and is cautious, but by staying non-verbal, she is rewarded by so much meaningful non-verbal communication from him. It was almost like a non-verbal dialogue.

He communicated perfectly how impatient he was to have that “dosa”. When she asked him to keep his hands off as it was hot, he was quick to tell her she could do the needful by handing her the spatula. He seems to say “hurry up!” when he hands the spatula to her the second time. That shows he was thinking through, understanding what she was intending to do and reacting accordingly using a little problem-solving of his own.

He waited and was keeping a check all the way!

This was mum’s BIG moment a year ago – and, as she says, some of her most successful moments have come with simple activities.

Dr. Gutstein explains how you can engage with your child in simple versions of daily activities: You make sure that you are adding simple variations but spotlighting the constancy and not the change. So you can be washing windows together in unison and start out by only washing in the downward direction. Then you can change to only washing in an upward direction. Then you can change to only washing in a circular direction. In all three conditions you are emphasizing the similarity of washing together and not spotlighting the changes. You are showing the child how he can perceive patterns amidst ongoing minor changes and alterations.

True RDI joint moments should not be forced, or "made to happen." We may frame the activity, and scaffold for the child's success, but the rest is about the mindfulness that happens in the child's brain. You can be cooking, doing experiments /art & craft or decorating the house on holidays/festivals together. You can adapt these to suit your child's abilities, without worrying too much about coming up with a billion different ideas. Sometimes just adding a little variety and more challenge to things you have done in the past is best way to work on experience sharing with your child and to building their competence. Keeping it slow and simple does help…Try it out!

Carol Subramani

RDI® Program Certified Consultant

Certified HANDLE® Screener
ROOTS Consulting.

Carol Subramani is an RDI Program Certified Consultant based in Wadala, Mumbai.

She is passionate about RDI and grateful for the opportunity to work with caring and nurturing parents like Mitali & Sandeep who have been generous enough to share their experience with others.

Using Declarative Language with Children on the Autism Spectrum

Lisa Palasti — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:32:00 GMT

Our guest author this week is Linda Murphy, Certified RDI program Consultant and Speech and Language Pathologist, talks about the "why bother" behind using experience sharing declarative language with children on the Autism Spectrum. Be sure to share this article with anyone who may have an impact on your child.

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Declarative language, plain and simple, is stating out loud what one knows or thinks in the form of a comment. It may be used to share an opinion (I love spaghetti!); make a prediction (I think we are going to the movies tomorrow.); announce / celebrate (We had a great time today!); observe (I notice that your friend wants a turn.); reflect on past experience (Last time this stopped working we checked the batteries.); or problem solve (We need tape to fix it.). Declarative language does not require a verbal response. Rather, it invites experience-sharing, and provides an ideal social framework for later conversational interactions.

Unfortunately, however, when people talk to children with ASD they frequently use imperative language, which is in the form of questions or commands that require a particular response. For example, "What color is that?"; "What is your name?"; "Say: block;" and "Look at me", are all imperatives. The problem with this type of language is that it does not teach children how to become authentic communication partners, because its circumscribed nature does not invite experience-sharing, which is the basis for interactive language use. Indeed, when people primarily use imperative language with a child, he or she learns, incorrectly, that communication consists of right and wrong answers and questions and directive. It also teaches that the main purpose of communication is instrumental; that is, to "get" something from another person. In truth, authentic communication is primarily about experience-sharing. We communicate with others to share memories, gather information, learn about one another and the world, seek different opinions, and share emotions. While it is true that we sometimes need to communicate in order to "get" something, if children with ASD are to learn how to socially communicate with others, they need a linguistic environment that is rooted in declarative language input.

If truth be told, children with ASD do not need language models that lead to the development of instrumental language use, for it is common knowledge that as their language progresses, it is often characterized by scripts and rote language that is instrumental, as opposed to social in nature. Furthermore, children with ASD often become "stuck" at the instrumental level and fail to reach the next (higher) level of language development which involves generating the creative, flexible, and dynamic language that comes so easily to typical language learners.

The question to ask is: What can we do to help the child with ASD generate creative language? The first step in this teaching process actually begins with the adult (which is very good news, because we are in control of what we do!). So, we need to take a step back and become aware of the type of language that we are using with the child. Are we asking the child with ASD a lot of questions (many of which we already know the answer to!)? Are we using too many commands? Is most of our language input designed to get something from the child? Or, are we generously giving information and sharing experiences so that the child can learn, over time, to do the same in return?

In contrast to the erroneous assumption that children with ASD cannot learn from this type of language input, I have found that mindful use of declarative language with children with ASD can make a huge difference in their ability to share experiences and memories; notice things; problem solve; understand perspective; and communicate on a more dynamic and creative level. That said, it is important to note that the language gains that result from ongoing exposure to declarative language take time, for the focus is not on words, per se, but rather on the use of those words for authentic communication. The challenge then is for us to make the commitment to change how we communicate with children with ASD, and to exercise the patience required to see results.

The following contains additional information on the benefits of using declarative language input with children on the autism spectrum:

Model self-narratives to help your child develop his or her own "inner voice"
A critically important by-product of language acquisition is that of developing an inner voice to problem-solve and plan. For example, imagine that you are getting ready to go to work and you can't find your keys. Your inner voice may say something like, "Now when did I last see my keys? What jacket did I have on?" Basically, your inner voice helps you think through the problem calmly and gets you started on a plan of action to solve it.

Children with ASD do not usually develop this inner voice to regulate their thoughts, actions and emotions. To help them to develop this ability, think out loud. For example, make predictions; ponder opportunities; consider possibilities; and reflect on past experiences when you are with your child or student. By so doing, you will be providing a clear language model from which the child can begin to form his or her own inner voice.

Provide a window into another person's perspective
Most of us know that children with ASD have difficulty taking perspective. Using declarative language to share your thoughts and feelings provides children with a window into the way you view the world in an inviting, nonthreatening way. In addition, if different people regularly use declarative language for this purpose, we help the child to understand that different people have different thoughts, opinions, perspectives, and emotions.

Help your child "zoom out" to see the big picture
It is well known that children with ASD tend to focus on details, but fail to put them together to understand the big picture. When we use imperative language, we inadvertently promote this focus. For example, if we tell a child to "put the toy in the toy box" or "say goodbye to Grandma", we are zooming into the details and creating a situation where there is one and only one right answer. If, on the other hand, we use declarative language to comment on what we see in the big picture, we help the child to notice the context; integrate this new information with previously stored knowledge; and subsequently form a plan of action that makes sense to them. For example, instead of using the imperative language noted above, use the following: "I see a toy on the floor" or "I notice Grandma is leaving."

Empower your child to be a problem solver rather than direction follower
When we give a directive to children with ASD, we leave little room for them to go beyond the response the directive requires. The same is true for asking questions. In contrast, when we use declarative language to share information about the environment or situation at-hand, we provide opportunities for them to expand awareness and practice problem-solving. Think of it this way. From a young age, the type of language input that has been used most often with children with ASD has been that of asking questions and giving directives. Clearly, they do not need more practice in that area! Rather, they need practice in problem solving, and identifying themselves as competent problem solvers. That said, success at this level is more likely if you have been diligent in the use of self-narratives. For example, if you have staged situations in the past where you have said on several occasions, "My pencil broke. I need to sharpen it," then when the child breaks his or her pencil, saying "I see that you broke your pencil," (and waiting expectantly) enables him or her to generate the solution. In contrast, telling the child to "Go sharpen your pencil" robs him or her of the opportunity to solve the problem on his or her own.

Give your child reasons to visually reference and read what is going on in his or her environment
We know that it can be difficult for children with ASD to tune into the social information that is going on around them. Rather than telling them exactly what to do and when to do it, use declarative language to help them to notice what is important. For example, if it is time for a transition, instead of telling your child to "go to the table for snack" or "put on your coat," direct his or her attention toward the changes in the environment: "I notice that all the kids are at the table" or "I notice that all the kids are putting on their coats." Using declarative language in these situations helps children with ASD to recognize the importance of periodically checking in on one's environment to obtain the information they need. Over time they become information seekers rather than passive recipients of information that comes to them when there is an overuse of imperative language.

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Linda Murphy has been a speech language pathologist since 1999. She is also a Certified Early Intervention Specialist and an RDI® Program Certified Consultant - in fact, she is one of the few people in Massachusetts certified to offer the RDI® program. She graduated from Boston College in 1993 with a degree in Mathematics. After spending two years working with adults with Autism, she decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College. Since then, Linda has provided services to children ranging from toddlers to young adults in a range of educational and other settings, including schools, daycares, homes, summer camps, playgrounds, her office, and university clinics. She enjoys working collaboratively with families and other members of a child's team. She has a private practice in Beverly, MA. For more information, visit her www.peer-projects.com or read more of her articles at www.examiner.com/x-39111-Boston-Autism--Parenting-Examiner.

The Power of Experience Sharing Communication or How a Teenager Began Combing his Hair

Laura Morehead — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:31:00 GMT

This week's blog features RDI Consultant, Carol Subramani from Mumbai as she talks about the importance of Experience Sharing Communication.

"You look really handsome in this photograph", Sara nonchalantly commented as they viewed family photos from their last vacation. "I'm setting it as my desktop background"

Her son stops and looks on as she pauses and sits back in her chair admiring the picture. Nothing more is said and she slowly moves on and he does too.

Later that evening she notices the fuzz is off his face and his hair is combed! (All the prompting in the world could not have gotten him there and so much has been left unsaid "If you combed your hair and got that fuzz off your face, you could look as handsome as this. I wish you would listen ....blah...blah). At their first opportunity to share a gaze, she just gives him an appreciative smile. Sara made the comment, paused and gave him time to process and dwell on the good feeling moment.

Dr. Gutstein, Founder of RDI, guides our thinking when he asks us to consider:

Who is the weakest communication member in the family and what kind of communication would you have for this person?

This is important because thoughtful, reciprocal communication impacts a person's ability to think, remember and relate to others.

It directly impacts initiative and motivation to interact. We need it to survive in the dynamic world that requires interaction with other people.

So when you use declarative, experience sharing communication, you invite your partner to 'think about' something with you (Sara's son felt invited to think about the feeling of feeling good - about the vacation and perhaps on being appreciated).

Imperative communication (what we tend to use with children with special needs) is about knowing, accumulating, obtaining and extracting. It is often perceived by the child as a demand. Examples:

What did we do today?
What do you want to do?
Which one do you want?
Pick up your cap!
Do you like ice cream?
What did you do at school today?
Slow down!

You could say it differently and provide an opportunity for the child to think and share. Examples:

We had fun today!
Let's go swimming!
Not that one!
Uh oh! Your cap is on the floor.
I like ice cream the best.
I heard you went on a school trip today.
You're walking too fast for me.

A useful keep-in-mind is: If you already know the answer and do not expect an answer from your child, the question is not declarative. It is an imperative because a response is required.

With many families, just the change from imperatives to declarative experience sharing has a profound impact. It communicates that 'thinking about' is just as important as 'knowing'. When reading a story for instance, we can make declarative comments about the meaning of the story or our emotional reactions to it (without asking for or expecting the child's response).

In RDI, parents work right at the start on increasing declarative, experience sharing communication, reducing verbal prompts, increasing nonverbal communication, and find that their child starts to respond.

Try using declarative, experience sharing communication the next time you interact with your child - you'll find while it requires more work initially, it begins to feel good once it becomes your style of communication and it is more respectful. The shift can only bring a qualitative change to your relationship.

Carol has a background in communication, education and behavioural intervention for children with ASD. She is passionate about RDI and feels blessed for the opportunity to work with caring and nurturing families who are brave and have faith in themselves to take the steps for change.

Carol Subramani
RDI® Program Certified Consultant
Certified HANDLE® Screener
ROOTS Consulting
Phone: +91 9820356664

Spotlight the Problem, Not the Solution by Lauren Wilson

Lisa Palasti — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:22:00 GMT

Lauren Wilson, this weeks guest author, helps to illustrate how parents and individuals working with children with autism or other neurodevelopmental challenges can help children learn to THINK. You will enjoy this article if you want to learn how to stop being a "thinking robber" and become a more mindful effective thinking guide.

Being an effective guide is ninety five percent mindset and five percent of what you actually do. Our mindset and point of view are the roots from which all decisions are made. When I explain what RDI is, I focus on a simple phrase that encompasses a guiding mindset:

"Spotlight the problem, not the solution."

Guides recognize that learning, and from there competence, comes with doing. It comes with struggling, thinking, failing and succeeding. Guides recognize their ability to make the most of regular ole' interactions when they focus on spotlighting problems rather than solutions.

Bear with me during this illustration. Consider the following two phrases. Imagine them being said to you:

"Pick it up and put it here."

"This is hard to figure out!"

Try to feel your brain working as each is said. "Pick it up and put it here." What's your brain doing? Right, not too much; it's pretty much basic compliance. A great skill to have no doubt, yet as a guide, we know how limiting this can be for real world application.

How about the latter? "This is hard to figure out!" What's your noggin' doing now? It's really trying to work something out. It's refocusing on the problem, slowing down. It's doing some dynamic thinking.

Consider the relationship that would grow out of the two phrases. One could perhaps be characterized by a director and actor, ever in need of direction. The other, guiding.

Here are a few more examples. Notice how the focus changes from the solution to the problem and the effect it has on the relationship and what learning and opportunities will happen next.

"Say hi to Daddy"	"There's Daddy!"
"Pick it up"	"Oh no!"
"Sit down"	"Circle time"
"Try again"	"This is just not working"
"Good job!"	"We're doing it!"

Providing solutions rob individuals of the chance to make those dynamic problem solving connections that we so want them to have. Providing solutions can also give a false sense of the true abilities of an individual.

Nowhere was this more evident to me than during an observation of a first grader. It was reported to me that he could independently manage classroom routines and a paraprofessional was probably no longer necessary. In a three minute period of my observation, I counted how many solutions he was given. I could barely keep up with the tallies. In three minutes he was given over 40 solutions: "write your name", "erase- you need capitals", "push in your chair", "go to the carpet", "cross your legs", "raise your hand" and on and on and on. Many were given within a second of other children performing the action and often repeated more than once. I cringe just remembering, and acknowledging that I was once that solution focused voice on quick repeat.

I offered the paraprofessional a much needed break and sat back and truly observed. The class moved along and he sat falling farther and farther behind. He had no ownership over any of the learning that had been taking place. He had been complying on auto pilot failing to take note of his role in his own actions. Solutions had been given and therefore his dynamic problem solving abilities remained stagnant.

"Spotlight the problem, not the solution."

After modeling, practice, adjusting work load and figuring out what his unique processing time was, we put this mindset into practice. The goal was no longer for him move along, it was to see his wheels turning; to see him practice dynamic thinking. And think he did.

This change in mindset is big and it is hard to do. When we see someone struggling for a solution, our mirror neurons fire rapidly. We literally feel them struggling and are pulled to relieve that tension by providing a solution. And then, seemingly overnight, it becomes an automatic response. Before we know it, we're anticipating the problem and providing the solution before the child even recognizes it. We become the solution managers instead of the opportunity givers, decreasing rather than increasing our child's ability to function in the world. We wind up doing all the dynamic thinking work for our children who need the most practice at it.

We know that change in possible, and it starts with us, the guides providing an environment where dynamic thinking can thrive. Start by taking time to do... well, nothing. Slow down. Observe your child, you're looking for their edge of competence and that's a moving target. What I find most often is that folks are surprised by what problems their child can solve on their own. What competence building moments for our children!

Opportunities (problems) will start to arise. Shoes will be lost. Zippers will get stuck. Play ideas will make one person happy and not the other. Your turn will be skipped. As you slow down, you'll see your child resolve many of them leaving you an opportunity to spotlight their competence. Others will loom larger and you'll see the solution and want to blurt it out immediately.

Hold that thought.

It's in this moment that your child needs you to guide them. To scaffold, what you see so clearly. Clarify the "problem" for them; guide them in the right direction. You might have to do this more than once. That's ok. What's important is you leave that room, no matter how small, for your child to discover the solution. And who knows, it might be better than the one you had in mind!

Here are a few more examples to consider

Child takes your turn while playing	Give "the look" and smile
It is taking longer than expected and you can see it on your child's face	"This is taking a loooong time!"
Shoes are lost.	"I forget where we found them last time."
There are 2 cookies and three people.	"Hmm, this is a problem."
Child looks hungry.	"I think we skipped snack today."

Lauren has enjoyed working with families and individuals on the autism spectrum for over ten years. She has been a Relationship Development Intervention Certified Consultant since 2006 and received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. She is pleased to provide family support, behavior planning, teen/young adult mentorship and RDI program services. She may be reached at http://hawaiiautism.blogspot.com , rdimaui@gmail.com or by phone at 808.264.3007.

Dynamic Communication

Laura Morehead — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:21:00 GMT

This week’s Blog is by Mariko Ortner who is from Japan and currently lives in the United States.

In my last blog I talked about the challenges that adults with autism face. It is important to think about the big picture and quality of life. In this blog, I give examples of how to work on dynamic communication and how to build up a child’s competency so they can overcome obstacles.

先日のブログでは、自閉症の子供達は、大きくなっていくこと、そして自閉症を抱える青年達の厳しい現実について書きました。その現実から明らかになって来た課題は、

１）人間関係の問題、（非言語行動がうまく使えない、意思伝達がうまく出来ない、他の人を理解できない）

２）簡単な問題解決を自分でする事が出来ない。

３）臨機応変に物事に対処できない。

４）ストレスへの対処。（癇癪など）

５）衛生、セルフヘルプが上手に出来ない。（体臭など）

このように課題を見ると、子供が大きくなると学校で学ぶ知識が余り役に立たない事に気がつきます。学校のお勉強も大切ですが、このように人生を長い目で見る事によって、子供の中に、柔軟性や、自分で自信をもって新しい問題を解決できる力を養って行く事の大切さを感じます。

日本でもアメリカの子供のようにwiiなどのゲームが流行っているのでしょうか。出来れば時間を決めて、余り長い間遊ばせない事を勧めます。このようなゲームは、大体どのようにゲームが展開していくかが予測出来るので、脳には余り良くありません。少しずつ、時間を減らして行くようにしましょう。そして、その時間を利用して脳を使うように子供と一緒に何かをしましょう。

自閉症の子供達は、非言語行動がうまく理解出来ないので、私はゲームの形で訓練するように勧めています。例えば夕食の時に、「今から言葉なしのゲームをしよう！目や、顔または手を使って、欲しいものとかを言おう！」と提案して３分でも良いですから、遊びのように練習すると楽しく自然に訓練できます。また年齢の大きい子供の場合は、家族の間で、その日にあった出来事を身振りで表現し、他の人が言葉で言って当てる、というゲームをしたりします。例えばお母さんがお買い物に行ってリンゴを買って嬉しかった、というのは簡単に身振りなどで表現出来ますよね？また、家族が輪になって座って、色々な物を顔で評価するというゲームも、よくします。例えば、２-３違う味のアイスクリームを持って来て、一人一人味見をして、顔で好き嫌いを表現します。そして、他の人が好きなのか、嫌いなのかを当てる。はじめは、違和感を感じる子供達もいますが、その場合はゲームの時間を短い所から始めるようにすると、慣れて行きます。

また出来るだけ、子供達が毎日起こる小さな問題を自分で解決出来るように持って行く事が大切です。まず一番大切な事は余り手伝いすぎない。多くのお子さんは、のんびりしていたり、物事をするのに時間がかかったりしますが、そこは、じっくり我慢することが大切です。また、わざと簡単な問題を、自然な形で提供することも大切です。「のりがない！どうしよう。封筒が閉まらない！どうしたらいいかな？何かアイデイアある？」「あー今日パンがない。どうしよう。」

次回のブログでは続いて３）から５）までのアイデイアを話しますね。質問やリクエストなどあれば、どうぞどんどんして下さい！

RDI コンサルタント

オートナーマリ子（ミネソタ州）

Building Pathways Through RDI by Tara Moffat

Lisa Palasti — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:14:00 GMT

Welcome to this weeks blog by our guest author Tara Moffat. Tara will share her personal journey in improving the quality of lives of those she works with using RDI strategies and theory. Get ready for a big dose of inspiration and hope!

Not only have I seen one child not meet the ASD (autism spectrum disorder) criteria, I have seen several. How was this accomplished, and how can you start reaching for a better quality of life for your child? For my clients, it simply began with RDI® (Relationship Development Intervention).

My profession allows me to think with my mind and follow my heart. When I was a recent college graduate, I had a zest only people in their early 20s can have for starting their own business. Before I knew it, I had taken out a small loan and was boarding a plane for Houston. I believe it was my heart that led me to The Connections Center in Houston, Texas. This is where RDI® consultants are trained and certified under the guidance of Dr. Steven Gutstein and his wife, Dr. Rachelle Sheely, professionals in the autism field. As developers and directors of The Connection, they bring over 20 years of experience in treatment planning, program development, clinical expertise and education. After Meeting Dr. Gutstein and Dr. Sheely and completing 18 months of training, I became the first certified RDI® consultant in the state of Utah.

Our brain is like a huge spaghetti bowl of neurons. They constantly fire to create memories, monitor the environment, fight off stress, grow, learn, and make mistakes. They fire over and over again, day after day. Medical research has shown that the brain is adaptable and can change based on experience. If this is the case, why can't the brains of individuals diagnosed with autism learn to build new neural pathways in the same way neurotypical children do it? It's simple...they can! After seeing the change myself right there in Houston, I knew what I was meant to do. I walked into the Utah Department of Commerce, signed on the dotted line, and established my company, Building Pathways.

Families come to me every day looking for techniques to change this or that behavior. What makes the RDI® program so outstanding is that it is parent led and has a learning community that is one of a kind! It uses an online, self-paced community platform that sets up efficient and effective communication between the consultant and parent. The community platform is loaded with information, videos, and tutorials. Families can keep up with their goals in between meetings, log onto live webinars, upload home videos, and even chat with other parents!

RDI® is based on the theory of Guided Participation. What does that mean? Simple...think back to when you were a child learning how to ride a bike. A trusted adult (known as a guide) was there to break down the steps for you and help you feel confident that you could learn this new task. You then pushed that first pedal, and though you may have fallen a few times along the way, you got back up and tried again. All the while, you heard encouraging words from that trusted guide to keep you feeling successful.

If you are saying to yourself, "teaching my child with autism how to ride a bike is a whole different ball game than teaching my other children," I would understand. However, in my experience, what really makes a child successful is breaking down the learning process. To help with this, I want to share a few of my top techniques to build those pathways in your child's brain. My hope is that you come away feeling confident that you are being the most effective guide for your child.

TARA'S TOP TECHNIQUES

TECHNIQUE #1: COMMUNICATION STYLE!

Do you ever feel like the only way to get your child to talk is to ask him or her questions? I spoke to a group at the University of Utah last year about how changing the communication style is, by far, the most powerful tool I have witnessed. I once viewed a video of a 5-year-old male who was eating lunch with his mom. In only 5 minutes, I tallied his mother asking over 80 questions! Let me ask you this, would you want to have a conversation with somebody in which all they did was ask you questions? And not just any question, but the same one over and over again. Questions like what color is the macaroni? What is that (pointing to a green bean)? Does it taste good? How old are you? Etc...Not only would I NOT want to interact with that person, but I would do all I could to slam my food down my throat so I could get out of the situation.

If this type of conversation sounds familiar, I would gently remind you that constant questioning is not a conversation, but simply a drill to get your child to speak. How then, you ask, can you "converse" with your child, given that he or she has a vocabulary but doesn't use functional language? The solution is easy, turn questions into open-ended statements! For instance, instead of saying "what is that" say "green beans are yummy, I wonder what other vegetables you like."

This way of "conversing" with your child takes away the pressure for a response and gives the child the choice to engage in reciprocal communication. In due time, kids start to learn that if they make a statement, it won't be followed by a question or demand. This makes conversing fun! Try it: challenge yourself for 1 week to use open-ended statements, and if you are having trouble, please e-mail me for information I have prepared on the subject.

TECHNIQUE #2: LESS IS MORE!

Before I started RDI®, my background was in behavior modification, in which every minute of every session the child is expected to "do something." So, you can imagine my shock when I was sitting in one of Dr. Gutstein's training sessions and he explained that one of his favorite things to do with a child was to set in a bare room with no initial expectation. WHAT? I told myself. Was he crazy? This is impossible? No, almost 5 years later, this is one of my favorite activities to do and a technique I strongly recommend.

Ultimately, what does technique #2 mean by less is more? It means that children should make mental discoveries on their own accord. I will never forget a session I did with a 2-year-old who rarely lifted his eyes to see the world around him. I desperately wanted to see more of his beautiful blue eyes and was determined to help. During a 30-minute session, I established a recognizable pattern in which I blew up a balloon, counted to three, released the balloon, and let him run to get it. I did all this with only that balloon, and I had him gesturing and imitating for the first time! Once a child makes that discovery, neurons fire to create a new pathway in the brain. Then, with a bit more practice, it becomes a new behavior and a new sense of empowerment is born.

TECHNIQUE #3: CREATE FLEXIBILITY

Do you know someone who spends too much time watching TV, movies, or playing video games? How many of you just said your spouse's name? Jokes aside, movies and TV shows are predictable. No matter how many times we watch The Little Mermaid, Ariel always ends up with the Prince. But in daily life, things change on a moment's notice. Life is unpredictable, and we need to be flexible in every situation that comes our way. For example, I am working with a family whose 10-year-old son would watch movies 24/7 if allowed. I asked the family to type up a schedule of their daily routine. We then worked together to create a balanced schedule and plan to implement RDI® throughout their day. For instance, between 10:00-10:30 a.m. they would take a neighborhood walk or between 5:00-6:00 p.m. they would cook dinner as a family. Over time, playing games as a family was preferred to watching an episode of Sponge Bob. Today their son is coming up with imaginative ways to play with toys that before had only collected dust.

TECHNIQUE #4: BUILD CONFIDENCE

We may not know what goes through a child's head when trying to ride a bike or yearning to join the other kids on the playground, but one thing I do know is that these children encode more failure than they do success. It's easier for them to just not try something than it is to fail. The beauty of breaking down the learning process is that it builds a child's confidence, allowing the child to overcome challenges on the playground and in life. Once the child makes the discovery that he or she can overcome something small, you, as the parent, can build on it and take the challenge to another level. Over time, your child will build enough successful, positive memories so that when there is failure, the child has learned to be resilient. For a more in-depth explanation of this technique, refer to the article I contributed to in the Spring 2008 UK edition (#27) of The Autism File magazine.

After years assessing children of all ages on the spectrum, I can safely say one thing, I've seen it all: everything from kids pulling down their pants in the park because they "really need to pee" to a child running up to a stranger wanting to touch his silly shirt. Once I was almost thrown down a flight of concrete stairs by a 5'9", 14-year-old who just wanted to "see his mom."

Through it all, I believe in the RDI® program. I know my purpose in life is to strengthen bonds between parents and children. I welcome the challenge, and I am truly passionate about what I do. My goal is to earn the trust of the parent and teach them to reach new heights along their journey.

Tara Moffat, RDI® Program Certified Consultant, graduated from the University of Utah. She double-majored in psychology and human development/family studies. Her minor was sign language. Upon graduating from the University of Utah, Tara worked for Dr. Jill Armour, PhD, as a Fast ForWard monitor for two years. She was then trained to provide neuro feedback to clients at the NeuroDevelopment Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she worked for over a year under the supervision of Dr. Davis Nilsson, PhD.

Tara first became interested in Autism in the fall of 1997. Since then, she has been trained in applied behavior analysis, working directly with families in the greater Salt Lake area.

In 2004, Tara began her training in Relationship Development Intervention® in Houston, Texas. After completing an 18-month extensive supervision process, Tara became the first Certified RDI® Program Consultant in the state of Utah.

Episodic Memory and Children with ASD - Part 3

Lisa Palasti — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:35:00 GMT

Linda Murphy, this week's guest author, continues with the third part of her series on episodic memory. Please read, enjoy and come back next week for the final piece of her 4 part series.

To read part 1, click here and to read part 2, click here.

Any time we are faced with a difficult situation, or if something keeps us from doing what we are planning to do, we come to a crossroads. We think: What should I do next? What are my choices? How does one option compare to another? This can include big problems, such as what to do after losing a job, but it also comes into play in the small decisions we make day-to-day. For example, when driving to work, what route do we take? If there is a traffic jam, do we take a different route? How do we decide? Or, if an item breaks, how do we decide whether to fix it or throw it away? If we decide to fix it, how do we do it? New batteries? Scotch tape? Glue? There are so many decisions we make moment to moment based on what we know about possible outcomes. Furthermore, we make most of these seemingly small decisions in a calm, deliberate manner, and don't expect perfection. We know that often, good enough is okay. So much of what we do depends on our subjective appraisal, and our subjective appraisal is based on our previous experiences, or episodic memory.

Now, let's think about children with autism. Often, problems are addressed when they are at crisis level. If we go back to our trip to Boston: maybe the child is screaming because he was planning to take the T and it has broken down. Or, maybe he is expecting to go to a particular restaurant in the North End, but it is closed for renovations. Maybe he lost his souvenir from the Swan Boats. In these moments, when expectations are not met, a child with ASD has trouble coping and emotions escalate. We may then address the particular problem by writing a social story, creating a behavior plan or explaining to the child why it is not a big deal. These strategies can certainly help, but they are reacting to a particular problem rather than proactively teaching kids how to cope with the unexpected in life.

We can help our kids with ASD become on-line problem solvers by including them in our own problem solving opportunities day-to-day, when there is no crisis around events that are not emotionally charged. Using declarative language, we can invite children to understand how we are thinking as we approach a problem. We can model how we are not looking for the perfect solution, but are satisfied with "good enough". As we include children in these moments, we are building their episodic memory around managing challenging situations. We are mindfully helping them form memories by including them in moments they may have otherwise missed. Then, when a similar but different problem comes their way in the future, we can help them pull memories from our shared experiences: "Oh! Your toy isn't working. Hmmm... I remember when my watch stopped working. We figured out it just needed new batteries. Let's see if your toy needs new batteries." Or, "Oh - you can't find your doll. Hmmm ... I remember last week when I lost my wallet. That was scary! But after we retraced my steps, we found it in the car. Let's see if we can retrace your steps."

It is important to remember that building episodic memory is a process that unfolds. It does not happen overnight, but as we see children with ASD use their episodic memories to problem solve, there is no doubt it was worth the wait. Using episodic memory to increase problem solving abilities and experience sharing are main goals of Relationship Development Intervention®. RDI consultants guide parents on how to authentically include their child in these moments day-to-day so that episodic memory can develop.

Upcoming topic in this series: episodic memory and peer interaction

Linda Murphy has been a speech language pathologist since 1999. She is also a Certified Early Intervention Specialist and an RDI® Program Certified Consultant - in fact, she is one of the few people in Massachusetts certified to offer the RDI® program. She graduated from Boston College in 1993 with a degree in Mathematics. After spending two years working with adults with autism, she decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College. Since then, Linda has provided services to children ranging from toddlers to young adults in a range of educational and other settings, including schools, daycares, homes, summer camps, playgrounds, her office and university clinics. She enjoys working collaboratively with families and other members of a child's team. She has a private practice in Beverly, Massachusetts. For more information, visit her at www.peer-projects.com or read more of her articles at www.examiner.com/x-39111-Boston-Autism-Parenting-Examiner.

RDI® Improves the Ability to Develop Friendships

Laura Morehead — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:22:00 GMT

The Autism File Magazine has named RDI® as one of their top ten tips for making friends! Access the article by clicking here.

Episodic Memory and Children with ASD - Part 1

Lisa Palasti — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:20:00 GMT

This week's guest author is Certified RDI Consultant, Linda Murphy who will be sharing a four- part series on Episodic Memory and how it effects individuals with autism spectrum disorders. We hope you enjoy this series and remember to log back in next week to read part two.

Memory is important for everyone in terms of learning, growing and managing more complex social and emotional situations in life. We use our memories to build and strengthen relationships, to reflect on what we've done in order to make plans for the future, and to problem solve based on past experiences. If we didn't have memories to draw from, we would hardly move forward in life. Developing meaningful memories is a critical skill for all people including children with autism.

Imagine this: you spend the day in Boston with a friend. You take the T there, walk around Faneuil Hall, do a little shopping on Newbury Street, have lunch in the North End and visit the swan boats in the Public Garden. In that one day, the memories formed and memories used span a variety of topics. You probably remember the things that you talked about with your friend or the laughter that you shared, more than you remember any particular item that you looked at while shopping. Or you probably remember how good your meal tasted, but maybe not the other items that were listed on the menu. Maybe when you got to the swan boats there was a line and you used your memories of waiting in other lines to appraise how long you might need to wait in this line. Each of these memories is an example of episodic memory.

Episodic memory refers to one's autobiographical memory. As we move and do things throughout our life, we are creating a story about ourselves. We use this self narrative to share our experiences with others and to negotiate new situations in the future. Without memories to pull from, the world would be a scary place; any new situation would leave us feeling lost. With episodic memory, we can enter a new situation and figure out what to do because we remember a similar situation from our past.

Now imagine you took that same trip to Boston with a child who has ASD. His memories may instead be the names of the T stops you rode through, how loud the restaurant was and the anxiety he felt waiting in line to go on the swan boats because he didn't know how long he was going to have to wait. What is meaningful moment-to-moment to a child with ASD may be different from what is meaningful to another person. Instead of forming memories that will later help with problem solving and planning, a child with ASD may be forming memories that lead to fear of the unknown. Developing episodic memory is difficult for people with autism, yet it is a critical skill needed for living an independent, happy and stress free life. It is also one of the foundations of the RDI® Program.

The next parts in this series will discuss how to help a child with ASD develop episodic memory to experience share, problem solve and develop peer relationships.

Linda Murphy has been a speech language pathologist since 1999. She is also a Certified Early Intervention Specialist and an RDI® Program Certified Consultant - in fact, she is one of the few people in Massachusetts certified to offer the RDI® program. She graduated from Boston College in 1993 with a degree in Mathematics. After spending two years working with adults with autism, she decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College. Since then, Linda has provided services to children ranging from toddlers to young adults in a range of educational and other settings, including schools, daycares, homes, summer camps, playgrounds, her office and university clinics. She enjoys working collaboratively with families and other members of a child's team. She has a private practice in Beverly, Massachusetts. For more information, visit her at www.peer-projects.com or read more of her articles at www.examiner.com/x-39111-Boston-Autism-Parenting-Examiner.

The Pause That Makes All The Difference by Carol Subramani, RDI Program Certified Consultant

Lisa Palasti — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:42:00 GMT

Carol Subramani shares with us the power of the pause. Carol helps us understand why something as simple as a pause can have such amazing results and meaning. This blog reminds me of something that Dr. Steven Gutstein, the founder of RDI, once told me. He said "when in doubt about what to do, do nothing". He was telling me to pause, to slow down and think about my next actions. He was also giving me permission to just "be" with my children and with the kids I work without trying to "get" a specific response. It was wise advice and Carol helps bring even more awareness about how a simple pause can make a big difference when we relate to others.

Mitali pauses en route to the door. Her child notices she’s stopped at the shoe stand. She slowly takes out her shoes and pauses as she looks down and begins putting each one on slowly. Nothing is said. Her 4 year-old takes the cue and takes out his sandals. She turns to look at his feet; her gaze moves to his face and they share a smile – she pauses again to let him form a memory of competence. She’s ready to break out into a dance - this is a BIG moment – this is the first time she has paused and he took the opportunity to consider, to process, to think and to respond!

Mark Twain said it so well: “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”

A pause may refer to a rest, hesitation or temporary stop. You may interrupt action or speech briefly.

As a parent, a pause provides you with an opportunity to choose your response or you can act on impulse. Impulse says, “tell him what to do” or “he has not moved – I’ll point in the direction of his sandals” or “I’ll give him the remote so he stops screaming”. It feels good in the moment that you have taken an action but it is not mindful.

You can use the power of the pause to change from emotional reactions to thoughtful responses. Whether you’re reacting to provocations or trigger words, remind yourself that you can pause to choose your best response.

A pause in the right place at the right time gives YOU:

· time to breath

· time to consider what it is you're going to do or say next

· time to observe, receive and digest the feedback you are getting from your child

A pause in the right place at the right time gives YOUR CHILD:

· time to breathe

· time to consider or to let the images or ideas you've given them 'flower' in their minds

· time to process, understand or summarize what's been said

· time to prepare for what may be coming next

Consider this, you can:

· Pause before a particular important point to increase tension and add emphasis. Pausing at irregular points can also increase tension.

· Pause after important points in order to let what you said or did, sink in.

· Combine pauses with dramatic action, such as uncovering something, pointing to something important, etc.

· Use non-verbal signals to emphasize the pause. A simple way of doing this is to freeze the body, perhaps with an expectant expression on your face.

When you pause in the middle of a sentence, you trigger needs for completion, thus increasing tension. Matching body language with the pause creates alignment and hence increases trust. Mixing body language and speech creates mixed messages and the opposite effect.

“It's not so much knowing when to speak; it’s knowing when to pause.” -Jack Benny

In RDI, the purpose of the pause is for the connection to be made, not to "get" the child to gesture or to imitate your action. You convey to your child that you believe in their ability to respond and that you are there to support and not pressure them. You provide spaces for the child to think about communication prior to responding. You wait for studying responses.

Sharmila found that a pause and a smile helped her connect with her 5 year-old as she stood behind him stirring the cake batter with a whisk. He turned back and in a heart-stopping moment, looked at her and smiled!

An everyday activity like baking provides opportunities for thoughtful pausing:

"Okay - the butter's in..." "okay, that part is done..." or even "two ingredients down, four to go" (allowing a pause and holding the sense of tension until child thinks "okay, then what comes next" and then the child goes on to announce, e.g. "Next comes sugar").

“I wonder what we should add next?” or “We've put in the margarine, something is missing” pause (child needs to think a little).

“I've got the margarine” -pause (more thought needed for getting another ingredient).

If you pause, 'umm' or sigh, or use a pause and gesture of looking for something, with a “what have I forgotten?!” expression (child needs even more thought: “what’s wrong?”).

Pausing is respectful and conveys conviction that your child possesses the ability to think for himself. Using deliberation, purposeful pausing and going slow gives both parent and child time to think and contribute. Pause and count to ten. You may find your child begins to respond!

Carol Subramani is an RDI® Program Certified Consultant based in Wadala, Mumbai. She has a background in communication, education and behavioural intervention for children with ASD. Passionate about RDI, she says, “I am thankful for the bravery of parents who trust in themselves and in me enough to take the steps for change, which affords me the opportunity to do work I love.”

Carol Subramani

RDI® Program Certified Consultant

Certified HANDLE® Screener

ROOTS Consulting

carolsubramani@yahoo.co.in

The RDI program for Adults (Japanese Version)

Laura Morehead — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:17:00 GMT

This blog comes from Mariko Ortner who is from Japan and currently lives in the US. It’s about adults with autism who still struggle in the world and how RDI gives them tools to live successfully.

最近、大人の自閉症の生活実態についての研究文書をいくつか読みました。研究は、アメリカ、スウェーデン、イギリス、スイス、オーストラリアまた日本などで、それぞれ、行われたものでした。ほとんどの研究は２０００年以降に行われたもので、新しいものです。Dr.Gutstein の講演に、もうすぐ１０年前くらいになると思うのですが、ポートランドで初めて出席した時、先生は１９９０年代の研究の結果を紹介されました。その結果はとても悲しいもので、私はショックを受けました。高機能の自閉症であっても、ほとんどの人は職を持てず、友人もいない、という状況でした。それでは、１０年経った今、実態は変わったのだろうか、と考え研究文書を集めて読む事にしました。

残念ながら、状況は少し良くなったものの、やはり、高機能であっても、低機能であっても、実情は厳しいというのが結果でした。

私たちの子供は、現在は子供であっても、育って行きます。学校は小学校、中学校、高校そして、大学に行くにしても、人生の中のたった１６年です。しかし、親としては、勉強が出来て欲しい、子供の強い部分を生かしたいという気持ちから、勉強にどうしても、力を入れてしまい気味になります。これらの研究文書を読んで感じた事は、いくら勉強が出来ても、例えば、柔軟性、他の人の観点に立って考える、問題解決を自分で出来る力、などがなければ、仕事や友人関係を保って行く事が難しいということです。

研究結果によると、大半の高機能の自閉症の青年達は、仕事を見つける事が出来ましたが、それを続ける事が出来ませんでした。その理由は、同僚や上司との間に問題がでてきたからです。お風呂に入るのが嫌なので、体臭などで周りの人に迷惑をかけたり、人の気持ちを傷つけるようなコメントをしたりしたそうです。また仕事の面では、自分で融通をつけて簡単な問題解決が出来なかったり、臨機応変に物事に対応できなかったり、（いつも使っているホッチキスがないので、仕事が出来ない）仕事に時間が掛かり過ぎてしまうなどという問題がでてきたそうです。また、ある青年は、ストレス耐性が弱く、仕事場で癇癪を何度も起こしてしまったそうです。

重度の自閉症の大人の実態も厳しいものでした。その理由は、高機能の自閉症の大人とほとんど同じです。言葉が話せないという部分は、大きなチャレンジですが、その上、柔軟性がない、臨機応変に物事に対応できないというのは、大きな壁になっています。柔軟性がないので、予想外の事が起こるとパニックになり、公共の場所に連れて行きにくい、そうなると、本人の世界が小さくなってしまうということです。重度の自閉症の大人は、家にこもり気味になってしまうという状況です。

この新しい研究結果を読んで、RDI をしていて本当に良かったと思いました。 RDI はこのような自閉症の人々が毎日直面するチャレンジを乗り越える力を子供達に与える事が出来るのです。私がコンサルタントとして、一番嬉しい時は、子供の脳の中で、「そうだったのか。分かった！」と思っているのが、顔に現れた時です。今朝１０歳の自閉症の男の子マークと話をしていました。マークとはもう既に５年の仲です。先日友人のトムとしたSleep over（友人の家に泊まって遊ぶ）について彼と話していました。会話の最後のほうで私は、「どうして、マークはこのゲームが好きじゃないのに、トムとこのゲームしたのかな。」と聞きました。マークは「このゲームはこの部分とこの部分はましだ」と関係があるけれども、余り関係のない事を私に言いました。その時に私は、「ひょっとして、マークはトムが好きだから、このゲームしたのかな？」とつぶやきました。その瞬間マークの顔が明るくなって、まさしく脳の中で何かが繋がったような顔をして、私の顔を見たのです。何となく、ホットしたようにも見えました。高機能の子供達は時には自分の行動を、良い行動であっても、悪い行動であっても、よく理解していない事があるのです。だから、今朝マークは自分の中で新しい発見をしたのです。そして、この子供の顔が私は好きなのです。また他の子供は、去年は水がとっても怖くてプールの近くにさえも行けなかったのに、今年は喜んで、水泳のクラスに行っています。別に特別に水の恐怖を取る指導はしませんでした。毎日のRDIの小さい積み重ねで、子供たちは少しずつ自信をつけてきたのです。

次回のブログには、日本も夏休みに突入という事なので、ideaを紹介しますね。

RDI コンサルタント

オートナーマリ子（ミネソタ州）

Episodic Memory and Children with ASD - Part 4

Lisa Palasti — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:41:00 GMT

This is the last blog in a 4- part series on Episodic Memory. Special thanks goes to Linda Murphy for graciously sharing this with everyone. To read parts 1-3 of this series, please click here.

As discussed in previous articles, episodic memory is the story we create about ourselves over time. We may use this story to share ourselves with others or we may use this story to form a plan of action when faced with a problem. We need our memories to assign meaning to events in our lives and to negotiate new situations in the future.

As children form relationships with their peers, they use their episodic memory to create stories of developing friendships as well as narratives of themselves as desirable play partners. This is a process that unfolds over time as children have repeated opportunities to play with others in increasingly dynamic situations. Early on in peer interactions, all children are concerned with the immediate gratification that comes from events such as going first, playing what they want to play, winning a game and using a toy when they want to use it. However, as children get practice in the realm of peer dynamics, they come to observe unwritten rules and subtle yet ever present patterns:

Sometimes I win, sometimes my friend wins.
Sometimes I go first, but sometimes my friend does.
Sometimes we play what I want to play, but sometimes we play what my friend wants to play.
I can use a toy that I want to use, but it is also important to take turns and share.

Parents and teachers help to teach these lessons both directly and indirectly and over time, children come to trust that even though they did not get to go first this time, they will probably get to go first another time. Or even though their game was not chosen this time, it will most likely be chosen in the near future.

Because children with ASD may not easily notice the unwritten patterns of turn taking over the course of time, these lessons are much harder to learn. They may be quite good at noticing and understanding turn taking within a structured game in the here and now, but patterns over a longer period of time are more elusive. What children with ASD do notice, however, is when their preference is not honored because this has strong personal meaning to them in the moment. When this happens, we may see a big, negative reaction that leads all involved to form unpleasant memories. Subsequently, no one wants to rock the boat again and we may tread lightly or even avoid teaching those vital friendship skills of flexibility and fairness simply for the sake of keeping the peace.

So, how do we teach these vital peer interaction skills in a way that is not so unpleasant for everyone? For those of you following this series, the answer will be a familiar one: Use declarative language to mindfully make explicit memories that are easily perceived by most, demonstrate how we can use these memories to inform our decision at hand, and engage our kids with ASD in this decision making process. Here are some examples from our trip to Boston:

Hmmmm... Freddie got to sit by the window on our last ride on the T so I think it would be fair if we let Annie have the window for this ride.
I know that Trixie was first in line for the Swan Boats, so I'm thinking that it would probably be fair to let Lucy be first in this line.
I remember yesterday Christopher got to choose which dessert we would share, so hmmm... I'm wondering what might be fair today...

Once these patterns are spotlighted, children learn to self narrate and notice more implicit turn taking opportunities over time. They learn to talk themselves through turn taking that is outside of a particular game, the type of turn taking that is woven throughout life and friendships. They can and do rise to the occasion and become fair decision makers because they now understand and trust the process.

But, if we don't make a point of helping them notice and subsequently form these memories along the way, they become stuck in the moment at hand, the moment of crisis, the moment when they panic because the thing they want to do is not going to happen. We have to give them information as it happens and mindfully help them recap so that they can learn how to give back as a true friend.

Linda Murphy has been a speech language pathologist since 1999. She is also a Certified Early Intervention Specialist and an RDI® Program Certified Consultant - in fact, she is one of the few people in Massachusetts certified to offer the RDI® program. She graduated from Boston College in 1993 with a degree in Mathematics. After spending two years working with adults with autism, she decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College. Since then, Linda has provided services to children ranging from toddlers to young adults in a range of educational and other settings, including schools, daycares, homes, summer camps, playgrounds, her office and university clinics. She enjoys working collaboratively with families and other members of a child's team. She has a private practice in Beverly, Massachusetts. For more information, visit her at www.peer-projects.com or read more of her articles at www.examiner.com/x-39111-Boston-Autism-Parenting-Examiner.

Episodic Memory and Children with ASD - part 2

Lisa Palasti — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:32:00 GMT

Guest author, Linda Murphy, continues with part two of her series on one of the core deficits of autism - episodic memory. To read part one, click here.

In a previous article, the critical role that episodic memory plays in life and in developing social relationships was discussed. The second part in this series will discuss how to help your child develop and use episodic memories for the purpose of experience sharing.

One of the biggest shifts that social partners need to make in order to support a child with ASD to develop and access episodic memories is in their own communication. Often times when we are trying to help children access memories, we ask a lot of questions or use imperative statements: "Who did you play with at school today?" "What did you have for snack?" "Tell Daddy what movie we saw." It goes on and on. We try so hard to get information from kids with ASD. Sometimes we get it, sometimes we don't, and even when we do get an answer to our question, we are not getting at what we truly want to know. Don't we instead want to know how the child felt throughout the day? What made the child smile or laugh? About connections the child shared with their friends? We want more than a one word answer, but don't know how to get it. One thing is clear though: imperative questions and statements do not get at the heart of what we all use memories to do: share who we are!

Because we don't always know what a child with ASD is remembering about an event - he may remember the ceiling fan that he watched or the numbers he noticed on the outside of a house - we have to mindfully spend time helping socially meaningful memories go in. We can do this using declarative language to observe, reflect and share subjective appraisals alongside the child. We can do this by becoming generous with information. This means we are sharing and not expecting anything in return. We are moving from getting to giving so that the child can truly learn to give back.

Once we have done this - once we are sure we have spent time giving - we can engage children in specific activities that support them to share what they remember. Here is one such activity:

Share memories in partnership with the child. This means, you are collaborators in the task of weaving a story. It is important to do this within a context where you were present so that you can truly support the child to succeed. Let's go back to our trip to Boston to illustrate this idea. As you are on that trip, offer information along the way that not only recaps what you are doing, but communicates a subjective appraisal: "Wow! I can tell you really liked riding on the T. I think Park St. is your favorite stop." ... "Oh look! There's a line for the Swan Boats, but it isn't that long. Let's wait because I think it will move quickly" ... "You really like pizza! We should go to the North End because that's where the best pizza in Boston is." While on this trip, you could also easily take snapshots with your phone or PDA, capturing moments of the child in action, moments that are socially meaningful. Once your trip is complete, you remember and recap as a team. Maybe you look at the pictures together while riding home on the T, or do it as a bedtime activity. You continue to share what you remember using components that make storytelling more interesting and fun for everyone: animated facial expressions, rich intonation, gestures and dramatic pauses. Here and there, give space for the child to chime in, or even to just communicate that they remember too. This is how sharing of memories begins.

As a team, you could later tell a family member or friend about your day. You share some memories, and pause to see if your child wants to add a related memory. Your memories are triggering the child's, and they may add a thought when you invite them to do so. You may even scaffold an idea for the child: "We went on the T and stopped at your faaaaaavorite stop ...." Or maybe you say, "We decided to eat in the North End because...." and your child chimes in: "I love pizza!"

These kinds of memories are so much more meaningful than simply stating the details. By sharing in this way, we are teaching children to share what each detail means to them on a very personal level. We are teaching them to share who they are.

Upcoming topics in this series: episodic memory and problem solving, episodic memory and peer interaction.

Linda Murphy has been a speech language pathologist since 1999. She is also a Certified Early Intervention Specialist and an RDI® Program Certified Consultant - in fact, she is one of the few people in Massachusetts certified to offer the RDI® program. She graduated from Boston College in 1993 with a degree in Mathematics. After spending two years working with adults with autism, she decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College. Since then, Linda has provided services to children ranging from toddlers to young adults in a range of educational and other settings, including schools, daycares, homes, summer camps, playgrounds, her office and university clinics. She enjoys working collaboratively with families and other members of a child's team. She has a private practice in Beverly, Massachusetts. For more information, visit her at www.peer-projects.com or read more of her articles at www.examiner.com/x-39111-Boston-Autism-Parenting-Examiner.