Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

LEEP Beyond is Extracurricular Center for Children on the Autism Spectrum

scottie — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Mikky Wright, and his son’s DIR/RDI therapist, Lorell Marin were trying to figure out a way to provide after-school and weekend activities for kids with autism.

Body:

Mikky Wright, and his son’s DIR/RDI therapist, Lorell Marin were trying to figure out a way to provide after-school and weekend activities for kids with autism. In this interview, Jonathan Messinger, talked to Wright about L.E.E.P. Beyond. This 4,000 square foot space just west of downtown Chicago will offer extracurricular social and athletic opportunities for kids with special needs. All L.E.E.P. Beyond staff are occupational therapists including the yoga instructor.

Original Article:

L.E.E.P. Beyond Offers Classes for Kids on the Autism Spectrum

Early Intervention May Improve Brain Activity in Kids with Autism

scottie — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

A recently published study on early intervention (EI) for kids with autism showed that EI may improve brain activity.

Body:

A recently published study on early intervention (EI) for kids with autism showed that EI may improve brain activity. The EI in the study focused on improving cognitive and speech skills in children as young as a year old. One researcher, Geraldine Dawson, PhD, explained, “For the first time, parents and practitioners have evidence that early intervention can result in an improved course of both brain and behavioral development in young children. It is crucial that all children with autism have access to early intervention which can promote the most positive long-term outcomes.” The EI in the study was based on a combination of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and relationship-based approaches, such as Relation Development Intervention (RDI) and floortime.

Original Article:

Study Touts Benefits of Early Intervention for Autistic Children

Entire Family Participates in RDI Therapy

scottie — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:16:28 +0000

Teaser:

The Andrews decided to involve the entire family in their son’s autism therapy.

Body:

The Andrews decided to involve the entire family in their son’s autism therapy. The therapy they chose was Relationship Development Intervention (RDI). Chresta Ambers, a certified RDI therapist, says this therapy can be used at any age and any range of a person with autism. RDI was created by Dr. Steven Gutstein and is a parent-based treatment that incorporates six objectives: emotional referencing, social coordination, declarative language, flexible thinking, rational information processing, and foresight and hindsight. The Andrews say that RDI is a therapy they can practice 24/7 with their son.

Original Article:

KidSafe - R.D.I. for Autism

Dentists Use Social Stories to Ease the Fears of Children with Autism

scottie — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:11:20 +0000

Teaser:

Dr. Alan Milnes and Dr. Terry Farquhar are dentists who wrote an article about taking your child with autism to the dentist.

Body:

Dr. Alan Milnes and Dr. Terry Farquhar are dentists who wrote this article about taking your child with autism to the dentist. These pediatric dentists have advanced training in working with children with special needs. One of the tools they suggest is social stories, which can be made by the parents to show what will happen at the dental office. The dentists also suggest using the child’s natural desire for routine and excellent memory. Visits to the office can begin with a simple tour, and then expand to sitting in the chair, and looking at the equipment. It's a good idea to meet the hygienist and dentist beforehand to become more comfortable with their interactions. The kids learn new behaviors that may be repeated at each visit. Milnes and Farquhar explain, “This process is identical to that used in applied behavioural analysis (ABA) and relationship development intervention (RDI) therapies.” The dentists remind parents that good dental hygiene should happen at home on a daily basis; they have suggestions to help with tooth care at home.

Original Article:

Dentistry and Autism

Helping a Child with Autism Make Friends

scottie — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Lisa Jo Rudy, the autism columnist at About.com, recently answered a reader’s question about helping a child with autism make friends.

Body:

Lisa Jo Rudy, the autism columnist at About.com, recently answered a reader’s question about helping a child with autism make friends. Rudy suggested that children with autism may suffer from sensory integration issues, making it difficult to communicate and interact. Therapies that Rudy suggests include: sensory integration therapy, generally offered by occupational therapists; Floortime/RDI/Play therapy, which help a child build relationships; and speech therapy, which can help the child understand and communicate with other children. In addition, camp situations and extracurricular activities that involve the child in non-threatening ways, such as swimming or horseback riding, can be useful.

Original Article:

How to Help a Child with Autism Take Part and Make Friends

Empowering Families through Relationship Development Intervention: An Important Part of the Biopsychosocial Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders

scottie — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Title	Empowering Families through Relationship Development Intervention: An Important Part of the Biopsychosocial Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Gutstein SE
Journal Title	Annals of Clinical Psychiatry
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	21
Issue	3
Pages	174-182
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19758538
Teaser	Relationship development intervention (RDI) may be helpful as part of a larger autism treatment program.
Full Text	Relationship development intervention (RDI) may be helpful as part of a larger autism treatment program. The purpose of this article is to teach psychiatrists about RDI. RDI has been in use for ten years now and it is a major relationship-based tool for autism intervention. RDI consultants focus on family support and parent training. They also focus on helping any IQ weaknesses in the child. The author notes that while RDI has not been studied in outcome based research, the thought behind the therapy makes sense and therefore the therapy likely offers value to the child with autism and the family.

The Cost of Fad Treatments in Autism

scottie — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:28:30 +0000

Title	The Cost of Fad Treatments in Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Zane T, Davis C, Rosswurm M
Journal Title	Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	5
Issue	2
Pages	44-56
URL for Abstract	http://www.jeibi.net/Issues/JEIBI-5-2.pdf
Full Text	Children with autism and their parents may be best served by only using proven autism therapies such as applied behavior analysis (ABA). The authors note that parents really need therapies for their children that work. This review article describes two fad autism therapies: sensory integration therapy and Relationship Development Intervention (RDI). They define fad treatments as treatments that do not have quality research showing that they work. Fad treatments cost money, can be hard on the emotions of the parents, and give false hope. Many parents turn to fad treatments because they want to do as much as they can for their child as fast as they can.

Community Resources Help Teenager Who is "Differently-Abled"

scottie — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:35:31 +0000

Teaser:

Body:

A Florida teenager, diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), has benefited from community resources developed by his parents and other parents of children with autism. These parents had fewer resources 12-18 years ago than parents do now, so they learned and taught each other about early intervention, speech therapy, occupational therapy, mainstreaming, and RDI. Currently, the number of resources in this Florida community is flourishing: Child Find , Exceptional Education and Student Services, and the Central Florida Autism Institute (CFAII), among others.

Original Article:

original article

Parents Opt for Providing Autism Therapy

scottie — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:42:15 +0000

Teaser:

Autism therapy can cost more than the average family's income.

Body:

Autism therapy can cost more than the average family's income. Many parents are opting to provide intervention at home for their children with autism. Some autism treatments require training, while others can be learned "on-the-job." There are therapies designed with parents in mind: floortime; RDI; and Son-Rise. Other treatments parents can provide include applied behavior analysis (ABA), sensory integration therapy, and social skills therapy.

Original Article:

original article

Center in Michigan Expands Number of RDI Therapists

scottie — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:35:07 +0000

Teaser:

The Horizons Developmental Remediation Center in Michigan is now the largest provider of Relationship Developmental Intervention (RDI) outside of Texas.

Body:

The Horizons Developmental Remediation Center in Michigan is now the largest provider of Relationship Developmental Intervention (RDI) outside of Texas. Horizons has four certified RDI consultants. RDI was developed by Dr. Steven Gutstein and Dr. Rachelle Sheely at the Connections Center in Houston, Texas. RDI is a family-based autism intervention that focuses on "root causes of communication, behavioral, and social difficulties, as opposed to just compensating for them." In addition, Horizons offers occupational therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy, and trains parents to work one-on-one with their children.

Original Article:

original article