"The grief, anxiety, and fear parents feel can be huge when they realize their family life has forever been touched by this disorder. I appreciated Carrie for her expertise, her thoroughness, her kindness." - K.B., Physician, Canada

What age group can benefit from RDI®?
RDI® is appropriate for all ages, including adults.

What developmental levels are appropriate for RDI®?
Individuals affected by any degree of autism can benefit from RDI®, regardless of IQ, diagnosis, language development.

What about children who are non-verbal?
Yes, in fact RDI® can sometimes be easier to implement with a child who is non-verbal than with a child who talks too much!

What about diagnoses other than autism?
RDI® can be an effective treatment program for many other neurological diagnoses that impact development.

Is there any research that shows RDI® to be an effective intervention?
Yes, please visit: www.rdiconnect.com for the latest published research on RDI.

How much time will I need to devote to practicing RDI at home?
This will be determined on an individual basis by your RDI® Program Consultant; however, you can expect to be asked to devote at least several hours per week to e-learning, completing assignments your consultant designs for you, and applying RDI concepts directly with your child. It is important to realize that what you may struggle to learn at first will eventually be applied effortlessly during your ordinary family routine. You will be shown tools for communicating effectively, inspiring curiosity, promoting problem solving and flexible thinking, and for reaching other important goals. As you become familiar with these tools, you will find yourself using them throughout your day, not just during your "RDI time."

What is involved in being trained as a parent to do RDI® with my child?
First, you must have a basic understanding of the RDI® Program. This may be accomplished by attending a parent training seminar or viewing Dr. Gutstein's training DVD. Next, it is important that you, as a parent, have made the preparations necessary to promote success in your RDI® home program, by meeting parent readiness objectives. These will be addressed in Phase I of your program between you and your consultant. Then, you and your child may be ready to begin the assessment process, which will result in an RDI® home program specifically designed to meet your child's needs. This will be followed by ongoing support by your consultant.

How do I get started with an RDI® program for my child?
Have you attended a parent training or viewed Dr. Gutstein's DVD: Going to the Heart of Autism: the Relationship Development Intervention Program®? If not, this is required prior to being accepted as a client of an RDI® Program Consultant. Contact the Connections Center website for information on trainings offered, or to order Dr. Gutstein's DVD: www.rdiconnect.com. Next, you must subscribe to the RDIos, the online e-learning program offered through the Connections Center. You may receive an invitation to join through your consultant. Please ask us if you feel you are ready for this step.

Do I need to use an RDI® consultant?
For optimal results, your RDI® home program must be specifically designed to address your child's developmental level and any obstacles to effective treatment. However, you may start by learning about RDI® through trainings, materials and parent support opportunities, and you are likely to be seeing positive results soon after implementing general RDI principles.

How do I choose an RDI® consultant?
It is important to choose your RDI® Program Consultant from the list provided by the Connections Center: www.rdiconnect.com. This insures that the consultant with whom you are contracting has successfully completed the RDI® certification, a rigorous process that involves many hours of training and supervision, as well as ongoing training and annual re-certification. You will notice an extra star next to the names of consultants who have completed their re-certification, a star for each year. It is recommended that you interview potential consultants to identify the best match for your family, based on your particular needs.

Is RDI® expensive?
Compared with other therapies, RDI® is cost-effective, since the investment you are making is in yourself, and your own capability to produce results in your child. What you learn will be applied every day, and in a natural way within your family's lifestyle. As compared with paying a professional to provide a service on an hourly basis (such as Applied Behavioral Analysis, which can cost thousands of dollars per year), RDI® is a cost effective modality that yields tremendously rewarding results.

How long can I expect to be using RDI® with my child?
The RDI® Program has been described as being a marathon rather than a sprint, meaning that the goals of promoting healthy development are long term. Just as healthy development does not have an end point, most families find that they are using RDI® over a period of several years, as their child progresses through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.

What is an RDA (Relationship Development Assessment)?
The Relationship Development Assessment (RDA) is provided by an RDI® Program Certified Consultant to specifically design an RDI® home program for your child. For a brief overview of assessment options offered by this consultant, please click here. The Connections Center also provides useful in depth information about the RDA at their website: www.rdiconnect.com

What can I expect to get from an RDA?
The RDA will result in a customized RDI® home program that addresses your child's specific developmental needs, complete with a treatment plan that you will carry out at home. A plan for ongoing contact will be included, so that you can continue to receive feedback and support for implementing your treatment plan.

Do you have a wait list for RDI® Services?
There may or may not be a wait list for RDI services. Because of the preparation required by you, the wait time may occur on your end, as you fulfill the pre-requisites for beginning consultation with an RDI Program Certified Consultant. Please call or email to be placed on the list, and to receive important information about preparing and learn how you can get started with your training and e-learning now.

Can I be practicing RDI® while I am waiting?
YES! Click here to download "What To Do While You Are Waiting"

How much do RDI® services cost?
Please contact our office if you would like to discuss costs and discounts available at 253-639-7146 or e-mail us at help@mindsourcecenter.com. For package options, click here.

Do you accept health insurance?
Yes, many private health insurance plans are accepted, and are billed by my office for your convenience. Please note that most insurance plans will only pay for direct service hours, and are subject to your plan's mental health benefits, since I am licensed as a mental health provider. All costs and procedure codes are provided in my RDA information packet, so that you can verify your coverage with your insurance company in advance of your first appointment.

What options are available if we cannot afford the full fee?
Often, there are alternate funding sources for families without health insurance. Please check with my office for options currently available. Payment plans, as well as Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Where does the RDA take place?
The RDA usually takes place in my office, located 20 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington. Home visits are typically included as one portion of the assesment. Most services may take place by telephone, webcam and video. For an assessment in your home click here.

Do you travel?
Yes. For families living outside the United States please request an estimate on the expenses of distance consultation. If you do not have an RDI consultant near you, or if you are requesting on site consultation from me because of experience or specialization, please click here for international program options.

For families living within some parts of the United States and Canada, it is usually more efficient and cost effective to visit my office. However, if you still prefer an onsite RDA, please contact me to discuss your options.

What must we do to be placed on your wait list?
Please contact me for an intake packet.

How did you get interested in RDI®?
As a psychotherapist (and parent!), one of the areas I am most concerned with is the emotional bond between parent and child, which includes connection, shared enjoyment and trust. A colleague introduced me to RDI in 2002, and I attended an introductory RDI workshop. I used a few ideas I picked up from Dr. Gutstein's workshop in a Friendship Group I was doing at the time and also with my own son. I saw dramatic and immediate changes in my own son, as well as in my clients with autism spectrum disorders, and the parents and teachers of these children noticed changes too. All of these children were developing a genuine interest in others that was not there the week before. I could not sign up for the professional training course quickly enough! What continues to be remarkable to me is the depth of the connection between parent and child that is possible when families are given the guidance and tools for supporting this type of growth. I absolutely love the work I do, because it is immensely rewarding to watch families grow, and to see children value the guidance their parents have to offer them, even thrive in areas of life that had been a struggle--friendships, school, even finding a date for the prom!


To learn more about RDI® visit www.rdiconnect.com