Treatment Plan for AS (RDI)

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The reason I found out that I have AS was through my son who after around three years of research and psychologists was diagnosed with AS. In learning about my son I saw many similarities to myself, especially my childhood.

Through a local support group we found out about a recent therapy for AS called "Relationship Development Intervention" (RDI)

My son was enrolled in special Ed preschool and the method employed by the teachers there just seemed "wrong". They were trying to teach him how to "go through the motions" without understanding WHY.

One example, my son almost never made eye-contact with anyone. The teacher's strategy was to order him to "look at me" sometimes physically turning his head to face them! After a few months it got to the point were he would try to hit you if you said "Hi" to him. Dropping him off at school one day I found out why. "Hi! Look at me and say hi!" Then they'd grab his face and turn him towards them. I think I'd be ready to hit as well.

The RDI approach to dealing with eye contact goes to the core of human communication. As much as 70% of face-to-face communication is visual. The strategy is to not answer his questions unless he's looking at you. Also when you're talking to him, stop when he looks away.

The first few hours I tried that I could visably see him relax! I realized that it must have been frustrating to him to only be using a fraction of the potential communication between people.

Now about 8 months later he has normal eye-contact, more empathy, and just seems more "in tune" with the people around him in general. Before the RDI he wouldn't even react if he were yelled at or if he hurt someone else. He was operating at nearly a pure-verbal state.

There are many other little breakthroughs we've had with RDI. We can now go for walks with him without the fear that he'll run out into traffic. He seems to take a genuine interest in people around him, not as objects, but as people.

RDI starts from the assumption that relationship interaction can be learned if it doesn't come naturally. But it must be taught in a more natural way, not using "scripts".

As usual, the younger you begin the easier it is to learn, but RDI is also beneficial for adults.

I could go on for pages about it, it's a very complex therapy, one that has to be incorporated as a "llifestyle" in the home. But at least in my experience it DOES make a real difference.

If you want to read more about it the official site is here:

http://www.connectionscenter.com/

They have a public forum. (A few people with AS frequent it.)

This sounds interesting. Knowing how, but not knowing why something is, what ever it may be has been one of the biggest points of frustration in my life.

As a kid, telling me "that's just the way it is" was a sure way to confuse me since I always had to know "why".

Hi Arashi,

I'm from Italy and I'm living exactly your situation. I found out I may have asperger traits "thanks" to my son PDD diagnosis.
Actually I felt relaxed understanding better myself. I don't know if for you was the same.
On the other hand now I'm just totally focused on my son, and I found quite interesting the method you have tried to grab your son attention.
May be we could try it

That approach sounds WONDERFUL. I can understand clearly why it works so much better. I wish I'd had more compassionate (or more informed) people around me when I was in school, but my school years precluded the translation of Dr. Asperger's research into english in (what was it?) I think it was in or soon after 1980 . And it took some years after that before teachers/ caregivers/ doctors/ therapists were able to identify it. I graduated H.S. in 1987 and I wasn't even diagnosed until about a year ago. But, beginning in kindergarten, all I heard from teachers was "Look at me when I'm talking to you!!". And I'd been hearing that already at home from my parents, so my frustration level was growing. By 1 st grade interpersonal exchanges began to result in hitting, kicking, pinching, and a few times, biting, on my part. Teachers and the school psychologist tried to help and offered some 'coaching' , and by third grade things did improve, but I still only had a couple of friends and felt lonely, confused, isolated and depressed much of the time.
Telling a child how changing certain behaviors will benefit his / her social interactions, and help them be happier individual , seems so simple, and so brilliant.