About Kathleen
I am an RDI Program Certified Consultant in Brisbane Queensland, serving families in the Brisbane, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast & Gold Coast areas. I help parents learn to guide their neurologically vulnerable children using the RDI Family Consultation Program, which is a unique, evidence-based training and supervision program. I work one-on-one with parents using the RDI curriculum, meeting regularly in person and I also review the detailed video parents provide, which document the progress in goals for themselves and their child.
After years of experience as an ABA Consultant with families and special education departments, Kathleen has now chosen to devote herself to the developmental side of working with children and families with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
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Having my own child diagnosed with Autism I decided to embark on an intensive ABA home-based intervention programme. It was during this period I realised there was something missing, something not quite right. My son was used to structure and routine, he knew the answers to a lot of rehearsed questions yet if there were any small changes to this structure or routine, he would have a Meltdown. It was at that moment I knew there was a critical piece of the puzzle missing.
RDI is often described as "the missing piece of the puzzle" in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
My warmth, passion and confidence shine through as I have worked alongside some of Queensland’s leading Autism agencies, schools, and kindergartens. I have been and continue to board member and Director for numerous companies and heads Blue Sky Foundation, a Foundation she founded to help families and individuals with a neurogicial disorder
Australian Government Approved Service Provider
Registered Provider for rebates from: FaHCSIA AEI Helping Children with Autism
Member of Connect and Relate for Autism Inc. Australian Government Approved Service Provider:
NDIS & Helping Children with Autism
Website: www.autismdevelopmental.com.au
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) offers treatment programs for individuals and families that face Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental difficulties. It is often described as “the missing piece of the puzzle” in the treatment of ASD because instead of focusing on symptoms, our program works to activate the grow-seeking drive essential to remediating the universal impairments associated with ASD.
RDI® currently serves families across 24 countries world wide with certified consultants working with each family.
RDI® programs teach parents how to guide their child to seek out and succeed in truly reciprocal relationships, while addressing key core issues such as motivation, communication, emotional regulation, episodic memory, rapid attention-shifting, self awareness, appraisal, executive functioning, flexible thinking and creative problem solving.
A Developmental Approach
RDI® is a next generation approach to autism and developmental disability intervention that is based on the latest scientific research into the human brain. All brains, including those of people with developmental disabilities, can adapt and learn to function in a “normal” way because the brain is capable of adapting to any challenge; It just needs the right guidance. However, the brain will only grow and adapt if it is challenged to do so.
It’s Not a "Therapy"
RDI® is a significant departure from traditional ASD interventions, and does not simply seek to mask the condition with scripted conversations or rehearsed behaviors. Our model allows for neuro-cognitive changes to occur over time that provide the individual with the skills needed to navigate life’s challenges on their own. By developing this capacity for dynamic thinking, we open the door to the possibility of a greater quality of life that includes: reciprocal communication, genuine friendships, confident, independent living, prolonged relationships and meaningful employment
Parent-Based
RDI® includes an intensive parent training component designed for both parents’ involvement from the beginning and real life coaching that takes place in the home setting with the whole family. The goal isn’t to turn family members into therapists, but rather to guide them to develop new ways of thinking, perceiving and acting to know how to best use their precious time in facilitating the child’s mental growth. The program embraces the premise that every family member is critical to success. A trained RDI Consultant works with each family to develop an individualized set of objectives that may include simplifying the home environment, slowing down the pace of life, balancing the entire family’s schedule and life outside of a special needs diagnosis. The RDI program believes that making lasting, meaningful and lifelong changes begins at home with the child’s parents first, and that the remediation process should take place amidst each family’s unique culture and relationships.
Downloads Remediating Autism Through Relationship
Brains Change Throughout life!
Third Generation Treatment for Autism
Research The Relation between Severity of Autism and Caregiver-Child Interaction: a Study in the Context of RDI
RDI RESEARCH Preliminary validation of a clinical tool and coding schemes to measure parent-child interaction in autism