Relationship Development Intervention with Children, Adolescents and Adults

5 Responses to “Relationship Development Intervention with Children, Adolescents and Adults”

1. John Harpur says:

   November 5, 2010 at 11:23 pm

   My overall impression of this book is that is contrived and forced in places. The book is structured nearly a layered develop of progress; essentially progressing the student from the lowest level of competence on through higher levels. One might presume that the authors were stuck for a teaching metaphor and grabbed the apprentice-expert metaphor as scaffolding on which to hang the lessons. The book is stuffed with various lesson plans and tactics for enagaging the AS person’s interest. To be honest, a reasonable quantity of what is here is worthwhile reading and shiny on – once you filter out the esotericism of much of the language.

   But, the book seems to stumble as it tries to fill its 400 odd pages with ‘advanced’ lesson plans. Some of the section titles made me wonder was this a case of Asperger Syndrome meets Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The AS theme moves through Novice, Apprentice, Challenger, Explorer and Partner levels as just one example. There are sublevels within each of these. Finding one’s unique idenitity and place in the environment etc, are major objectives.

   The purpose of a lot of this, for me at least, verged on nearly cultish twaddle. I prefer a reasonable scientific purpose to any behavioural modification programme. But, others may find the book’s approach illuminating and helpful.

   The book emphasises coaching and that the real business of interventions is coaching. My problem with this is that it doesn’t tie coaching into any particular theory – though if you take one of the authors’ RDI courses presumably the theory will be exposed. There is a growing emphasis on putting intervention programmes on some sort of scientific foothold, and it behooves the authors of such programmes to yield the goods on the worth of their offerings. I would urge looking at Succeeding with Interventions for Asperger Syndrome Adolescents for a different approach.

   The latter sections of the book, in my attitude, presume a lot of the AS theme. In particular the use of others to faciliate interaction, learn about emotions and generally mediate social interactions is just not a an simple thing to acomplish with an AS theme. The ‘partner’ that turns up today may not be there tomorrow. So how do you coach an AS teenager to fall back on there own resources?

   The authors state that the book is apposite for use by parents, adolescents and adults, teachers and therapists (not many left out there). Personally I found this to be the most questionable claim of the whole book. How on Earth can it be a manual nourishing the requirements of such different audiences. It is verging on cyncical to suggest it has so much to offer to so many.

   In conclusion, there are aspects of the book that are helpful and other aspects that I found incongrous, if not downright peculiar. If I had a larger budget, I would certainly prefer Kathleen Quill’s book, Do-Watch-Listen-Say even though it is not explicitly aimed at adolescents, and link it with one of the Boystown Teaching Basic Social Skills to Youth as a more convincing pair. It is a private choice, and different people may have different requirements.
   Rating: 2 / 5
2. D. wonnacott says:

   November 6, 2010 at 1:08 am

   HAVING READ THE BOOK AND DONE THE PROGRAM – IT WORKS AND WE ARE ONE HAPPY
   
   FAMILY
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. Busy Parent says:

   November 6, 2010 at 1:51 am

   It is well researched, simple to read, matter-of-fact and possibly revolutionary approach, for helping people on the autism spectrum to engage with others. I highly urge it as a reference book where it can be used to supplement other intervention techniques
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. K. Grelling, PhD says:

   November 6, 2010 at 4:18 am

   In response to one of the reviews below I have to note that this program is in fact based on a very detailed and comprehensive theory. In fact it is more firmly grounded in current thought in developomental psychology and recent research on how social development evolves, than most work in this field. Gutstein looks at both typically and atypically developing kids and doesn’t base his theory only on working with autistic children. This, in my mind is the key flaw of many other approaches in this field (e.g. ABA) which base none of their approaches on how typical kids develop these skills.

   In fact, Gutstein’s theory is among the most coherent in the field and, as everlastingly, the question is whether the resultant interventions really follow from it and work. There is recent (2005) peer reviewed research suggesting some very significant positive outcomes for RDI, but it, like all autism research, has its flaws. Also, I have to agree that, of the two “intervention” books he has written, this one has less meat to it and is less immediately helpful than the one for young children.

   Gutstein’s theory is laid out exceptionally well in another book – “Autism-Aspergers: Solving the Relationship Puzzle” which for some reason Amazon doesn’t carry! I would say that book is an absolute must-read to know this one, or the terms (e.g. master-apprentice) which have a very specific meaning to Gutstein will make no sense to you. For more info I would also suggest going to their wesbite at [...]
   Rating: 4 / 5
5. Tara Marshall says:

   November 6, 2010 at 5:48 am

   But personally disappointing. As a thirty-year-ancient who has been diagnosed with both Asperger’s Syndrome and NLD, I picked this up at an ASA conference expecting to find it immediately helpful. Instead, I took the test at the back (which is calculated for caregivers/administrators, not adults on the spectrum… why can’t they do simple rewrites so we don’t have to?), only to find out that I tested out as to relationally immature for this book, and should refer to the previous one in the run. Which is not compulsory for use with children below 8, and whose activities are decidedly not age apt, nor can I find a way to re-write them enough to make them so. A warning, though: RDI significantly changes the personality of the person who goes through it. In a young child, this may not be noticeable or unwanted, but in an older child or adult, you may wish to question their permission before putting them through this very thorough and forward therapy. As an adult, I am uncomfortable with the changes I saw produced in people who have gone through it, and would not consider it for myself. I like the personality I have, quirks, prickles, and all. Novotni’s book, “What Does Everybody Else Know That I Don’t” was more immediately helpful, as it contained some precise suggestions on things to do or question that did not involve extreme changes in personality or behavior.

   There still exists a major gap in literature on relational development for ADULTS on the spectrum, since even those of us who are “high-functioning” tend to be low-functioning socially. Even as Gutstein’s Solving the Relationship Puzzle, and Gutstein and Sheely’s RDI book I’m now reviewing have shown me what developmental milestones I have yet to thwart, they don’t provide any matter-of-fact solutions for someone my age to start the administer… unless we’re already at an intermediate level I, at least, have failed to achieve.

   The caveat to this is that I guess this and it’s companion book to be more helpful for young children, and have not compulsory reading them to the parents of several children that I work with as a Respite/Habilitative Care Source and to professionals at a school for developmentally disabled children where I work as a Classroom Aide. I have found ways to modify the activities in the first book to be apposite for children up into their early teens, and urge use of this book as a follow-up for those who have mastered the activities in book 1.
   Rating: 3 / 5