Schools Clarification

In my last post I wrote about my two different jobs and that I would be blogging about a variety of things one of which being RDI in relation to schools. After thinking about it for the last week I wanted to offer some clarification to what I meant by that.

First of all, RDI is not a school based intervention. It is not intended to be carried out by school staff with children It is intended to be a family intervention process. This means that the consultant works with families to carry out specific objectives centered around that child's developmental level and the family's needs at the time.

This being said, some of the principles covered in the RDI program are great strategies that can be used in a school system and are really good teaching methods for all students. Some of those strategies include communication style - experience sharing versus manipulative communication, using more non-verbal communication, providing wait time, etc. Other strategies include highlighting emotions, slowing down and simplifying activities, and beginning by teaching new strategies with an adult first and then moving to peers. We can also work on things like developing patterns and routines and then varying those routines to increase flexible thinking and competence as well as understanding the concept of "good enough" thinking.

So, while RDI is not an intervention that is done in schools, many of the concepts of remediation are applicable to the school setting. At times I will be writing about my thoughts or experiences using some of these strategies in the school setting and how it relates to children's performance or abilities. I look forward to blogging about these experiences in the future.

Enjoy your holidays!
Until next week,
Erin