The following is a chart that outlines abilities of theory of mind ( dynamic) compared to static abilities ( skills).  You Will see that the Static column, our kids generally do well.  The Dynamic column they struggle with.  Life is Dynamic!  We need to make sure our kids can have the intelligence in that Dynamic column for them to live a quality of life that we desire for them.  We want them to be able to get married ( If they want too), have meaningful employment, etc etc.

AREA	STATIC INTELLIGENCE (Static Abilities)	DYNAMIC INTELLIGENCE (Dynamic Disabilities)
Thinking and Problem Solving (Cognition)	Associative Black & White Detail Analysis Parts – to – whole Procedural Rule-based thinking	Alternative thinking Critical thinking Good enough thinking Grey area thinking (fuzzy logic) Hypothetical (“what if”) Improvisational thinking Reflection Simultaneous processing
Social & Communication	Desire Language Questioning Requesting Responding Scripting Social Rules	Collaborating Co-creating Empathizing Multi-Channel communication Perspective taking Regulating & Repairing
Self	Compliance Self-description Self-recognition Needs Desires Preferences	Emotional regulation Goal-setting Planning, preparing, previewing Self-efficacy, resilience Self-evaluating Troubleshooting

RDI is a developmental model for remediation of the core deficits of Autism.  These milestones are very fundamental to a childs developmental growth, and without them in place, the child cannot progress through the rest of the developmental stages. The result is, for example, my child who was 8 years old and having the referencing ability or emotion sharing skills of a child less then 2 years old. When you look at a typical infant, you see that Dance of emotional connection. The ability to regulate with another person. When a baby is a newborn, their communication is instrumental in purpose...they are wet, hungry, tired...and they want us to meet their need. As they grow, that first smile, the laugh at a funny face, they are communicating NOT for just getting their needs met, but they are emotionally communicating. This is where RDI has found that most of the children on the spectrum have diverted off the typical track of development. Their communication remains instrumental...juice please, Im hungry, etc. I say all this because this is where RDI begins.