The relationship development assessment - research version: preliminary validation of a clinical tool and coding schemes to measure parent-child interaction in autism.

The aim of this project was to replicate and extend findings from two recent studies on parent-child relatedness in autism (Beurkens, Hobson, & Hobson, 2013; Hobson, Tarver, Beurkens, & Hobson, 2013, under review) by adapting an observational assessment and coding schemes of parent-child relatedness for the clinical context and examining their validity and reliability. The coding schemes focussed on three aspects of relatedness: joint attentional focus (Adamson, Bakeman, & Deckner, 2004), the capacity to co-regulate an interaction and the capacity to share emotional experiences. The participants were 40 children (20 with autism, 20 without autism) aged 6-14, and their parents.

Empowering families through Relationship Development Intervention: an important part of the biopsychosocial management of autism spectrum disorders.

Background: Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) is a program designed to empower and guide parents of children, adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and similar developmental disorders to function as facilitators for their children's mental development. RDI teaches parents to play an important role in improving critical emotional, social, and metacognitive abilities through carefully graduated, guided interaction in daily activities.

Methods: The paper reviews RDI's theoretical underpinnings, current methodology and preliminary research results.

Evaluation of the relationship development intervention program.

This study is the second in a series evaluating the effectiveness of Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) to address unique deficits inherent in autism spectrum disorders. RDI is a parent-based, cognitive-developmental approach, in which primary caregivers are trained to provide daily opportunities for successful functioning in increasingly challenging dynamic systems. This study reviewed the progress of 16 children who participated in RDI between 2000 and 2005.

Quality of Life for People with Autism: Raising the Standard for Evaluating Successful Outcomes.

Quality of Life (QoL) is a critical measure of treatment outcome for people with mental and physical health concerns. However, little research has been conducted toward evaluating outcomes in autism by utilizing real-world measures, such as employability, self-sufficiency, and social support to gauge treatment success, despite longitudinal research that indicates poor outcomes for people with autism. Utilizing QoL indicators as the standard for developing treatments and evaluating outcomes in autism is advantageous.