During “First Steps” parents are working on parent objectives.  Parents need time and practice to develop the awareness they will need to effectively guide their child.  This learning is mostly experiential in that it is through regular practice that parents begin to develop their own mindfulness in creating those “just right” conditions.  This phase will be the longest for most parents.  Usually 6 months to a year.

The consultant works very closely and with lots of support during this phase to help parents feel successful in their efforts. 

• • Learning RDI is like learning a foreign language.  The more you immerse yourself the more efficient you will be. 
  • In the beginning it feels awkward.  But don’t worry, your consultant will guide you and use lots of modeling as well as give you video examples.
  • Planning and getting good video capture of engagements takes time.  Also, editing video to isolate those key moments will become a developed skill.
  • When analyzing your video data you will learn our “RDI vocabulary” and begin to see the guiding relationship unfold.
  • Somewhere between this phase and “lifestyling”, child objectives are introduced.