Develop Common Ground Autism Remediation

About Me



Hi, I’m Kari Ramachandran, founder and RDI®-certified consultant at Develop Common Ground. I live in Austin, Texas, with my husband and son. I formed Develop Common Ground in October 2009 to provide family-based developmental treatment for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). I received my master’s degree in occupational therapy from Texas Women’s University in 2000. Since then I’ve worked with people of all ages with developmental disabilities, from toddlers to community-living adults. Many approaches to the treatment of ASD are available, but none that I found brought about change in the most important areas of function for my clients, such as the ability to make true friends and navigate unpredictable events. Sadly, those interventions didn’t affect the core social and cognitive deficits of ASD. Everything changed when I attended a presentation in Austin by Dr. Steve Gutstein about RDI (Relationship Development Intervention). His method is grounded in common sense and current research. He explained how RDI remediates the core deficits of ASD and builds quality of life by supporting the parent/child relationship. This was the sound treatment approach I had been seeking. I went through the rigorous training process, including 2 years of supervised practice. Since earning my RDI certification, I have been inspired by the profound changes families make using RDI principles. When parents are empowered to guide their child with ASD in reaching developmental milestones, their child makes more progress than anyone thought possible. I have been privileged to work with exceptional parents. Seeing their children grow into socially competent individuals is deeply fulfilling. If you are interested in how RDI can empower you to help your child, I would be happy to speak with you. Together we can bring your loved one the wonderful feeling of having common ground.