Testimonials

Youths and Young Adults:

Since I was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, RDI has been a part of my life. I do not remember much from when I was younger but I do remember always being engaged in the activities that I got to do at her really big house, from playing with bean bags to drawing things together with my mum. I graduated from the RDI programme when I was 9. I would go on to lead a pretty typical life, studying in a neurotypical school, completing the IB programme and completing 2 years of military service and now completing my penultimate year of study in NTU’s psychology programme 21 years later.

When I was in secondary school, I would come back to Genevieve’s place over the holidays as a volunteer. I was able to see what RDI looked like in adolescents. I watched as the youths saw movies, Genevieve highlighted key scenes and helped them to understand non-verbal, emotional aspects of the on-screen interactions. I then watched as they applied what they learnt through role-plays and reflecting on their own experiences with social interactions. Through intentional guidance and reflection, the youths grew in self-awareness and renewed sense of confidence in everyday situations. Many years later, I reconnected with 2 youths who graduated from the RDI programme and found out they were doing well - with one enrolled in university and the other serving the nation as a medic. My brother is also under the RDI programme. I have helped by being his conversation partner for his dyadic conversation video recordings. Over the years, I have seen how he has become more aware of non-verbal body language and has grown in his boldness to step out of his comfort zone to interact with others.

For anyone considering RDI, I cannot emphasize enough how impactful this journey can be. It goes beyond skills or strategies—it cultivates a mindset of growth, resilience, and meaningful engagement. The experience has changed the way myself and others I have observed to perceive challenges, empowering us to see them as opportunities rather than obstacles.

Josh  (Graduate of the RDI® Programme)

Aunty Gen has been really helpful, and she has taught me to improve my social skills and be more observant to subtle social cues, as well as to improve my observation skills of people in public. In short, her programme has imparted me with the skills and confidence to interact with others and make new friends.      

JX (Graduate of the RDI® Programme)

I entered children’s partnerships’ programme when I was in primary 5 and remained in their programme until secondary 2. My time in children’s partnership taught me the importance and methodology to control my emotions and improve my social skills, which has served me well, both in my schooling as well as in daily life. Whenever I face challenging situations, I am able to call upon the techniques I learned under the guidance of Aunt Gen and the team at children’s partnership to aid me in seeing the challenges through.

Staying on as a volunteer has been an enriching experience for me, in learning how to be a mentor figure who provides guidance to others, gaining skillsets in preparing events such as camps for the children and youth, and learning from the mentees.

Dominic (Graduate of the RDI® Programme)

Hi, My name is Ryan. I’ve been mentored and guided by Auntie Gen for 4 years from 2018 - 2022 and it was bittersweet as I completed my O levels and went to junior college shortly after I graduated under her close supervision.

My parents noticed that I still had trouble reading social cues and expressing myself while I enrolled in a mainstream primary school. I initially did not want to redo social therapy as by then, I had already made good friends in secondary school and was somewhat able to converse normally with my classmates. However, my parents insisted and soon met Aunty Gen for the first time in 2018.

In almost every step, she was always there to guide and teach me with compassion. Slowly but surely, my social foundation began to build up again despite my initial doubts. She first taught me to be first aware of myself. How to express my feelings and thoughts in words. Only then I was finally able to progress forward and begin to understand others.

The learning process was extremely fulfilling and enriching. I was able to practice what I have learnt not only with Aunty Gen but with others. She would patiently guide me through my mistakes and constant shortcomings I had with social cues. I felt that i was relearning everything from square one

Eventually, I had the confidence to apply what I have learnt outside under her close supervision. It was a struggle to understand non verbal cues and it felt like I failed over and over again. However, slowly but surely, I began to see past words and started to pick up non verbal cues more effectively. This took way longer than I anticipated, but it would leave me with something that would change the rest of my social life for the better forever.

I am truly grateful to the guidance from Aunty Gen, and I would recommend anyone who needs help to her.

Ryan (Graduate of the RDI® Programme)

Aunty Gen, she was nurturing and so patient.  She made each session a safe space to be in.

John (Graduate of the RDI Programme)

Auntie Gen is a great psychologist, having allowed me the privilege to undergo many years of therapy under her. I still remember back in my younger days, where I would be obsessed with toys and jumping on the trampoline non-stop. Over the years, I started to be less picky and being more independent as a person. Today, I still exhibit some symptoms of ASD but can function normally like anyone else in most areas of life.

I’m now undergoing social therapy, in a group setting. I really struggle with talking to people and often get into misunderstandings. I learnt from Aunty Gen many calming down strategies, mental exercises and made progress in pushing out of my comfort zone. It was from this that I’m now able to initiate conversations with people and ensure that the other party listens. During the recent Chinese New Year gatherings, I was able to be more comfortable in listening to conversations and participating actively in them.

Another skill that I learnt from Aunty Gen was to own my mistakes. Previously, I would usually blame myself or others where something goes wrong. She taught me to study different perspectives of the problem, and to be open-minded about them. This makes it more difficult to easily blame others. As a result, I became more responsible for my own mistakes.

I greatly appreciate having her as my psychologist.

Jo

Parents:

Genevieve was our first, and only, Educational Psychologist that worked with my 3 boys since my first boy was diagnosed with autism in 2004.   We have been so blessed to have her supporting our family since 2004 till now, and never had to look elsewhere.  Throughout the difficult years of struggling with each boy, she has never stinged on her time and efforts to guide and encourage the family.

When we started the RDI journey with her 10 years ago, it was so challenging changing our lifestyle and even the way we speak.  But Genevieve was always patient and  encouraging. teaching us how to be a better guide for our children.  While learning the RDI approach, we have learnt the importance to slow down, to appreciate the different strengths and struggles each child goes through, and to enjoy that open channel of communication the RDI lifestyle has set the foundation for, even to this day.

All our boys benefited tremendously from the program. Not only did they learn to overcome their fears as we worked on scaffolding their challenges step by step, they also learnt to self regulate and make deeper reflections and connections with people.  With every child Genevieve is extremely sharp in her diagnosis and assessment, and her advice has always been spot on in the best interests for each child.  She has always been a consistent and reliable source of help at every juncture of our children’s lives whether for the RDI program or when they go through difficult times.

We are truly blessed to have Genevieve partner us on the journey.

Lee Family 

Aunty Gen, as she is fondly referred to in our household, has been instrumental in guiding John and I through the entire RDI process.  She was always patient, understanding and extremely experienced.  It is because of her experience and knowledge that we were able to make so much progress.  I feel that RDI is one of most effective therapies for those on the spectrum, together with the right psychologist, you will be able to see your child on the spectrum make so much progress.  Aunty Gen was able to guide us through meeting each objective, and the progress was so significant that even parents of John's friends would come and tell me how much better he was interacting with them. 

Jacklyn

We have had the privilege of working with Genevieve as our RDI consultant for the past six years, and we are excited to continue our journey under her expert guidance. Throughout our collaboration, she has consistently provided invaluable feedback, offering practical examples, demonstrations, and well-defined objectives that have been instrumental in supporting our daughter’s social and emotional development. Thanks to Genevieve’s expertise and the RDI program, our daughter has made remarkable progress.

As one of the leading and most experienced RDI consultants in Asia, we are glad that Genevieve has been chosen to serve as the Trainer for professional RDI training in Southeast Asia this year. We have no doubt that the new Consultants in Training will benefit greatly from her profound knowledge, extensive experience, and exceptional mentorship.

Alice and Vincent

We consulted Gen for RDI to hone the social skills of our son. We want him to be independent in life,  have friends and hold a job, that is, being able to survive socially. Reading of social cues and taking perspective was tough for him, similar to others who are under the spectrum. Through Gen s professional guidance, patience and encouragement, weekly practices and videos are recorded and reviewed. It was sheer hard work but each little improvement spurred us on. After a few years, we finally graduated from the program. We are extremely grateful to Gen for helping our kid achieve this milestone.  We hope that other parents will also try RDI to improve the lives of their special kids. If we can do it, so can they!

May

Nicole, my daughter with ASD, has flourished under Genevieve's guidance through the RDI programme. She has benefited greatly from Gen's dedicated & professional guidance in the last 18 years and is now in her final year of her undergraduate study in Information Technology. Gen is not only a highly professional and competent RDI Consultant but also an effective trainer. I'm confident that she will effectively impart her skills & knowledge to those who would like to be certified as a professional RDI therapist. Thank you Gen!

Valerie

I have known Genevieve Chua since 2004 when my elder daughter was diagnosed with ASD and developmental delay at a local hospital. Since then, I have worked closely with Genevieve on various intervention programs to help my child. Genevieve is different from many therapists; I can feel that she is genuinely dedicated to finding ways to help children with special needs. I can see the passion in her work!

In 2005, when I learned that she was leaving the hospital to set up her own consulting firm, I immediately approached her to find out more about RDI. The RDI program has benefitted not only my elder daughter but also my younger son, who is also on the spectrum! I noticed that my son's behaviour was not on the right track when he was in preschool. I informed Genevieve, and after conducting an assessment, she confirmed that he was also diagnosed with mild ASD.

I would say that the RDI program is amazing, especially with Genevieve's guidance and patience. My son has improved so much that he is now in Secondary 4 and taking his O Levels this year. He is handling school and friendships very well!

I strongly recommend Genevieve to anyone seeking help for their special needs children. She is the first consultant I think of when friends or relatives seek advice.

All the best to Genevieve! I hope she can continue to serve the community as long as possible, as I believe we need someone like her in our community!

Helen

I like to share our testimony as parents of our special needs son’s journey from 3-years old till now as 21-years old young adult.

Genevieve is knowledgeable in the field as behavioral and psychological therapist; understanding the social, Interactive and physical needs  of my son.

My son treat Genevieve as a friend and therapist. Recognizes my son’s learning needs, she customizes developmental program allowing him to acquire the necessary social and emotional skill to interact with people. For example, verbal and non-verbal communication, regulation of his emotional and anxiety.

In the RDI therapy, the journey is not just a classroom therapist session but a joint journey with us as a parent and bringing what we’ve learnt home to practice.

There’s also parent group support and discussion. Allowing we as parents to share what we’ve learnt, our struggles, experience as parents and also caregivers. All these are beneficial as we all journey not alone but as a community supporting each other.

Kevin

RDI was one of the therapies that we chanced upon when Megan was about 3 years old. A random YouTube video where we saw guided coaching by a mother with her child was so unlike mainstream therapies at that time. We knew instantly that RDI was the missing piece that my daughter needed.

We had never looked back since. I remember the first session we had where Megan and I held hands and I was instructed to wait until she looked me in the eye and then we crashed into a beanbag in sync. This was followed by peals of laughter and pure joy in her eyes…something I had never seen in any of those three years of her growing up. I was sold. Till today, this memory brings tears and a heart full of gratitude. I cannot imagine how her life would have turned out if she had never learnt to connect at the heart and mind like she did through RDI. The sessions were curated carefully after observing her progress with each objective and we started to see her grow and then blossom into a lady who could read our minds, take initiative, plan her own growth and progression in life.

Of course, she is by no means perfect and still has lots of room to grow, but RDI has given us a way to help her progress bit by bit, whether she is 3 or 30. The trust between us was built over all those years of guidance and provides a strong foundation today for her to come to us when in need. We also feel more competent as guides to help her navigate this world that is constantly changing. We are forever grateful for having met Gen and Sam for their dedication to the children and the wisdom that they impart to us parents. Thank you….

Lorraine (Megan’s Mom)

We feel so fortunate to have Genevieve guiding our family for the past few years. When we first engaged her help, we were at a loss on how to best support our daughter.

Genevieve taught us to understand our child's needs, scaffold her social and emotional learning, and provide the appropriate space and challenge for her to explore and grow in her adaptability, independence, critical thinking and self-confidence.

With her expert guidance, and genuine, nurturing approach, we navigated behavioural challenges and have seen significant progress in our child's development. Today, we are thrilled to say that we share a close and connected relationship with our daughter, and she has also begun to form meaningful friendships - milestones that we could not have imagined achieving just a few years ago, but are now a cherished reality.

We are so grateful for Genevieve's unwavering support and invaluable advice. We highly recommend her to any family seeking a trusted, effective and compassionate RDI consultant.

An RDI® Family

RDI® Consultants and Consultants-In-Training

Hello everyone,

My name is Li Na. I come from China. It's a great honor to share with you my experience of being supervised when I worked as a CIT consultant. During that period, Genevieve was my supervisor. Actually, at the beginning, I was still a little restrained and nervous because we didn't know each other well, and I wasn't very clear about the whole supervision process either. I didn't know what I should do or how to do it well.But after a video conference, I found that she is a very professional, very patient and easy - going supervisor. She was very willing to share her years of experience and guide me in practical operations. So, I began to communicate actively with her.

As my supervisor, Genevieve would clearly define the time frame and specific requirements for each project before it began. Of course, during the process, if I encountered any problems or difficulties, I could communicate with her at any time through WeChat, video calls, etc. She would also provide me with guidance and assistance promptly. Every time after submitting a project report, she would give me feedback promptly and tell me which part was good and which part could be improved further. All of these have provided good references for my current work.Under her supervision, I successfully completed all the CIT projects very smoothly. My practical skills improved rapidly, and I learned many skills for guiding families with RDI, and the families I helped were also very satisfied. Till now, many of my work experiences are derived from the learning during that period.

Actually, my biggest takeaway is that during the entire supervision process, as long as you take the initiative to communicate and act positively, your supervisor will be both your friend and your teacher, offering you the greatest support. Therefore,I am very grateful for Genevieve's guidance and help.

Lastly, I wish everyone all the best.

Thank you!

Li Na

RDI® Program Certified Consultant

感谢我敬爱的Genevieve老师：

在学习RDI的这段旅程中，您总是用最温暖的耐心倾听我的困惑，用专业视角为我剖析实操中每一个需要优化的细节——无论是发现视频中孩子调控能力背后的逻辑，还是指导家长完善他们的反馈，您总能从表象中抽丝剥茧，引导我去思考，如何成为一个合格的RDI顾问，如何帮助家长成为更好的引导者。您那些"为什么"的追问，如同叩击心灵的钥匙，让我逐渐学会站在“指导者”的维度引导新手老师和家长。

虽然现在的我实践仍显青涩，但您示范的“观察-解释-反思”这几个步骤，已深深镌刻在我的工作框架中。每当面对挑战时，您温柔而坚定的鼓励就会在耳畔回响，让我有勇气将理想化的标准化作脚踏实地的尝试。

这不仅是专业技能的传递，更是治愈力量的延续。衷心感谢您用智慧点亮我的成长之路，未来我会带着这份启迪，在特教领域继续温暖前行。

您的学生：郭慧敏

To my beloved teacher Genevieve, 

During my RDI learning journey, you have consistently listened to my confusions with unwavering patience, analyzing every practical detail requiring optimization through your professional lens. Whether decoding the logic behind a child's regulatory abilities in videos or guiding parents to refine their feedback, you always dissect complex scenarios into manageable components, teaching me how to become a qualified RDI consultant and empower parents as competent guides. Your persistent "whys" acted like keys unlocking deeper understanding, training me to mentor novice teachers and parents from an instructor's perspective. 

Though my practice remains green around the edges, the "Observe-Explain-Reflect" framework you demonstrated has become integral to my professional approach. Whenever facing challenges, your gentle yet resolute encouragement echoes in my mind, giving me courage to transform idealized standards into down-to-earth attempts. 

This transcends mere knowledge transfer—it's the continuation of healing power. Thank you for illuminating my growth with wisdom. I will carry this enlightenment forward, advancing with compassion in the special education field. 

With deepest gratitude, 

Huimin Guo

RDI® Program Certified Consultant (China) 

I had the pleasure of attending Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) training with Ms. Genevieve, and I found it to be exceptionally valuable and enriching. Her extensive experience and deep understanding of RDI were evident throughout the course. She presented the material in a way that was both clear and insightful, making even the more complex concepts accessible and practical.

What stood out most was her encouraging and supportive teaching style. She created an open and welcoming learning environment where questions were valued and discussion was encouraged. Her clarity in explaining the principles of RDI, along with real-life examples, made the content practical and applicable.

Ms. Genevieve’s passion for the work and her dedication to empowering others were truly inspiring. I left the training feeling well-equipped and motivated to apply what I had learned. I highly recommend her training to anyone looking to gain a strong foundation in RDI with a skilled and compassionate instructor.

Sherlyn Choong

RDI® Consultant-In-Training (Singapore)