Welcome to our website! The Intensive Model for Autism of Generative INstruction Excellence is our heartfelt gift to all families with children who have severe developmental disorders.

My name is Giordana Hrga. I secured my PhD from the University of Western Australia  with a revolutionary dissertation reframing Precision Teaching strategies, originated by Dr. Ogden R. Lindsley (Prof. Emeritus, Kansas University, USA) with a tour de force of data encased in narrative.  I clearly demonstrated that "the child knows best", and defined the standards required to accelerate learning in children with autism spectrum disorders. 

As a mother of an autistic child I wanted my son, Julian, to have a happy and functional life. For a period of time, that was an impossible dream.  In trying to control every aspect of Julian's development, and impose the misplaced values of others of what was right for dealing with autism, our family became more chaotic and dysfunctional on all levels. My older son, Fabian, had a mother who had no time for him. My relationship with my husband disintegrated. My entire life focus revolved around Julian, and my belief that he required all of my time and energy if he was to progress. We became trapped in a cycle of one step forwards, five steps backwards, and I lost my sense of  self in the process.

A family counsellor and dear friend, Carolyn McLean,  once told me, "it is the imagination that creates reality. Create Julian's reality." What I discovered was, Julian would create his own reality, and make it possible for all children with autism to have the opportunity do the same. Through teaching me to give up control, Julian progressed to the point where we now have a family life that is free of the emotional, physical and psychological strain that comes with having children with autism. 

The journey to I.M.A.G.IN.E® was arduous and at times heartbreaking. The greatest obstacle for me, as a parent, was to overcome the negativity I encountered from well-meaning but misinformed professionals. I was repeatedly told that,  I was "an anxious mother", that "boys are often late developers" and that (once Julian was diagnosed with autism) my son could "expect to be institutionalized".  Frankly, I know my own child better than anyone who has spent all of one hour with him and taken it upon themselves to determine his entire future course in life.

My greatest obstacle, as a teacher, was the professional community's insistence on instructional control and their use of terms and procedures based on "words", not actual learning data. According to the experts, if Julian was to progress then I had to impose specific instructional boundaries. I made the costly mistake of believing this. In particular, I was so caught up in trying to make my son "fluent" that I wasted two years of my son's potential development by not seeing the obvious - Julian did "learn" but he was NOT progressing! 

Julian's  learning was restricted by the instructional procedures, and he was wholly deprived of the freedom of choice that should be the goal for all learners. What I was observing by following the so-called "best practice" for teaching children with autism, was robotic, "monkey see, monkey do" behaviour that was simply abhorrent to me. I wanted to communicate with my son. What I was getting was a performing monkey who could only respond on command. 

The simple reality of that outcome forced me to ignore everything that the professional community was saying I should do with Julian, and to pay precise attention to what Julian was actually doing. Julian was a mirror. His learning was a direct reflection of my teaching, and vice versa.  That was our turning point - we changed direction - upwards and onwards!

Consequently, as a matter of principle, I.M.A.G.IN.E® is devoid of the theoretical practices and fads that currently have social validation, but only prove to serve the teacher, NOT the child, such as Discrete Trial Training and Fluency Based Instruction. The nature of such theoretical practices place the teacher in the position of control, so that "the teacher knows best", and denies the child the freedom to navigate their own learning.

I.M.A.G.IN.E® has no theory.  It is firmly grounded in the proven scientific principles of learning and direct observation.  I.M.A.G.IN.E® monitors the child's navigation through the course of their own learning by using the universally standard tools of scientific measurement - it places the child in control of their own learning, so that "the child knows best", and empowers the child to "learn how to learn". I.M.A.G.IN.E® is the eptiome of child-centred learning!

Never underestimate the determination of a mother to meet her child's needs, and the ability of a child to teach you what is right for the child!  This website is a result of that determination. Julian, who is now 16, is independent, socially competent, studying, and playing sport. Most importantly, Julian is free to make his own choices and is able to problem solve. Julian has achieved that impossible dream of a happy and functional life, and so have numerous other children whose parents have dared to I.M.A.G.IN.E®.  

I.M.A.G.IN.E® is Julian's legacy to all the chidlren with autism and developmental disorders who can now reach what may seem unreachable. Without Julian, I could never have developed a system of instructional strategies that at the very least, will double a child's learning for each year of instruction, and at most, may even triple it. Your child IS the key to a happy future for the whole family. 

That path can now be navigated without the hurdles we encountered. I.M.A.G.IN.E® and enjoy!

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