Problem adding a JS from http://responsiveslides.com/ to a Theme

Hi there!. I am trying to integrate a slide js script into an index page, with no luck. I do

at start.php plugin's init:
       elgg_register_js('responsiveslides', elgg_get_simplecache_url('cssjs/responsiveslides.js'), 'head');

and then at index.php:
       elgg_load_js('responsiveslides');

which loads the module, but it does so AFTER the call to $ which activates it. This is the bottom of the page:

<script>
  $(function() {
    $(".rslides").responsiveSlides();
  });
</script>
		</div>
	</div>
	<div class="elgg-page-footer">
		<div class="elgg-inner">
			<a href="http://localhost/elgg/" class=""><img src="http://localhost/elgg/mod/ccob/_graphics/footer.png" alt="" width="206" height="45" /></a>
		</div>
	</div>
</div><script>
...
</script><script src="http://localhost/elgg/cache/1503168994/default/jquery.js"></script><script src="http://localhost/elgg/cache/1503168994/default/jquery-ui.js"></script><script src="http://localhost/elgg/cache/1503168994/default/elgg/require_config.js"></script><script src="http://localhost/elgg/cache/1503168994/default/require.js"></script><script src="http://localhost/elgg/cache/1503168994/default/elgg.js"></script><script src="http://localhost/elgg/cache/1503168994/default/cssjs/responsiveslides.js"></script><script>
require([
    "forms/comment/save",
    "elgg/reportedcontent"
]);
</script>
	</body>

I get the error:

ReferenceError: $ is not defined
<anonymous>
 elgg:104
 elgg

 

How can I get the links to appear at the head of the page?

Thank you.