Philosophy
A Refreshing Approach to Autism
When you think of your special child, do you sense that more is possible and desire a way to achieve that?
Do you want to help your child be able to connect deeply with others so that he or she can have fulfilling and positive relationships?
Are you looking for a way to support the unique needs of your entire family due to challenges that may arise from having a special child?
If so, the Son-Rise Program may be a good fit for your family
Key aspects of The Son-Rise Program (SRP):
This home-based program harnesses the powerful love and commitment of parents. Parents are trained to be the directors and key players in their child’s treatment. The unique needs of the entire family are supported, for example, through Option Process Dialogues and attitudinal training. An open-minded attitude of acceptance and empowerment is one of the most powerful ways for parents to help their children.
The SRP focuses on social development to address the core challenges that people with autism face. It is through relationships that other developmental milestones are achieved. Individuals are inspired to develop socially and learn using their interests.
Gratitude is the heart of the Son-Rise Program. Everyone loves to be appreciated, especially individuals with autism. Celebrating people with autism for what they already can do and for each step towards success is an encouraging way to promote self esteem and confidence and help them learn the joys of connecting with others.
Let children lead the way. Individuals with autism find it useful and comforting to engage in repetitive, non-social behaviors such as rocking, flapping, or jumping. Therefore, Son-Rise Program Facilitators do not judge these behaviors as bad or inappropriate and do not stop people from doing them. Instead we join in with them. Joining refers to joyfully doing exactly what an individual is doing while he or she is not being interactive. We jump, we spin, we run back forth or twirl string all while loving the person we are with and embracing the moment. When we join individuals, it makes it easier for them to perceive and connect with us. Joining is an incredible way to bond and so often when people do it, they are pleasantly rewarded with eye contact and big smiles initiated by the person with special needs. It is often while joining individuals with autism that they make their first connections with others. We do not join behaviors that are hurtful or damaging to property.
The Optimal Learning Environment. The Son-Rise Program uses a playroom or focus room (for older children) in the child’s home for one on one facilitation sessions. The world can be very overwhelming to people with sensory processing challenges. In a SRP playroom, people with ASD can learn and focus on socializing more easily because distractions are kept to a minimum. This special room, which can be the child’s bedroom, is a controllable environment set up specifically to maximize communication development and demonstrate the user-friendliness of people. Running a Son-Rise Program and using a playroom also makes it easier to implement complimentary treatments such as biomedical and sensory intervention.
Putting it all together: A Son-Rise Story
Imagine a child named Bobby. He is five years old, doesn’t speak much yet and has autism. He is with his Mom in his playroom. Bobby loves to tap on things. Right now he is tapping on a chair and is looking down at the floor. His Mom is joining him. She is tapping on a chair and looking at the floor just like he is. Tap, tap, tap…this beautiful orchestra goes on for several minutes. Then Bobby looks up at his Mom and smiles. This is a cue that he is ready for interaction. His Mom smiles back at Bobby and says “Thank you for looking at Mommy” and then she sings his favorite song as she taps a rhythm. Bobby keeps looking at her. His Mom moves toward Bobby while singing and tapping on the floor as she gets closer to him. She then begins to tap on Bobby’s feet and he smiles even more. This means Bobby is motivated and it is a perfect time to ask him to participate in the game. Mom pauses the game with excitement and says to Bobby “Say: tap”. She waits while he looks at her. He is quiet. He looks away and whispers ‘Tuh’. Mom is delighted and says “Wonderful talking Bobby!” She taps his feet. Mom does whatever it takes to keep Bobby motivated so that she can give him many opportunities to practice interacting and speaking.
Another Example: Jeannene with Elizabeth
Here I am (on the left) with Elizabeth in her playroom. Elizabeth is 13 years old and has autism. In this clip she shows an extraordinary level of engagement which is not typical for her. More typically, she spends her time lying down and starring off or saying "bye" to people who try to engage with her.
As you can see by her smiles and eye contact, Elizabeth is loving this dancing ribbon game . My 3 E's (energy, excitement and enthusiasm), celebrations and genuine enjoyment help keep this interaction going. Notice that when I pause the game, it encourages more eye contact from Elizabeth without me asking directly for it. In this way, I am working on her challenge with eye contact in a fun and engaging manner.
Listen carefully and you will hear Elizabeth say "I love you"! It doesn't get much better than this!
Interactions like the two examples above happen numerous times through out a typical day using The Son-Rise Program. The advantage of using a playroom is that there are no distractions to get in the way of such beautiful and delicate moments. When using the Son-Rise Program, interactions are always initiated by the person with special needs and carry on for as long as he or she shows interest. These interactions therefore dramatically facilitate development at many levels.