From Alison: Have you ever eaten Dragon soup?
Jordan loves Carrot soup and if he got to choose the lunch menu, we would have Carrot soup every day, I want him to eat a variety of foods, here's what I did to persuade him to try Spicy parsnip soup.
Introducing our children to a variety of foods can be a battle ground for all parents, but it needn't be for us Son Rise parents as Son Rise teaches us another way to introduce food to our children - you make it fun. So first, I checked in with my attitude, how did I feel about introducing the spicy parsnip soup to Jordan? I like this soup so I knew that it was good to eat, I knew it was healthy for him, so I was comfortable that I wasn't trying to poison him. So this felt nice to do. So, my next question was, how attached was I to the soup actually passing his lips and making it all the way down? This has often been the place where I have undermined my effort - being too attached to the outcoming, but today I felt relaxed. So what to do, I considered bribing him with a jam tart, if you eat this delicious soup then you can have a jam tart, but actually Jordan would have heard if she needs to bribe me then the soup must be really nasty. Then I realised that actually this would be a technique used in an ABA program - give the child the soup and then reinforce their eating it with a jam tart. So as I have no intention of doing ABA with Jordan I decided to do it differently. With Son Rise we make everything as much fun as possible so that we can be good news for our children - my relationship with Jordan is far more important than whether he eats the soup or not. So enter left stage two steaming bowls of dragon soup, did you know that when you eat dragon soup your mouth gets so hot you can actually breathe fire? So Jordan says he doesn't like the soup, but I tuck in and then with all 3 E's firing on all cylinders I let out a mighty roar and breathe fire all around the room, Jordan roars with laughter, picks up his spoon and starts to eat, before long we are both fire breathing, scaly, giant slaying, castle guarding dragons - absolutely hilarious! Soon I have finished my soup and Jordan still has half a bowlful left, so I become an evil ogre who uses a drink straw to blow cold air over the dragon to put out his fire. Jordan doesn't want his fire put out, so he is now eating the soup as fast as he can to keep his fire strong. So much fun and guess what - Jordan likes Dragon soup!!! Read more!
Introducing our children to a variety of foods can be a battle ground for all parents, but it needn't be for us Son Rise parents as Son Rise teaches us another way to introduce food to our children - you make it fun. So first, I checked in with my attitude, how did I feel about introducing the spicy parsnip soup to Jordan? I like this soup so I knew that it was good to eat, I knew it was healthy for him, so I was comfortable that I wasn't trying to poison him. So this felt nice to do. So, my next question was, how attached was I to the soup actually passing his lips and making it all the way down? This has often been the place where I have undermined my effort - being too attached to the outcoming, but today I felt relaxed. So what to do, I considered bribing him with a jam tart, if you eat this delicious soup then you can have a jam tart, but actually Jordan would have heard if she needs to bribe me then the soup must be really nasty. Then I realised that actually this would be a technique used in an ABA program - give the child the soup and then reinforce their eating it with a jam tart. So as I have no intention of doing ABA with Jordan I decided to do it differently. With Son Rise we make everything as much fun as possible so that we can be good news for our children - my relationship with Jordan is far more important than whether he eats the soup or not. So enter left stage two steaming bowls of dragon soup, did you know that when you eat dragon soup your mouth gets so hot you can actually breathe fire? So Jordan says he doesn't like the soup, but I tuck in and then with all 3 E's firing on all cylinders I let out a mighty roar and breathe fire all around the room, Jordan roars with laughter, picks up his spoon and starts to eat, before long we are both fire breathing, scaly, giant slaying, castle guarding dragons - absolutely hilarious! Soon I have finished my soup and Jordan still has half a bowlful left, so I become an evil ogre who uses a drink straw to blow cold air over the dragon to put out his fire. Jordan doesn't want his fire put out, so he is now eating the soup as fast as he can to keep his fire strong. So much fun and guess what - Jordan likes Dragon soup!!! Read more!
posted by Alison Taylor at
5:53 AM
0 Comments
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
From Toni: I Bought It
From Toni: I was just thinking about the first time a Special Education teacher sat down with me solemnly and said the word "Autism"almost 5 years ago. I will never forget the bottom of my world falling out and feeling completely defeated. I was completely at the mercy of others to tell me what was coming around the next corner for me and my family and of course my son. I rememeber watching Zac play through my blurred vision as tears poured down my cheeks in utter defeat... How could I have let this happen? Suddenly I "lost" all knowledge of how to be with my son, simply because someone else, who obviously is more educated and experienced with Autism than I, was describing to me how very little I actually knew about my own child. I went home that day and everything looked the same on the surface, but I was an utter mess. Who is this child that I brought home with me and how do I be with him?
I look back now with a smile and think to myself, "Wow, I really bought that!" Haha
I infact bought into the idea that I didn't know my child or what was best for him SO MUCH SO that in a matter of a few moments I had transformed myself from a loving mother doing the best I can for an obviously very different little boy, to a frightened fragile woman that was locked in a cage with a complete stranger that would become violent and unpredictable. Isn't it interesting that from that very point Zac became a stranger to me that was unpredictable and violent? All because I bought into a belief, or a personal opinion that was made by someone that had observed my kid for an hour.
Today I am a smart shopper :)
Today I know that I do, in fact, KNOW BEST what my child needs.
After attending Son-Rise Program Start-Up at the Autism Treatment Center of America, I discovered new HOPE for a child that I had lost all hope for. I believed in him and suddenly I realized that on that day at school the only thing that changed in my world was ME! Since then I have grown to trust, love and respect myself enough that my son notices my world so much more now... Who wants to gravitate towards 'Gloom and Doom Land' when you have lights and music all around you?? What an absolute blessing this life indeed can be! All for the same reasons that I created misery, I now see beauty. Read more!
I look back now with a smile and think to myself, "Wow, I really bought that!" Haha
I infact bought into the idea that I didn't know my child or what was best for him SO MUCH SO that in a matter of a few moments I had transformed myself from a loving mother doing the best I can for an obviously very different little boy, to a frightened fragile woman that was locked in a cage with a complete stranger that would become violent and unpredictable. Isn't it interesting that from that very point Zac became a stranger to me that was unpredictable and violent? All because I bought into a belief, or a personal opinion that was made by someone that had observed my kid for an hour.
Today I am a smart shopper :)
Today I know that I do, in fact, KNOW BEST what my child needs.
After attending Son-Rise Program Start-Up at the Autism Treatment Center of America, I discovered new HOPE for a child that I had lost all hope for. I believed in him and suddenly I realized that on that day at school the only thing that changed in my world was ME! Since then I have grown to trust, love and respect myself enough that my son notices my world so much more now... Who wants to gravitate towards 'Gloom and Doom Land' when you have lights and music all around you?? What an absolute blessing this life indeed can be! All for the same reasons that I created misery, I now see beauty. Read more!
posted by Toni Wisher at
8:03 PM
2 Comments
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
From Kate Wilde:Dietary Interventions
Hello everyone!
There is so much great information about dietary interventions for Autism on the web.
The link below will take you to a page were the most recent and common dietary interventions are listed and described in an easy and informative way.
http://www.nourishinghope.com/page.php?f=u
For those of you who have yet to explore dietary interventions for your children, this page is a great starting point. Here at the Autism Treatment Center of America, we feel that it is not only important to create a non distracting external environment for our autistic children, but also to nourish their internal environment .
What our children eat matters!
Food effects how our body and brain develop and function, thus effecting how able we are to focus and interact with the world around us.
Enjoy finding out about how you can help your child through diet.
love to you and your lovely children.
Kate
There is so much great information about dietary interventions for Autism on the web.
The link below will take you to a page were the most recent and common dietary interventions are listed and described in an easy and informative way.
http://www.nourishinghope.com/page.php?f=u
For those of you who have yet to explore dietary interventions for your children, this page is a great starting point. Here at the Autism Treatment Center of America, we feel that it is not only important to create a non distracting external environment for our autistic children, but also to nourish their internal environment .
What our children eat matters!
Food effects how our body and brain develop and function, thus effecting how able we are to focus and interact with the world around us.
Enjoy finding out about how you can help your child through diet.
love to you and your lovely children.
Kate
Labels: Diet, Kate, Son-Rise Program
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posted by Kate Wilde at
8:19 AM
0 Comments
Monday, February 1, 2010
Joining: ABA vs. Son-Rise Program
If you missed our fabulous new ABA vs. Son-Rise Program video about the concept of joining, check it out on Youtube. The video has already created quite a stir! Please feel free to add your comments to the mix in the Youtube comments section. This is the premier video of a fun series. Stay tuned for the next installment, coming soon. Enjoy!!!
Read more!
posted by Administrator at
7:28 AM
1 Comments
From Kate Wilde:Imagination Play
Often times our children on the autism spectrum do not seem to understand the concept of imagination. Favouring more concrete play, or sensory based play such as rides, swings and rough and tumble. Here at the Autism Treatment Center of America we believe in creating interactions around what our children are already interested in, going with our children's motivations. So if they are already interested in books, then we create games around books. If our children are seeking sensory based games such as swings, then, when our children initiate play with us, by looking at us or talking to us we would then offer a swing game.
How do we then introduce the concept of imagination games to children who are not at this moment showing a clear motivation for it?
1.By beginning to model it ourselves.
2.By marring it to our children's current motivation.
What does that look like?
If your child interacts mainly by your giving them a ride or a swing, then you could marry imagination into that game. By swinging them, and as you put them down after a swing, you could say something like:
"You have landed in a big pool of water, splash." Or you could say, "Now you are landing in space", and then you act as if you are in space without any gravity." Or you could say, " I am going to swing you into the land of soft animals", and get down all the stuffed animals.
In this case you are not asking anything of your child, you are just adding an imaginary component to the play your child already interacts with.
If your child is motivated by books, when your child looks at you or shows interest in you, you could begin to dress up as the characters from the book. You could act out a scene from the book that they are enjoying.
Modeling what imaginative play looks like is the first step to exposing it to our children, and thus helping them digest it and learn about it.
Have a great week with your lovely children.
Love Kate
How do we then introduce the concept of imagination games to children who are not at this moment showing a clear motivation for it?
1.By beginning to model it ourselves.
2.By marring it to our children's current motivation.
What does that look like?
If your child interacts mainly by your giving them a ride or a swing, then you could marry imagination into that game. By swinging them, and as you put them down after a swing, you could say something like:
"You have landed in a big pool of water, splash." Or you could say, "Now you are landing in space", and then you act as if you are in space without any gravity." Or you could say, " I am going to swing you into the land of soft animals", and get down all the stuffed animals.
In this case you are not asking anything of your child, you are just adding an imaginary component to the play your child already interacts with.
If your child is motivated by books, when your child looks at you or shows interest in you, you could begin to dress up as the characters from the book. You could act out a scene from the book that they are enjoying.
Modeling what imaginative play looks like is the first step to exposing it to our children, and thus helping them digest it and learn about it.
Have a great week with your lovely children.
Love Kate
Labels: Creativity, Fun, Games, Kate, Son-Rise Program
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posted by Kate Wilde at
6:15 AM
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
From Raetyty: Gratitude, Attitude, and Studentship
From Raetyty: Oh my.....the opportunities to be grateful are everywhere! This last month has been a tough month for me. My daughter, Tyler, has been screaming out (as told in previous post) and crying and I dont know what's wrong. She is changing alot it seems. Wanting things in different spots, wanting people in her Son-Rise Program® to leave, wanting me to not be in the playroom, and so on. When she points me out of the room, I decide ATTITUDE! i stay comfortable and let her know we're only going to do what she wants to do. She allows me to stay in the room :) GRATEFUL! I have, on the other hand, found myself outside of the playroom feeling the pressures of not knowing what to do and am i doing the right thing. what should i do? and what do you know - FEAR becomes my focus - ugh! I feel like i could have a heart attack and die any day. BUT, in jumps STUDENTSHIP! I go toward my fear and work through it the best i can. GRATEFUL! I want so much for Tyler that I have committed to being a student at all times. I send a message out to my Son-Rise Wide Awake team for help and suggestions to further my studentship on making Tyler's team a better team and re-enforcing my wants with Tyler's Son-Rise Program®. And guess what came screaming out to me - ATTITUDE! Of course, I knew that......hmmmm why am i not putting that first? Great question to myself! But again, I am GRATEFUL to my Son-Rise Wide Awake team for furthering my STUDENTSHIP!
With much much LOVE and GRATITUDE, Rae
p.s. i have posted under Jamie, Jamie Rae.....but i like Rae :) i'll stick to that one Read more!
With much much LOVE and GRATITUDE, Rae
p.s. i have posted under Jamie, Jamie Rae.....but i like Rae :) i'll stick to that one Read more!
posted by raetyty at
9:19 AM
0 Comments
From Alison:Choosing a therapy for my son Jordan ABA or Son Rise
I have been watching the video clip of Raun K Kaufman and Scott Fraize and seeing the subsequent discussion on Son Rise v's ABA appearing on Bears facebook wall and the YOUtube forum. Whatever therapy we choose for our child, it is a choice that we take for them, so it is imperative to make it in an informed way. This is my story of how I decided to do Son Rise.
I remember very clearly the day that I took my 2 year old son Jordan to the hospital to find out why he didn't speak or respond to anything I said to him. I thought he was deaf so I was completely shocked when the paediatric team's assessment of him was that he had autism. I drove home completely numb not knowing what to do next because they delivered the bombshell and then sent me on my way with only an information leaflet from the National Autistic Society. Reading this, I found that they said that Jordan might never talk, never have friends, never be potty trained, never have a job, never get married etc. I decided that I didn't want to believe what they said, and so after a while, after I got over the shock, I started to look for ways to help him. I spent nights scouring the internet looking for answers. I found so many options all claiming to help, but clearly I couldn't do all of them, so I had to choose.
So I bought books, I now have a bookcase full of books on autism including one called 'Teaching developmentally disabled children The ME book' by O Ivar Lovaas. This book teaches a method of therapy called Applied Behaviour Analysis - ABA and claimed a high percentage of success using its methods, so I read on....
This is what I read for the first lesson:
page 45 "for certain children learning to sit correctly in a chair is their first learning experience. It can be a very gratifying experience for everyone. Work to get this kind of control before you go on to other programs" The technique for this first lesson is as follows:
"Step 1 choose a chair that is suitable for the child's size. Place the chair directly behind the child.
Step 2 give the child the command sit down and then help the child (push him or otherwise prompt him by physically placing him) in the chair.
Step 3 Reward the child with praise or food when he is seated."
So what happens if the child doesn't stay in the chair that he was pushed into?
"Step 6 If he gets up before you want him to, forcefully (perhaps with aversives) place him back in the seat so that he will become apprehensive about getting out of the chair without your permission to do so"
It was clear to me that no matter how successful this therapy was, that I didn't want it for myself or my child. The end result did not justify the means in my opinion, I was never going to force my son into a chair.
Some of the aversives that the ME book suggests include slapping the child, slapping the table in front of the child, or shouting 'no' which according to pg 51 should sound like 'hells fury'. The picture at the top left of this blog is of my son shortly before he received his diagnosis, I cannot imagine looking into his eyes and doing 'hells fury' for anything let alone just choosing to get out of a chair. I would not want to use these techniques to train a dog let alone my son who was already overwhelmed by his surroundings and lost to me.
The book goes on to describe how behaviours like rocking and hand flapping (which I believe are curative to a child) are to be suppressed during teaching time which is between 6 - 8 hours per day, every day.
I have noticed that many of the websites about ABA kind of skirt over these issues and emphasize all the things that can be taught using ABA, but make no mistake about it, these things are very much a part of the teaching techniques and Lovass writings especially the ME book are recommended reading.
So I chose Son Rise for Jordan because it is loving and respectful, giving meaning and honour to his choices of activity because I believe that they are purposeful and useful to him. Jordan has flourished in his Son Rise Program and is now a very loving affectionate boy who operates daily on a very sophisticated level. So I will continue his Son Rise program until the day when he no longer needs it.
Read more!
posted by Alison Taylor at
8:14 AM
1 Comments
Friday, January 29, 2010
Velro Hoop
From kate Wilde: A great idea for your Son-Rise Program Playrooms.
To see this fun build idea presented by our talented Son-Rise Program child facilitator Jack Goodall, just click on the video below, or if you are on face book right now, click on the title of this blog, then on "view original blog" then on the video itself.
Love to you all
Kate
To see this fun build idea presented by our talented Son-Rise Program child facilitator Jack Goodall, just click on the video below, or if you are on face book right now, click on the title of this blog, then on "view original blog" then on the video itself.
Love to you all
Kate
Labels: Creativity, Fun, Games, Jack, Kate, Son-Rise Program
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posted by Kate Wilde at
8:02 AM
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Day Four: Live from the UK Son-Rise Program Start-Up
From William Hogan: It was so wonderful and beautiful to see the participants faces today during our afternoon class. They were animated and bright eyed as they practiced explaining what they had learned already this week so they could be prepared to share it with their family and friends and other teachers and professionals. I was struck by how much more relaxed and self confident, and energetic they seemed now. I remembered their faces Monday morning - tight, tired, sad, and weary...what a difference now!
I feel very fortunate that this is my life, that I get to do this. I get to help people. I do my best to help them with something that I feel so strongly about, that I've done myself, that I've used with my child. I feel that I am really and truly giving them something. I feel lucky in this life to be able to give them The Son-Rise Program.
With best wishes and smiles,
William Read more!
I feel very fortunate that this is my life, that I get to do this. I get to help people. I do my best to help them with something that I feel so strongly about, that I've done myself, that I've used with my child. I feel that I am really and truly giving them something. I feel lucky in this life to be able to give them The Son-Rise Program.
With best wishes and smiles,
William Read more!
posted by Bryn Hogan, Executive Director, ATCA at
7:15 AM
2 Comments
Day Three: Live from the UK Son-Rise Program Start-Up
From Carolina: There is something magical that happens in the Son-Rise Program Start-Up classroom on Wednesday.. It seems to be the day on which parents begin to passionately express how hopeful they have become for their children. Parents pull us aside before class - not just to share examples of how the techniques are working - but to share their belief that anything is possible for their children. One mom said to me this morning - "I'm so excited about this week - it has been so amazing - but not only because I have so many techniques to help him...I now know that I can accomplish anything through persistence."
Here are just a few of the stories we heard this morning from parents who are seeing the results of believing that anything is possible...
"My son usually communicates by pulling or pushing us with his hands - and we usually respond to this, but last night when he pulled me toward the bubbles, I stopped and asked him, "Do you want the bubbles? Can you say bubbles?" and he said, "bleurghhh" - and I was so excited I gave him a huge celebration. I repeated this throughout the evening and he kept repeating, "bleurghhh" in response. Myself and the whole family continued celebrating him so he kept asking for things to get our celebrations."
"I decided that I was NOT going to feel tired when I went home last night - I wanted to have the 3Es with my son. So I prepared myself on the way home and when I got home, I was able to have more energy than I ever thought I could have after a long day. I joined my son, had the 3Es and over the course of the evening I calculated about 90 minutes of eye contact from him! And then, this morning, as I was leaving to go to class, he said, "mama" spontaneously!"
It is such an incredible experience to watch parents begin to have hope again - and to see the power of that hope. We feel so lucky to be here!
Read more!
Here are just a few of the stories we heard this morning from parents who are seeing the results of believing that anything is possible...
"My son usually communicates by pulling or pushing us with his hands - and we usually respond to this, but last night when he pulled me toward the bubbles, I stopped and asked him, "Do you want the bubbles? Can you say bubbles?" and he said, "bleurghhh" - and I was so excited I gave him a huge celebration. I repeated this throughout the evening and he kept repeating, "bleurghhh" in response. Myself and the whole family continued celebrating him so he kept asking for things to get our celebrations."
"I decided that I was NOT going to feel tired when I went home last night - I wanted to have the 3Es with my son. So I prepared myself on the way home and when I got home, I was able to have more energy than I ever thought I could have after a long day. I joined my son, had the 3Es and over the course of the evening I calculated about 90 minutes of eye contact from him! And then, this morning, as I was leaving to go to class, he said, "mama" spontaneously!"
It is such an incredible experience to watch parents begin to have hope again - and to see the power of that hope. We feel so lucky to be here!
Read more!
posted by Carolina at
5:16 AM
0 Comments
Thursday, January 28, 2010
From Kate Wilde: Breaking News!
From Kate Wilde:I am excited to announce that over the next couple of weeks we will be airing on YouTube some fun and interesting Son-Rise Program commercials. There are 10 in all, and they are spoofs on the Mac verse PC commercials by Apple, only in our case it is The Son-Rise Program verses ABA!
Each one was designed, written and created by the very first Son-Rise Program child, Raun Kaufman.
You have just got to see them! They are hilarious, direct and to the point! We have created them in the hope that they will generate lots of discussion and debate about parent's right to choose the treatment they feel is best for their autistic children, and the differences between The Son-Rise Program and ABA.
Each commercial is only a minute or so long, so spread the word. Send them to friends, family members, professionals who work with your children. Your local MP's or members of congress, everyone you know. Post them on your Facebook wall, help us spread the word across the world.
The link below will take you to the very first one:
YouTube.com/watch?v=N6CWf9H7F8k
Enjoy and pass them on.
With love to you all,
Kate
Each one was designed, written and created by the very first Son-Rise Program child, Raun Kaufman.You have just got to see them! They are hilarious, direct and to the point! We have created them in the hope that they will generate lots of discussion and debate about parent's right to choose the treatment they feel is best for their autistic children, and the differences between The Son-Rise Program and ABA.
Each commercial is only a minute or so long, so spread the word. Send them to friends, family members, professionals who work with your children. Your local MP's or members of congress, everyone you know. Post them on your Facebook wall, help us spread the word across the world.
The link below will take you to the very first one:
YouTube.com/watch?v=N6CWf9H7F8k
Enjoy and pass them on.
With love to you all,
Kate
Labels: Kate, Son-Rise Program
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posted by Kate Wilde at
8:21 AM
1 Comments
From Becky: What is my purpose?
This is a question that has come up in discussions recently when working with wonderful parents and volunteers in The Son-Rise Program.
Is my purpose in the playroom to position for eye contact? To request language? To catch every green light?, to join at the perfect distance?
Or.........
is it to build a loving relationship with my child?, to be as accepting to myself and my child as possible? To be comfortable and present? To relax and have a good time?
The list goes on.........
Sometimes we can get so caught up in the technical side of things that we forget to focus on the attitude.
The very core of the The Son-Rise Program is the attitude! When I am in the attitude and see that as my purpose when working with children and parents, I have unstop able creativity and ideas flowing out of my pores.
Ask yourself, what is my purpose? the next time you go to work with your child. Re-define it for yourself, when you choose to have a purpose that is attitudinal versus technical, the techniques and your creativity will endlessly pore from you because you will be relaxed and present and therefore see what your child is doing with new eyes.
Is my purpose in the playroom to position for eye contact? To request language? To catch every green light?, to join at the perfect distance?
Or.........
is it to build a loving relationship with my child?, to be as accepting to myself and my child as possible? To be comfortable and present? To relax and have a good time?
The list goes on.........
Sometimes we can get so caught up in the technical side of things that we forget to focus on the attitude.
The very core of the The Son-Rise Program is the attitude! When I am in the attitude and see that as my purpose when working with children and parents, I have unstop able creativity and ideas flowing out of my pores.
Ask yourself, what is my purpose? the next time you go to work with your child. Re-define it for yourself, when you choose to have a purpose that is attitudinal versus technical, the techniques and your creativity will endlessly pore from you because you will be relaxed and present and therefore see what your child is doing with new eyes.
Labels: Attitude, Becky, Inspiration, Personal Growth
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posted by Becky Damgaard, Son-Rise Program Child Facilitator at
6:52 AM
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