Breaking Through Autism
Written by Raun K. Kaufman Reprinted from The International Autism Research Organization Newsletter, US
My Experience With Autism
It is estimated that there are 518,500 children and adults, or 1 in 110 people, affected by Autism and related disorders in the U.K. alone. Autism is the third most prevalent developmental disorder in the world. Unfortunately, most parents of children receiving such a diagnosis are told that their child’s condition is an irreversible, lifelong affliction, leaving many parents devastated, with little or no hope for their children’s future improvement or recovery. More than 25 years ago, my parents, too, had a child with this diagnosis: me. At 18 months, I was diagnosed as severely autistic, with a tested I.Q. of less than 30. Completely mute and withdrawn from human contact, I would spend my days endlessly engaged in repetitive behaviors such as spinning plates, rocking back and forth, and flapping my hands in front of my face. I didn’t want to be touched, I never looked at other people, and I did not give the slightest response to the calls and requests of the people around me. I was “in my own world.”The Prognosis
My parents were told to expect no change in my development. It was explained that I would never speak, never have friends, never go to school, never learn to communicate with others in any meaningful way. My condition, it was said, was incurable, unchangeable, and “hopeless.” The professionals recommended eventual institutionalization. With no support or help, my parents decided to make a complete departure from traditional methods of “treatment.” They designed and implemented an innovative and groundbreaking program that was both home-based and child-centered. They called it The Son-Rise Program®.Recovery Using The Son‑Rise Program
After working with me for over three years, my parents achieved what the experts had deemed “impossible.” Their Son-Rise Program enabled me to recover completely from my autism without any trace of my former condition. I graduated with honors from high school, went on to earn a degree in Biomedical Ethics from an Ivy League university (Brown University), and then directed an educational center for school-aged children. I now lecture internationally at conferences, symposia, and universities, as well as being an author, teacher, and the Director of Global Education for The Son-Rise Program at the Autism Treatment Center of America®.
Thankfully, parents today do not have to face the lack of help and support that my parents faced, nor do they have to settle for a prognosis of hopelessness. After my recovery, my father, Barry Neil Kaufman, wrote a book relating our story entitled Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues (later the subject of an NBC television movie). In 1983, my parents founded what is now known as the Autism Treatment Center of America. This center is dedicated to helping parents and professionals caring for children with autism, PDD, autism spectrum disorders, and other related developmental challenges. At our center, located in Sheffield, Massachusetts, we teach a system of treatment and education designed to help families and caregivers enable their children to dramatically improve in all areas of learning, development, communication, and skill acquisition. We have worked with thousands of people from across the globe, and achieved results that have changed the face of autism and other developmental disorders worldwide.