Te amo!

Hola amigos!! This week we have an amazing little boy from Ecuador. I love knowing how all over the world people are going in the playroom at the same time I am. Think of how much love we are creating all across the globe!!! I feel especially blessed because at the moment I get to go in the playroom with my -10 week old daughter (I am 6 1/2 months pregnant.) Every day right before I go in the playroom I always do a little centering exercise for myself and lately I have been including her. I practice a silly face to work on my 3 E's and then I channel in all my love up from the air down to my toes, and I make sure my baby is ready to love it up with me. Then we knock on the door and go in. I really feel that taking that moment to focus my love really jump starts my ability to connect and help these amazing special children see the beauty of my world. Chao!

Assumptions people make about our children.

There are so many assumptions that people make about autistic children.

One is that when an autistic child hits, people assume they're either "aggressive", "frustrated", or "mad".

This week at the Son-Rise Program Intensive, we have a lovely 6-year-old boy with Autism. He's been slapping us - not because he is any of the things I just mentioned - but because it is his way of letting us know he wants to play.

Now that we know this, we have simply been asking him to use his words instead - and he has been telling us words instead of hitting us!

When we don't assume what our children are feeling, but instead look at the circumstances around what they are doing, we learn so much about them and can therefore help them get what they want more effectively

Love to all of you who read this
Kate

Let's hear it for siblings!

This week in The Son-Rise Program Intensive, we are working with a gorgeous little boy and his family from Ecuador. His 12 year old Sister also came with his parents and is extremely dedicated to helping her little Brother.

Last week, we had a 16 year old sibling come too to help her 13 year old Brother. Let's hear it for all the amazing siblings out there for wanting to love and help their special siblings in such a meaningful and powerful way.

Listen, do you want to know a secret?

I have just had an amazing experience. I was working my last session in The Son-Rise Program playroom with a delightful 13 year old boy. The way this lovely boy communicates is in a very deep low voice and very fast. Often you will hear him say clear words in amongst a string of other low and deep sounds if you only listen.

My training in The Son-Rise Program has helped me to listen with new ears. That comes from a deep desire to love and connect with an autistic person.

After joining him solidly for 10 minutes (he was picking hair off his legs and I pretended to pick hair off my legs too), he looked at me, said "I love you" and then walked over to me and gently took both my hands.

At the end of my session I said to him "Goodby Larry, I had an amazing time with you!" to which he replied "Me too, goodbye". It's all there, if you just listen!

Celebrate, Come on Let's Celebrate.

Today, let's take one of the Son-Rise Program Principles we apply every day to our children and apply it to ourselves! How about celebrations? We celebrate our children when they look into our eyes, when they reach out and hold our hands, when they talk to us and interact with us.

When I look at the children in my life, my heart swells with love and appreciation for who they are. What if every time we looked at ourselves in the mirror we did the same towards OURSELVES.

Celebrate yourselves today and bring more sweetness, joy and energy into your lives.

Take it a step further and update your face book status with one strong celebration of who you are today.

Go on I dare you! Let's show the world the power of loving yourself.

I'm Yours

A couple of weeks ago, I shared about my little friend David who I volunteer with and the amazing progress he has been making in his Son-Rise Program.

I often hear him humming and can never quite pick up on what tune it is. I recently found out that he has been humming is this song by Jason Mraz called "I'm Yours" which I absolutely love.

Since I found this out, I have been listening to this song in a whole new light and believe that David chose it for a reason. Here are the lyrics.

Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks, now I'm trying to get back

Before the cool done run out I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and then you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love

Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing
We're just one big family
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm sure
There's no need to complicate, our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

D-d-do do you, but do you, d-d-do
But do you want to come on
Scooch on over closer dear
And I will nibble your ear

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and I laughed

I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

(I won't hesitate)
Open up your mind and see like me
(No more, no more)
Open up your plans and man you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours
(It cannot wait, I'm sure)

So please don't, please don't, please don't
(There's no need to complicate)
There's no need to complicate
(Our time is short)
'Cause our time is short
(This is our fate)
This is, this is, this is our fate
I'm yours

Myths about Autism

I have heard many myths about autism over the years and one of those myths is that people on the Autitm Spectrum don't have a sense of humor.

Click on the title of this post and watch an inspiring video by Marty Murphy. She is hilarious. How can you say that she doesn't have a sense of humor?

One of the things I love about The Son-Rise program is that we keep an open mind and don't buy into those myths. We take each child or adult we work with as an individual with their own unique challenges and talents. Enjoy.

Suspending Disbelief

Suspending your disbelief works not only for when you are watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince but also when working with your autistic child. With Harry Potter we do so to enjoy it to the fullest. We can alos do this with our autistic children and even go a step further by taking on a new belief - that we can help our child profound grow, develop and possibly recover from autism. In doing this you suspend the belief that most of the world holds - a child with autism cannot be help very much. Then you empower yourself with the thought that yes you can make a difference. I talk to Son-Rise Program parents every week who have done this and in doing so have create amazing growth in there child and also enjoyed the journey. It all starts with changing our beliefs.

Enjoy suspending and changing your beliefs
love William

What are we capable of?

I did the Son-Rise Intensive Program 19 years ago when I was just 22 years old. There Samahria said to me:

"You can do much much more that you think you are capable of".

At the time I just stared at her in a "22 year old" kind of way, but her words stuck with me all these years and has helped me through times when I have felt overwhelmed with my life.

Today I spoke with a Father who asked me whether running a full time program was "Too much" for his daughter. My answer for that as always is our children being Autistic take many breaks throughout the day by isming, we are trying to inspire them to take less breaks.

It got me thinking again about what Samahria said to me all those years ago, we never think that we are "loved" too much, "celebrated"too Much", "play" too much are "kissed " too often. When when we think about "working", or "being challenged" we often add "too much" into the equation.

So today I feel inspired, and want to say to anyone of you lovely Son-Rise Parents out there who are feeling overwhelmed or who are judging themselves today.

You are capable of great things.
You are capable of more than you think.
You are GREAT!
No matter what!!

With much love
Kate

Free from the Chains of "I Have To"

I just wanted to share a lovely email from a Son-Rise Program mom... She's recently found her inspiration again and it was so beautiful, I just had to share it...

"...sometimes when I'm playing, he is so deep in stimming that I feel like throwing up. :) And on our last call you helped me understand my fear about having postponed my life and my career until Vuk 'graduates' from the Son-Rise Program (which in turn was making me very upset when I didn't see progress)...

Our conversation made me decide that I will allow for thoughts about my career right away. On days when I felt unhappy I would feel so sorry for myself that I had made myself stop the lawyering and the career that was going well...blah blah...

But at the thought of going back to work I felt like I would throw up again :) (Funny I never throw up for real - I guess only in my thoughts ;)

I realized that I was just trying to figure out how to keep a career that I started and that I really didn't enjoy at all - but didn't like to face the prospect of leaving it because I had put so much effort into it for years before.

Then, I listened to the Optimal Self Trust CD and this just clenched my problem completely. It told me that I can live my life by following what I think is right (or simply do what I want) even though I don't have a logical support for it. What a relief! So I have been trying this for a week or so now -

I don't go to eat until I want to, and then I eat what I want.

I don't play with my son when I think I should -
I play with him when I want to play with him.
And I DO go play with him!

(It used to be that I would feel like playing but then I would say "Oh no, I need to address this issue and make some kind of schedule in order to give myself comfort that I will not fail again in playing with him regularly...") So in fact I would stop myself from doing what I want - because it wasn't part of a logically prepared plan ??? Seems hilarious now.

SO, it appears that a lot of things in life WILL happen if you just do them when you WANT to do them.

What buttons?

As I am reflecting on my week in the playroom with a child who likes to button push I am reminded of another child we once had in the Son Rise progam intensive. This little girl also would try to button push, but it's hard when I don't have any buttons to push! I remember I was the first in the room at the beginning of the week and I walked in on a completely naked little girl (apparently she rarely kept her clothes on) who immediately started to throw a tantrum. She started to cry, scream and throw her whole body intensely at the floor. The volunteer I transitioned quickly left the room and I was all alone with this little blessing.

We're excited when children cry here at the intensive because it gives us a chance to show these children how much we love them, and how ineffective crying, or being unhappy, truly is in getting things accomplished in life. Anyway with this particular girl I remained calm, I explained I didn't know why she was crying, and I slowly started to offer her things. I began by saying "perhaps you would like your underwear" and I gently offered her some clothes. The parents watching from the next room were astounded when this nearly always naked girl began to put her clothes on while not missing a beat with her tantrum. Later as she learned crying wasn't going to change anything she too calmed down and we played together.

When we can remain comfortable we can move mountains! Children learn what we teach them, if they think crying works in order to get something or change something they will cry. I have seen over and over again that by not reacting to children's tears they will instead use language and excitement to motivate me to move quicker! I hope you too can enjoy these moments where we can teach our children the power of happiness!

Jumping In

Hello!
I have noticed about myself two ways in which I change or decide to change.

1. I decide to change and then jump into the new me without any doubt or hesitation.
2. I know what I want to change and then proceed to "think' about changing, and then wonder why I never actually change the thing I said I wanted to change???? To be specific this is usually around dieting.

So maybe when I find myself thinking about changing, am I really not wanting to?

Interesting, so this is what I am "jumping in" to change about myself this week. When I find myself "thinking" about changing, verses changing, I am going to lovingly say to myself "oh you don't want to right now", and then stop thinking about that.

Thus saving all my energy for the real things I want to do and change.

Beauty in Acceptance

Hullo again,

Here is a little song I wrote that I would love to share... I wrote this after joining a child for nearly 2 solid hours. Such a beautiful experience, and a lesson to see beauty in everything.

Speaking with Angels

You sit and gaze at nothing
Where others sit and play.
You rock yourself so gently,
You hum your world away.
You shy from other’s chatter,
Speak words we cannot hear;
But how do we know that angels
Do not whisper in your ear?

In your own sweet way you try
To tell us all you know:
Of the world and all its beauty,
Of the ways that love can show.
The things we have no time for
You remind us how to see,
As if you were an angel
Sent down to carry me.

‘Though others call you different
And cannot hear your song,
And your quirks we label stubborn
And we say that you are wrong;
I know that in your silence
and your stillness I can trust –
For the peace of the angels
Is your gift to us.

With love,

Jack xxx

Self-Love

Hey guys!

I have had a beautiful learning experience this week (isn't it wonderful - no matter where we are with our experience, there is always more to learn), and it's all to do with LOVE.

I know that when I go in the playroom, I totally love the children unconditionally - that I can create within myself that love in an instant, even if I have never met that child before. And I believe that this love helps me connect and desire to help every special person I play with.

Now here's the interesting part... Why, if I can love the children unconditionally, do I not always give myself the same gift? I know I can love in an instant, with no attachments, so why do I not always love MYSELF in this way? I have looked at this, and I realise that I believe creating love for another person serves a purpose. So, as a Child Facilitator can I find a purpose in being self-loving when facilitating autism recovery?

This week I have conducted an experiment. Before going in the playroom I have set aside 10 minutes to create for myself the level of love I feel for the child and I enter the playroom feeling that love for the child AND myself. The result? My love for the child actually DEEPENS, since I have no needs for them to act in a particular way for me to feel great about myself. My celebrations come from an even deeper well of love and my entire experience in the playroom is one of connected, profoundly loving joy. Not bad huh?

Self-love really DOES serve a purpose. When we are loving of ourselves we grow and deepen every part of our ability to love others, and that is the true essence of The Son-Rise Program.

With love (for myself AND all of you!!)

Jack

The Power of Joining

Of all the strategies for helping autism, I love joining the most. This week the power of joining was brought to my attention yet again. We have a wonderful little boy who is here for his 2nd intensive. While I was joining him he would whisper words and at first I would celebrate and begin to build a game. Then he would say "stop it!" I would immediately give control and happily go back to joining. After this happened a few times I realized that his whispering was part of his ism. I gave him a little bit more space and sank deeper into joining.

I focused my energy on loving this boy and giving him this time to do fully whatever it was he was doing and having fun with him by doing the same. After about 5 more minutes of joining by whispering and looking through books, I heard him say "broken" in his normal voice. I came over to him and offered to kiss the "broken" book. He turned to me and smiled. He then said "tickle tummy" and fell into my lap. I had a really connected game with him where he was talking and looking and playing with me. I really believe that by giving him control and the time to organize himself while I joined him, he was able to connect with me on his own terms in a much fuller, brighter way.

Then to top it off, when my session was over he came over gave me a hug and said "Thank you for helping me Katrina." I love the Son Rise program because of the immense respect we have for each individual and the total acceptance of each moment.

Relaxing with Resistance

The core of the Son-Rise Program is the attitude, in which a non-judgmental, accepting and loving attitude is the foundation of helping an autistic child learn to interact and socialize more consistently and deeply. To live a happier life is to be more non-judgmental, accepting and loving of who you are - no matter what. Developing this attitude, for ourselves or for our Son-Rise Program, requires an openness to looking at what we think (believe) and feel. As a Son-Rise Program Teacher I have seen trainees, parents and volunteers all be resistant to looking at their discomfort, there are times when I am resistant to looking at myself. It is at times like these that I stop and simply acknowledge and accept my resistance - "yes I am being resistant, I don't want to face my discomfort and that's OK, I don't have to judge myself about this." I start with accepting the fact that I am resistant (this is a form of unhappiness.) It is the best place to start - to relax with your resistance.

Optimal self trust - Hearing your inner voice

I just spoke with a wonderful Son-Rise Program family - a mom who is full of 3Es and excitement for everything her son is doing.
...from barely speaking to having mini conversations and asking "Why?" all the time - from barely smiling to smiling and laughing all the time...
..from a small attention span to a great desire to play with his volunteers...
...from isming exclusively on his figurines to now telling his parents and volunteers stories about the figurines - he's made his own exclusive activity into something that is now interactive!

As she listed the changes they've seen in their son, I could hear the pure joy in her voice - it was so beautiful to hear.

And yet, as we talked, she shared with me that she has really started to doubt herself - because the school authority in her area has begun questioning her decision to have her son at home. They are saying "it won't be useful for him" - that "she doesn't know what she's doing" - and that "his changes can all be attributed to the natural result of him getting older". They aren't giving credit to the work she and her team have done at home.

So now, she's starting to doubt herself.

Isn't it amazing what we do? At first, we see so much evidence of our own power in the world - our child is changing in amazing ways and we think it's because of what we're doing. But, as soon as someone else tells us that we're not powerful at all, we drop our own evidence and believe the other person. We stop listening to our own inner voice as soon as we think someone else might know better...

If no one ever listened to their inner voice, the world would still be flat, the planets would still revolve around the earth, and sticking leeches on our feet would still be the common cure for diseases... :) Isn't it time we start believing in what we see instead of what other people say is true? Isn't it time we start listening to our own innner voice?

Son-Rise Discussions on Facebook!

Become a fan of The Autism Treatment of America on face book, by clicking on the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/autismtreatment

And become part of the great discussions we are having about the Son-Rise Program and helping our special children. Read and take part in discussions about how to help our children communicate, what to do with their challenging behaviour, learn what other parents are doing bio medically with their children, and read what Son-Rise Teachers are saying, and much more.

See you there!

With much love!

Language and Interaction

When we have a child who is on the Autism Spectrum who does not yet form words, (in a way that we can understand them), it is easy to think if only he could talk then all will fall into place, or verbal communication is his only challenge.

However I know lots of children on the Autism Spectrum who can talk, say long sentences, recite books and DVD verbatim. Some who can speak for 15 minutes or more at a time. However they are talking mainly to themselves.

These children are no more or no less Autistic that those who are yet to form words.

Autism is not a language disorder it is an interactive disorder, that is why the Son-Rise Program Developmental model;
http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/other_sections/developmental_model.php
is so powerful.

It address the most important part of social interaction, the fundamentals of eye contact, communication , interactive attention span and flexibility work hand in hand with one another to help an Autistic child take the important steps towards successful social interaction.

If you want to help your child verbally communication, work on eye contact so that they can see how you form your mouth to form certain words. So that they can see that you are talking to them.

If you want to help your child verbally communicate, work on helping your child have a longer attention span. The longer they interact with you the more chances you will have to inspire them to want to talk.

If you want to help your child verbally communicate, help your child with their flexibility, the less rigid they are the more they will experience, the more open they will be to your language requests.

Each fundamental helps another fundamental grow.

If you have not already download the model from the link above, feel free to leave a comment or a question.

Carly's Voice

Click on the title to see this amazing video clip. It features Carly who is on the Autism Spectrum typing about her experience. Carly doesn't speak verbally but this clip proves that there is stil much that she is capable of.

We at The Son-Rise Program do not make limiting beliefs on any child. We see time and time again that the children we work with are capable of so much even though they might not express it in the way that you and I do.

Enjoy!

Learning Czech

Next week, we have a Czech family coming to our week long Intensive Program. I am completely inspired by this family. They are packing up their life and going on a long journey to a far away country to help their special child.

Not only are they doing this but they are also going to be doing their whole week through a translator. They will go in the playroom and work with their child, get feedback and learn how to run a succesful Son-Rise Program.

That takes courage, that takes passion and that takes great, great love. I am exited to be learning some Czech so that I work with this little boy in the playroom. I'll let you know how it goes.

Enjoying another Person - Bigger than Speaking

This week we have a family from french speaking Canada attending our one week Son-Rise Program Intensive. Their child, a wonderful 6 year old girl with autism, is verbal and speaks french so we work with her using a translator. At lunch times the translator will take a break leaving us to facilitate with the young girl without language translation.

This always happens when we have a non-english speaking child and what always amazes me and is beautiful to see, is how the caring, the love and the ability to interact is not hindered by not knowing each others language. The ability to enjoy another person, to love them and care for them does not require us to be able to speak their language or for them to speak our language (this also applies to "not yet verbal" children). No matter what, I can always show and inspire children and adults, on the autism spectrum, the joys of interacting and socializing with another person.

This weeks Intensive Child

Good afternoon!
This week at the Son-Rise Intensive Program we have a lovely 6 year old girl who is diagnosed to be on the Autism Spectrum.

Here at the Autism Treatment Center of America we love all special children no matter what, and to have girl is a special treat for us. With approximately three out of four autistic children being boys, we obviously see more boys that girls.

This girl is a super girl, being a true "girlie girl", she ha dark ringletty hair, and has worn a little tutu on some days all day long. To top it all she speaks French!

One of her isms is to look at a book and then act out the characters, using very funny facile expressions and much passion, then she will stop for a moment and sing into a microphone and then hold it up to her ear to feel the vibrations.

We have all had such fun with her this week, and feel very blessed to have been in her very special and lovely presence.

Thank you!!