FROM AMANDA: Good morning world! I am reporting to you Live from the Autism Treatment Center of America, and this is The Son-Rise Program. WOW! Wouldn't it be great if we woke up each morning as if we were on a radio show to spread the word to the rest of the world of how wonderful and amazing the Son-Rise Program really is? Well, while it might be unlikely for most of us to host our own radio show, it is not impossible to spread the word and share what we know about the Son-Rise Program.
Two weekends ago, I went to the Long Island Autism Fair in New York and set up a vendor booth with all kinds of information about the Autism Treatment Center of America. I met many wonderful people at this fair, but there were two people in particular, who stood out in my mind. The person running the both behind mine also happened to be the one of the guest speakers at the fair. He introduced himself to me and then inquired about our program. I shared my wonderful experiences as a Child Facilitator and also shared the details of how the Son-Rise Program is run, and why I feel it is so wonderful. We ended our conversation and he went on about his day.
Later that day, he brought his 11 year old, Autistic son over to my table and introduced him to me. I shook his hand and gave him a huge, loving smile. This boy had the most amazing eyes, so even though I wasn't in the playroom, I celebrated him for looking at me and told him how happy I was to have met him. He gave me a gigantic smile and walked off with his father to meet more people, and then sat down at the table behind me.
As I stood at my table and talked to people, I noticed the boy I had just met, was quietly sitting at the table rocking back and forth to a rhythm all his own. Once the crowd slowed down , I walked over to the child and showed him a bottle of bubbles I had in my hand and began to some. He looked excited and began to pop a few. He wanted my jar of bubbles so I decided to give him his own jar, and we began to blow bubbles together. We only had few minutes to interact, but time didn't matter because there was a clear connection. We interacted with one another through out the day as became good friends.
As I was cleaning up my table area at the end of the day, the boy's father offered to help me. When I told him how appreciative I was, he said "This is the least I can do. My son was really taken by you and he doesn't usually take to people easily. " As he said this, I looked at him with a smile and said "That my friend, is the Son-rise Program." The man then leaned down and proceeded to sign his name on a sheet to sign up for initial calls. We continued to talk more about the Son-Rise Program and parted ways.
When I "showed-up" at the fair, I could have sat down in a chair and waited for people to come to me to get information about the Son-Rise Program. But, I chose to do it differently. I decided to stand at my table all day and interact and connect with the people walking by. I was excited, enthusiastic, and loving every minute of my time.I was blowing bubbles, laughing, and showing the true spirit of the Son-Rise Program even though I wasn't in the playroom.
You can do it too! Share your experiences of the Son-Rise Program with people in your life! Love them! Laugh with them! and show your excitement to the world! Son-Rise is a lifestyle that can be practiced both in and out of the playroom.
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