Part 3: Finding the Right Educational Program : By Kristin Selby Gonzalez Director of Autism Education for Enzymedica Mother of Jaxson, diagnosed with autism

I gently jiggled Jaxson awake. He gave me a crinkled-nosed smile.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning, pumpkin head.” I planted a kiss on his forehead. Jaxson blew me a kiss back, a maneuver he pulled off with the casual laziness of a pop singer greeting his adoring fans, which certainly included me. My son had been awake only for a few minutes, but he’d already done two things- spoken and shown me affection- deemed beyond his reach only a couple years ago.

I get Jaxson ready for the day, and we head toward his playroom.

“Hut-one, hut-two, hut-three!” I say to Jaxson as I am holding a nerf football. He looks at me with a beaming smile. I say, “Catch!” He puts his arms up and catches the ball. He is laughing and says, “Run!” I run to catch him and miss on purpose. He looks at me with excitement and says, “Catch me, Mama!” I run around crazy and tell him to make a touchdown. He sprints like a pro across the room and yells, “Touchdown!!” I cheer with excitement and run over to him and give him a great big hug.

None of this would have been possible had I not found the Autism Treatment Center of America^TM, part of a non-profit organization located in Sheffield, MA. I had travelled there to learn, The Son-Rise Program®, an educational method that involved joining Jaxson in his own world before inviting him to join us in ours. Raun K. Kaufman, the CEO of the organization, had himself been diagnosed with severe autism as a boy, but had fully recovered through The Son-Rise Program® which his parents developed specifically to help him.

I began the course with some trepidation, not knowing whether this program would be what I was looking for. When I saw, on the first day, how the staff at the Center believed in Jaxson and didn’t in any way write him off, I knew I was on the right track. I got home and immediately began implementing this child-centered, parent-directed program with Jaxson.

And look how far he’s come already! From non-verbal to over 500 words (we have really lost count), from disconnected to engaged, playful, and interactive. After all that I was told he couldn’t do, I see, as I continue to run his program, all that he can do, I am so excited!

For more information, visit the Autism Grass Roots Tour website at www.agrt.org.

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