What is Awesomism? What is Autism?
Eve has constantly taught us to see the awesomeness in autism - hence the nickname Awesomism! We see all children and adults with this "condition", as beautiful blessings to this world. These amazing souls have the ability to be hyper-present and therefore experience the deliciousness of life to the fullest. How awesome is that! We are so excited because we believe that these sweet children are here to be our teachers... to help us grow, appreciate the simple pleasures in life and learn how to truly love. In our experience, we have seen that Eve and other children like Eve have the ability to see, feel, know and experience life on a much deeper level than us "nuero-typicals" Not that we've met one yet! (We say this with deep love and respect for you though. Haha)
So, what is Autism?? Great question. Any google search will reveal how diverse the world's understanding of the condition is - this is simply because autistic people are entirely individual. Asperges and Autistic people each have special needs to be taken into consideration, though they are classified differently; each case is as unique as our fingerprints. Autism presents social and inter-relational challenges which stem from a distorted experience of the world due to sensory processing issues which, in turn, can restrict their communicative abilities. "To those who are unfamiliar
Many autistic people also have ongoing biomedical issues. How incredible that we have the opportunity to help and support them through medical interventions and special diets (click here to read more).
Furthermore, We feel that titles like "high-functioning" or "low-functioning" can be quite disrespectful and degrading. When labels are put on our children and assumptions are made about their limitations, people tend to become disconnected and close-minded. This can leave many parents and therapists feeling hopeless and stuck. We've been there. When Eve was diagnosed we weren't left with many options except the traditional ABA route (extreme behavioural therapies) and a script of Ritalin, a mind-altering drug (Eve was 3 at the time - Thank you but I don't think so). Generally, it is not the diagnosis but the prognosis that is most challenging to deal with, if left to walk away with such clouded vision and seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. Through our journey we've come to know the difference that our perception can make; it's power and affect on individuals, families and even communities.
So, what is Autism?? Great question. Any google search will reveal how diverse the world's understanding of the condition is - this is simply because autistic people are entirely individual. Asperges and Autistic people each have special needs to be taken into consideration, though they are classified differently; each case is as unique as our fingerprints. Autism presents social and inter-relational challenges which stem from a distorted experience of the world due to sensory processing issues which, in turn, can restrict their communicative abilities. "To those who are unfamiliar
Many autistic people also have ongoing biomedical issues. How incredible that we have the opportunity to help and support them through medical interventions and special diets (click here to read more).
Furthermore, We feel that titles like "high-functioning" or "low-functioning" can be quite disrespectful and degrading. When labels are put on our children and assumptions are made about their limitations, people tend to become disconnected and close-minded. This can leave many parents and therapists feeling hopeless and stuck. We've been there. When Eve was diagnosed we weren't left with many options except the traditional ABA route (extreme behavioural therapies) and a script of Ritalin, a mind-altering drug (Eve was 3 at the time - Thank you but I don't think so). Generally, it is not the diagnosis but the prognosis that is most challenging to deal with, if left to walk away with such clouded vision and seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. Through our journey we've come to know the difference that our perception can make; it's power and affect on individuals, families and even communities.
Eve's Awesomism Therapy
From 2011 to mid 2016 we ran a full-time Son-Rise Program in our home. The Son-Rise Program is a play-based therapy, built on an attitude of love and acceptance. With this loving and accepting attitude, we joined Eve in her world as a way to connect with her and develop a deep, trusting relationship. We used Eve’s natural interests to inspire her to learn and grow through play.
As she has grown we have discovered and adopted different therapies that compliment her development. Keeping the Son-Rise attitude as our foundational principles, we now run a Natural Play Therapy program, which capitalises on a variety of modalities. With a focus on Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) (for communication) and Anat Baniel Method (ABM) (for brain neuron growth), we have seen Evie grow and develop tremendously in so many ways. Now Evie has the power to share her innermost thoughts and access education like never before.
To find out more about her current program please view the resource section on RPM and ABM.
As she has grown we have discovered and adopted different therapies that compliment her development. Keeping the Son-Rise attitude as our foundational principles, we now run a Natural Play Therapy program, which capitalises on a variety of modalities. With a focus on Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) (for communication) and Anat Baniel Method (ABM) (for brain neuron growth), we have seen Evie grow and develop tremendously in so many ways. Now Evie has the power to share her innermost thoughts and access education like never before.
To find out more about her current program please view the resource section on RPM and ABM.
Eve's Journey with The Son-Rise Program
Before discovering the Son-Rise Program, times were very difficult. When Eve was two years old, she was diagnosed with severe autism. We were told that she would never speak, have friends, be able to take care of herself, or live anything that resembled a "normal" life. She would cry constantly, and seemed to experience lots of pain and fear from the world around her. We tried many traditional approaches, always seeking ways to comfort her, but they seemed to make her only more distressed. By the time Eve was four, the flame of hope for her living a happy life was nearly extinguished.
But we were so fortunate to learn about The Son-Rise Program. Once we discovered it, our hope for the life Eve could lead was rekindled and is now a roaring fire! We full-on hope and believe that Eve can go on to live a happy, amazing life ... being able to take care of herself, to know the joy of friendships, to play sports, to experience romantic relationships, to go to university, to travel the world, or whatever she decides to do in her life. There is a road of infinite possibilities ahead of her! And Eve is delightfully dancing along this road. Every day, we witness delicious little miracles: she looks deeply into our eyes, she uses words to express her wants, she interacts in games with us, she smiles and giggles like a little angel, and we've even had the absolute pleasure to hear her sweetly say to us "love you." Best of all, we see that she is soooo happy, happy, happy, and that is our greatest wish for her :)
But we were so fortunate to learn about The Son-Rise Program. Once we discovered it, our hope for the life Eve could lead was rekindled and is now a roaring fire! We full-on hope and believe that Eve can go on to live a happy, amazing life ... being able to take care of herself, to know the joy of friendships, to play sports, to experience romantic relationships, to go to university, to travel the world, or whatever she decides to do in her life. There is a road of infinite possibilities ahead of her! And Eve is delightfully dancing along this road. Every day, we witness delicious little miracles: she looks deeply into our eyes, she uses words to express her wants, she interacts in games with us, she smiles and giggles like a little angel, and we've even had the absolute pleasure to hear her sweetly say to us "love you." Best of all, we see that she is soooo happy, happy, happy, and that is our greatest wish for her :)
