Son-Rise
Son-Rise is a home-based program for children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities, which was developed by Barry Neil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman for their autistic son.[1] The program is a parent-directed, relationship-based play therapy. Parents are trained at an institute on how to be aware of their attitudes—a core principle of the therapy—for bonding and relationship building, as well as creating a low-stimulus, distraction-free playroom environment so the child could feel secure and in control of the over-stimulation. Parents and facilitators mimic a child's exclusive and restricted "stimming" behavior, until the child shows social cues for willing engagement. Then encouragement for more complex social activities is done in a noncoercive way, while simultaneously using the "3 E's": Energy, excitement, enthusiasm. If the child moves away from social interaction, the facilitator gives the child their space by using parallel play in order to gain the child's self-trust. To acquire skill acquisition, the program uses the child's particular motivation for learning.[2]
The program's developers claim that by encouraging eye contact and accepting the child without judgement the treated children will become non-autistic.[1] However, no published independent study has tested the efficacy of the program. A 2003 study found that involvement with the program led to more drawbacks than benefits for the involved families over time, though there was a strong correlation between patterns of intervention implementation and parental perceptions of intervention efficacy.[3] A 2006 study found that the program is not always implemented as it is described in the literature, which means it will be difficult to evaluate its success/failure rate.[4]
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[edit] History
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In the 1970s, Barry and Samahria Kaufman created the treatment modality for their allegedly autistic son, Raun, who had a below 30 IQ. Subsequently in 1976, Barry Neil Kaufman published Son-Rise, a book recounting his son Raun's alleged recovery, which he revised and re-issued in 1995 with the title Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues[1]. Today Raun Kaufman is the CEO of the Autism Treatment Center of America.[5] A 1997 BBC documentary followed the family of a five year old autistic boy treated by the program.[6]
[edit] Effectiveness
Although Son-Rise had never participated in published formal scientific evaluations of effectiveness,[7] clinical trials and a retrospective long-term study of program participants began in 2008.[8]
[edit] Criticism and lack of cured cases
Questions have been raised whether Raun Kaufman was actually autistic before being treated.[9] There are no documented normalizations with older children, and it may be that success "depends on a certain level of intellectual potential".[10] Some professionals have questioned the emphasis placed on eye contact and its potential problems for some children.[7] The consensus within the medical community is that there is no cure for autism and only a very few treatments have empirical evidence for improvements in symptoms.[11] A 2003 study found that involvement with the Son-Rise Program led to more drawbacks than benefits for the involved families over time, although family stress levels did not rise in all cases.[3] A 2006 study found that the Son-Rise Program is not always implemented as it is typically described in the literature, which suggests it will be difficult to evaluate its efficacy.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Kaufman BN (1995). Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues. HJ Kramer. ISBN 0915811618.
- ^ "The Son-Rise Program". Autism Speaks. http://www.autismspeaks.org/treatment/sonrise.php. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ a b Williams KR, Wishart JG (2003). "The Son-Rise Program intervention for autism: an investigation into family experiences". J Intellect Disabil Res 47 (4–5): 291–9. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003.00491.x. PMID 12787161.
- ^ a b Williams KR (2006). "The Son-Rise Program intervention for autism: prerequisites for evaluation". Autism 10 (1): 86–102. doi:10.1177/1362361306062012. PMID 16522712.
- ^ "Staff bios". Autism Treatment Center of America. http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/about_son-rise/staff_bios.php. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
- ^ Just Want My Little Boy Back "I Just Want My Little Boy Back". 1997. http://www.bbcactivevideoforlearning.com/1/Search.aspx?PageIndex=0&SearchText=I Just Want My Little Boy Back. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
- ^ a b Hauser C (2005). "The Son-Rise Program". National Autistic Society. http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=6558. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ "Autism Treatment Center of America collaborates with Northwestern University, Lancaster University on scientific research to study the Son-Rise Program for autism treatment and education" (Press release). Autism Treatment Center of America. 2008-01-18. http://autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/learn_more/press_release-jan18.php. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
- ^ Herbert JD, Sharp IR, Gaudiano BA (2002). "Separating fact from fiction in the etiology and treatment of autism: a scientific review of the evidence". Sci Rev Ment Health Pract 1 (1): 23–43. http://www.srmhp.org/0101/autism.html.
- ^ Jordan R, Powell S (1993). "Reflections of the Option method as a treatment for autism". J Autism Dev Disord 23 (4): 682–5. doi:10.1007/BF01046111. PMID 8106309.
- ^ Lack of support for interventions:
- Aman MG (2005). "Treatment planning for patients with autism spectrum disorders". J Clin Psychiatry 66 (Suppl 10): 38–45. PMID 16401149.
- Francis K (2005). "Autism interventions: a critical update" (PDF). Dev Med Child Neurol 47 (7): 493–99. doi:10.1017/S0012162205000952. PMID 15991872. http://journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=313204.
- Howlin P (2005). "The effectiveness of interventions for children with autism". In Fleischhacker WW, Brooks DJ. Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Springer. pp. 101–119. doi:10.1007/3-211-31222-6_6. ISBN 3211262911. PMID 16355605.
- Rao PA, Beidel DC, Murray MJ (2008). "Social skills interventions for children with Asperger's syndrome or high-functioning autism: a review and recommendations". J Autism Dev Disord 38 (2): 353–61. doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0402-4. PMID 17641962.
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