The First Post

A long time ago, I said I'd create a blog so that others could keep up with what we're currently doing in our home-based therapy for our two children, Rachel and Sarah.

Here it is. :)

My goal is to write something in this every day, even if it's fairly small and apparently insignificant. I've been learning that the small things matter more than we think they do. Topics will include the current status of our program (so that I will feel a greater sense of accountability), books on autism as well as other media, websites and blogs related to autism spectrum disorders, and general news and info regarding autism spectrum disorders.

So, that's the dry organizational stuff. Now, a brief overview of who we are.

I am Amy, sometimes known as cavamil. I have two daughters, named Rachel and Sarah, who are both in the autistic spectrum. They are both pretty high-functioning now, though we still struggle at times. Self-stimulating behaviors (like flapping hands and spinning) are still there; however, there's a lot more eye contact and interaction than there was even a year ago. We've come a long way, though we still have a long way to go.

We've chosen to use the Son-Rise Method™ for our developmental program. It resonates with a lot of our values and it makes more sense to us than ABA. We've chosen SR over Floortime or RDI™ for several reasons: cost, support, intensity, and because this therapy, more than the others, emphasizes the role of parents in helping their children. I don't want to get into what we have gone through with "experts": it will just depress me. There are a few doctors and therapists out there (I've met them) who know what they're doing, but the best results we've found have been when we've taken things into our own hands.

For the past year, our program has been struggling. We've been using the principles on an informal basis and that's helped immensely. Time in the playroom (where therapy occurs) has been extremely limited due to many factors. We've been advertising for volunteers to help and have gotten a couple responses.

That's all the time I have for now. More tomorrow. :)