Jonathan uses principles of the Son-Rise Program in his work with families touched by autism. These principles include:
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Making social interaction the number one priority. Some treatments focus on skills that do not address the larger issues that autism can present. Rather than focus on math or writing (though these could still be taught within the context of the program), there is a focus on having deeper and more frequent interactions with people.
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Believing that all outcomes are possible. While a complete change is rare, it does happen, and the vast majority of the children show clear and dramatic changes in key skills: ability to have meaningful relationships, eye contact, attention span, speech, self-help skills, sleeping, aggressive behaviors, crying, motor skills, and many others.
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A belief that each child is unique. Each program must be tailored specifically to a child’s strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.
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Creating an optimal educational environment for the child, so she can learn exponentially faster.
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Children respond to the attitudes of the adults around them. There is a focus on how you feel as you are with your child, as well as tools to help you be stronger and more effective in the tough moments.
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An enthusiastic and playful approach that combines the child’s motivations and challenges helps children to learn more both during ‘program time’ and the rest of their day.