Son Rise: The Miracle Continues (Paperback)

~ (Author), Raun Kaufman (Author) "His little hands hold the plate delicately as his eyes survey its smooth perimeter..." (more)
Key Phrases: love tangible, unfolding moment, special son, The Option Institute, Son-Rise Program, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The original Son-Rise (1976) described the family trauma of the author, his wife Samahria and their son Raun, who had been diagnosed as autistic, mentally retarded and untreatable. Rather than relegating Raun to permanent institutionalization, the Kaufmans designed a program of their own, which provided intensive therapy on a rigorous schedule that changed all of their lives. Did Raun continue to progress? In this book, that question is answered not only by the parents and extended family but also by Raun himself, now a college student and a participant in the family's educational foundation, The Option Institute and Fellowship, based in Sheffield, Mass. Testimonials from similarly afflicted families who practice the Kaufmans' techniques for treating the communications disorders of so-called "unreachable" children round out a heartwarming, inspiring chronicle that should offer hope to many. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Kaufman, head of the Options Institute in Massachusetts, traces the difficulties he and his wife, Samahria, experienced with their autistic son, Raun. Readers first encountered Raun in 1976, with Kaufman's Son-Rise, and raising him--fighting a glum medical establishment and dubious child-care professionals--would have proved a daunting, even a hopeless, task for most. But the Kaufmans refused to be "realistic," insisting that Raun was truly special in their eyes and in God's, and with patience and cleverness, they broke through into Raun's deeply personal world. They steered him so much into the mainstream that he is in college now, an extrovert who contributed the introduction to his father's book. In fact, he writes better than his father, unaffectedly expressing his gratitude to his parents and his optimism for the future. The elder Kaufman has a terrific tale to tell, and his accounts of others who have benefited from his methods will make the reader grateful he and his wife are on the planet, but his incessant use of stock self-help and recovery phrases, such as, "I built barricades around my feelings" or "I had the opportunity to share personally," has a cloying effect. The message of this miracle-in-everyday-life book is nothing more than: Be optimistic. How you get to such a simple and joyous outlook is the problem; Raun's story, and that of his patient, loving parents, perhaps will instruct you. John Mort --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: HJ Kramer (February 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915811618
• ISBN-13: 978-0915811618
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #109,912 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To parents of special-needs children, June 26, 2005

By	S. Sreedhar "Sree" (Michigan (USA)) - See all my reviews

As you read all the reviews of this book here, I suggest you take a moment to mentally classify the reviewers into two categories: (1) parents who decided after reading this book to adopt the Son-Rise method for their autistic children, and (2) everybody else.

You'll notice a clear difference - the parents are all UNANIMOUS in their approval of this book and the program, while the rest offer a mixed bag - some approval, sure, but a lot of criticism, cynicism, condescension, outright ridicule, and some cheap shots. All are personal viewpoints, and therefore equally valid perspectives. But if you're reading this book not as a literary exercise, but in search of an effective way to help your child, that difference should send you a crystal-clear message.

My personal viewpoint: I picked up this book almost three years ago (6 months after having had my son diagnosed with autism), and I finished it in one sitting (ending well past midnight). Within a day or two my wife and I called the Institute, signed up for their training program and haven't looked back since. Our son, who was totally non-verbal at age 3, now has a large & growing vocabulary, speaks in 5-10 word sentences, and is interacting socially, learning freely and living joyfully. And along the way, it has also transformed our family's experience of life. Not that I was the New Age type - I'm an engineer, the skeptical, numbers-guy kind. Thank goodness I could recognize the genuine article when I see it. I don't care if Son-Rise doesn't quote the statistics some people demand - my son is the only statistic I need.

The difference between the perspectives of a player on the field and a spectator in the stands can be seen in the following quotes from Rivkah McCaby's review:
* "Imitation Therapy" - if this is a reference to the practice of `joining', it reflects a very shallow understanding of this foundational pillar of the Son-Rise method.
* "Their institute is the temple of a personality cult": Oh, come on! Somebody who has spent a week there wouldn't be saying this.
* "This isn't going to be very helpful to most 21st century families looking for help with an autistic child ...", "... most parents today don't have the time and money the Kaufmans had, but they do have the resources of public funding, Medicaid, and established programs ...", "... but love is not the reason this therapy works...": Maybe these statements are true and maybe they aren't, but who would know better than someone running a Son-Rise program for their child?

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book taught me not to be afraid, allowed my dd to love, October 8, 2005

By	Tracy Jayasinghe (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When my daughter was diagnosed with autism at 22 months, I was depressed and scared. I did search after search and read method after method for treating autism. Nothing "felt" right. The therapies based on behaviorism seemed to rob children of dignity. Then I found the Option Institute website.

I read all they had published online and got the rest from the library system. After reading their autism books, I felt I understood what I needed to do to help her. I would have liked to go to their program, but there was no way I could leave her to attend.

I implemented my understanding of their program. You know what? Within two months she said, "I love you, Mommy." It was the first time in my parenting journey I had heard my child say that. That was eight years ago. I did the program alone for about six months. She did great. Now, she is not "cured." She is doing very well, though.

I was driven to look for the book again, as my four-year-old son was diagnosed with autism this week and I'm feeling that thing that parents feel when they get this news (again).

For those who say Son-Rise is about money, you can read this book at the library and get help. How much does that cost? You can pay the $10 or $15 for the book here on Amazon. You are out $10 to $15. If you read the book and want to go to the center; go for it. The people I know who have done that feel the money was well spent.

For the reviewer who wants the name of a child who was cured, I'd give you mine, but it was not a complete cure. I am going to go back and start a program again with her (what the heck, I'm going to do a program with my son, anyway). When we started my self-designed program based on Son-Rise, my daughter made no eye contact, couldn't look in mirrors, had no communicative speech, and no normal response to stimuli. We saw huge changes within the first week. I still get emotional when I remember her telling me she loved me for the first time.

I thought I was providing a loving, nurturing environment for her before son-rise, but her remarkable progress with son-rise showed me she needed more. It was amazing how, when she would bite her arms and I would bite mine in response, she would stop and look at me and be able to move on to something better.

This book, and others by Kaufman, taught me not to be afraid of autism. The program advocated in this book allowed my daughter to keep her dignity and learn to join the mainstream.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a very special perspective on autism., September 12, 2004

By	Lauren Ware "writer & mother" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been working with my autistic son using floortime and developmental approaches, which are very similar to what Kaufman describes in this book - you join your child, you focus on creating meaningful interaction between the two of you, you engage your child and gently draw him into your world rather than forcing him into it. While I don't think I'd pay thousands for someone to show me this, the book is quite cheap and really all you need to get the idea of what they did.

The critical piece for me was the utter acceptance of your child for who he or she is. Love is unconditional. Too often, even if we don't intend to give this message, children with special needs or differences can feel like we only love them if they recover or if they become verbal or if they stop stimming, or whatever it is that we are working on. The Kaufmans' approach has as its bedrock unconditional love and acceptance. It is the balance of this love with the striving for more - for the child to reach his greatest potential - that many reviewers missed as the core message of the book. They are not mutually exclusive. The author never once insinuates that a person should "feel badly" if their child doesn't make a full "recovery," or if they didn't do everything just as the Kaufmans did.

The point is not, "follow this method and your child will also recover from autism." It is simply to love and be with your child, to tune into his needs, and from there your child will grow and blossom to his greatest capacity. And wherever that is - on the spectrum or off - is just fine. Process, not product, is emphasized.

I had to put the book down at first because Kaufman's style reeked of New Agey feelings. I keep telling my husband, "I like this book a lot even though it's so wacky." If you can get past that, the message is a pure one.