April 18, 2008

I'm sitting in my room at the Sheraton Airport in Hartford. It's Friday and my week at the Autism Treatment Center of America in Sheffield, Massachussetts has come to an end. But, I will return and I look forward to seeing some of the amazing parents that are on the same jouney as I am in November.

I've been wanting to write all week. I just didn't know where to start. I found myself in a bit of a fog as I just took it all in...the information, the emotion, the inspiration, the realizations and the never-ending hope for the future. There was something different about this trip compared to the last. This time, I was in a room with 85 other people who were all knee-deep in a Son-Rise Program. Over 60 children were represented in that room and every single one of them had made huge gains...regardless of if they'd been doing the program for 3 weeks or 3 years. Some were so very close to recovery.....yes, recovery.

At the very end of the program today, we all gathered in one big circle and just looked around at each other. For the first time all week, my eyes filled with tears. Such an amazing group of people...moms, dads, step-parents, siblings, grandparents and volunteers. They were all there dreaming big dreams for the children they loved and knowing that all things are possible.

I looked at the mom who was there for her 31-year-old son and felt so inspired...talk about never giving up. She was amazing. And she was there with her 28-year-old daughter...wow, what a family.

Then there was the mom with the 2-year-old son who has only been doing the program for 3 weeks. I was so happy for her. She's found Son-Rise so early in the game. She won't have to go through what so many of us do...the searching, the struggling, the fighting, the stress, the fear and the anxiety. Lucky girl, lucky little boy. I can't wait to hear updates on how they're doing.

The respect I have for every person in that room is immense. I know the strength and conviction it takes to go against the grain and follow what they know in their gut is the right thing to do for their child. I wish that for every parent living with Autism. I can speak from the heart when I say what a wonderful feeling it is to just do it...decide to do it and take that leap.

Every parent in that room celebrated everything about their child...I didn't hear any whining, moaning, groaning or complaining...so refreshing.

I heard stories of kids who were completely non-verbal just months ago now speaking in 3-4 word sentences. Kids who once had an interactive attention span of 30 seconds now interacting for 30 minutes. A four-year-old who was totally exclusive all the time now always wanting to be with his mom and dad. A six-year-old who could've cared less about who was in the house with him who now greets his mom at the door with a smile.

I just spent 5 days in a place where miracles happen. A lot of miracles.

I got to meet the parents who created the Son-Rise Program for their "severly autistic, incurable, hopeless, doomed-to-be-institutionalized son". Bears and Samahria Kaufman...they did it. I've met their "incurable" son, Raun as well. Super-neat, way cool family. Throw in Raun's sister, Bryn and her husband, William and you have a bunch of unstoppable forces of nature. Wow. Seriously, wow. Maybe someday soon I'll be able to say more...but for now, wow is the only word I can come up with.

I can't wait to get back in the playroom with Jakob tomorrow. I've learned so much more about what to do and how to do it. I can't wait to see and talk to the wonderful volunteers who have been working with him....I have so much to share. I can't wait to find and train more volunteers to play with Jakob...I have so much to teach them. And Jakob has so much to teach all of us.

As excited as I was after my first trip here...we can now triple that excitement...at least triple.

By George, I've found it. I looked and I looked and I looked and I found it. What an awesome feeling.