Teaching Modalities
A comprehensive array of teaching modalities are employed throughout the training program. The main weekly teaching modalities are as follows:

• Observation of senior child Facilitators working with children and adults with special needs, allowing the student to see Son-Rise Program® principles and techniques applied.
• Direct Observation/Feedback Classes: Specific and detailed instruction from senior teaching staff following observation of the student working with children or adults.
• Development of skills through hands-on practice working with children with special needs. This practicum time increases as the skill level of the student increases.
• Video-Feedback Classes: Students watch a video of themselves working with a child while receiving feedback from a senior teacher.
• Interactive Group Classes: Powerful and dynamic classes focussing on principles of the The Son-Rise Program®.
• Weekly Written Homework: Requires an analysis of relevant literature and audio-tapes.

Course Manual
Each student receives a Child Facilitator Training Manual that supports the entire curriculum with instructions, articles and additional information.

Course Content
The curriculum is designed to educate each student in the direct application of the treatment and methodology of The Son-Rise Program®. The education begins with a 5-day introductory program followed by segments teaching the principles and techniques that enable a student to create a bond or relationship with a child.

Students then learn how to utilize a child's motivation to advance their learning and skill acquisition. The focus next turns to combining the skills of bonding and inspiring growth into effective facilitation with a child with special needs.

1.0 Bonding Through Acceptance

The fundamental building block in working with special children is establishing a relationship of mutual enjoyment and respect. The segments in this part of the course highlight essential skills to helping a student create this bond.

• 1.1 The Importance of the Facilitator’s Attitude
  Focuses on the importance of the student feeling accepting and non-judgmental of themselves and the child or adult with whom s/he is working, regardless of the child’s age, actions and/or diagnosis. This essential and fundamental component of The Son-Rise Program® is emphasized throughout the training program and students move to deeper and deeper levels of comfort and skill.

  1.2 Creating a Sense of Energy, Excitement and Enthusiasm
  Continues to focus on attitude and how to develop energy, excitement and enthusiasm so as to engage a child and inspire him/her to continually love learning and interaction. Classes focus on genuine development of these feelings, not superficial techniques, to inspire deep human connection between child and facilitator.
  

  1.3 Developing a Child’s Eye Contact
  Illustrates easy and effective techniques to cultivate an essential ingredient of human interaction–eye-to-eye contact.

  1.4 Joining
  This fundamental concept of The Son-Rise Program® enables students to create a unique and valuable rapport with any special child, the heart of a truly child-centered approach to autism that is unique to The Son-Rise Program.

  1.5 Role of the Facilitator’s Reactions and Responses in Working with Children Develops an awareness of the students’ own reactions and responses and teaches how this is instrumental in helping special children learn.

  1.6 Control
  How to heighten a child’s sense of control to empower him/her to want to interact more with people.

  
  1.7 Effectively Handling a Child who Cries, has Tantrums or uses Similar Behaviors Continues to focus on the attitude of the student while introducing techniques to help a child learn more effective modes of communication. This section covers areas such as crying, tantrums, hitting, biting, throwing objects, etc.

• 2.1 Developing Language
  Presents concrete techniques that help children increase their level of language development. This segment covers all levels of development from babbling and partial words to learning the art of conversation.

  2.2 Building Interaction
  Teaches students how to create motivating learning experiences from the child’s own interests and motivations.

  2.3 Initiation
  How and when to introduce new skills and activities to children with whom a certain level of interaction had been developed.

  2.4 Requesting
  Presents essential techniques to motivate a child to step up to the next developmental level.
  

3.0 Evaluating and Goal Setting for Children

In this segment, students learn how to work with parents and fellow professionals in evaluating a special child’s social developmental and setting goals.

3.1 Evaluating Children
Students are taught to make detailed weekly evaluations of the children to describe current development and pinpoint future areas of growth.

3.2 Participating in Group Meetings with Parents
Teaches presentation skills to enable students to communicate to the parents the most effective ways of working with their child.

3.3 Creating Program Goals
Students join with parents to brainstorm Program Goals that will direct the focus of their work with their child when they return home.

4.0 Working with Non-English Speaking Children

Facilitators will learn to work confidently with children of every verbal level from all over the world.

Related Pages:

Training Options
Enrollment Requirements and Application Process
After Certification
Professional Training Programs