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Since Autism was first outlined (Kanner,
1943), an agreed-upon definition of Autism has been
reached and standardized diagnostic methods produced.
To date, however, no clear etiology has been established,
and proposed treatments vary widely. Research has
uncovered enough about Autism’s underlying neuro-
and cognitive psychology to allow us to outline treatment
implications to benefit those families seeking help
now who are unwilling to wait for the elusive ultimate
answer.
The Autism Treatment Center of America™
has been using The Son-Rise Program® (SRP)
with families since 1983 in order to fulfill this
need. The SRP was developed by parents experimenting
with ways to reach their severely autistic child (Kaufman,
1976). Science at this time offered no guidance on
facilitating the social development of children with
Autism. Since their son emerged from Autism after
3½ years of intensive work, the Kaufmans have
offered SRP to families internationally. To date,
no rigorous longitudinal testing of the efficacy of
SRP has been performed yet it can be seen that the
key principles of this approach draw support from
the current research literature. This paper will discuss
some key principles of SRP in the context of current
research in Autism to create a platform for quantitative
investigation.
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