"While at times it's hard, having a brother with autism is the most rewarding thing in my life."9/12/2013 While at times it's hard, having a brother with autism is the most rewarding thing in my life. Eric is the most intelligent, humorous, caring, loving, talented, dedicated and trustworthy person I know. He can memorize every cast member to a movie; remember the exact date of things that happened years ago and can sing any Broadway song you could think of. Even though I'm older Eric never lets me forget that he is half a foot taller than me. Any chance he gets he will come stand next to me, moving his hand from the top of his head to mine, getting the biggest smirk on his face. Cracks me up every time. If ever I'm upset or sad Eric is always right there with a box of tissues telling me it's okay followed by giving me one of his huge bear hugs. He'll even start to make funny faces at me to get me to laugh. Eric is awesome at singing, drawing, writing, dancing, playing guitar, baking, and playing sports. He never fails to impress me with the things he can do. Eric would never think about missing a day of work. He could be sick or have the option to go on a field trip and would always choose to go to work. I love being able to hang out with my brother any chance I get. That is one thing I regret about going to college four ours away from home. He is an easy kid to miss. When I am home on break it's like we were never apart. We are both still a pair of goofy siblings always laughing and having a good time together. And I must admit I feel like the coolest person in the world when we do our personal handshake. (We made that up over ten years ago.) Throughout the years Eric has opened my eyes to a different way of thinking and I am by far a better person because of it. He is the greatest brother I could ever ask for and I'm certainly honored to be his sister. I love my dude very much! (Laura Smith- Sibling)
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Progress must start with a relationship. We want to support children to become happy, secure, social and creative people, who can think outside the box and think on their feet. We must respect and support each child's unique profile while promoting development through meaningful, relationship-based experiences. The relationships that support this development are built on respect and trust. For children who experience the world in an often disorganized and sometimes fearful way, these trusting relationships require patience and nurturing. A key component to the approach at Celebrate the Children is the involvement of families in the intervention. Sometimes this simply starts with helping the parent and child get back to a place where they can enjoy each other again rather than solely focusing on the challenges. Once we have taken the time to get to know the child and learn about the unique way in which they experience the world, we can support them in reaching higher levels of development. Autism is a sensory-processing disorder, not an intellectual disorder. Many ASD children are highly intelligent and often gifted. Therefore, if we can make a connection with them, we can tap into all the wonderful gifts they have to offer. We target development from the foundations of self-regulation and engagement, all the way through emotional and abstract thinking and reflection. The most recent research in the field of autism now supports the notion that critical neurological connections are made when children are engaged in pleasurable and meaningful interactions with their caregiver.
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AuthorsContributions to this blog are made by Celebrate the Children's highly talented, interdisciplinary team and wonderful families. Archives
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