In our community home we would like to offer our residents more than clothes and board and lodging. We want them to feel that we appreciate them and that we value them. Loyda en Daniel grew up in a family where they were starved of attention. When they arrived in our home they were severely malnourished and very lethargic. Miguel grew up in a loving family, but for years had been starved of mental stimulation. That is why stimulation is an important aim of our programme. To get through to Daniel and Loyda is important, because they live in their own world, not because of autism, but because for many years the world was not an interesting and loving place for them…
Sonrise
The way we try to make contact with our residents is inspired by the Sonrise method of the Option Institute in the US. In the Netherlands this method is better known as ‘contact gericht spelen’ (= play with the aim of making contact). The method was developed in the sixties by a couple with an autistic son. They were not impressed with the methods popular at that time that were largely based on coercion and making the child adapt to adult norms. In a process of searching and experimenting for an alternative, they developed their own method rooted in respect, ‘following’ the child and giving loving attention.
In 2000 I came across the Sonrise method at a time when I felt that my own approach with Jonathan was too demanding and did not sufficiently address his needs. But I did not quite know how to change my approach. Then I got hold of a book about the Sonrise method which described the methods this American couple had used with their child. The book mentioned that the couple had set up an institute to help other parents in the same situation. I felt I wanted to visit this institute to learn more about the method, and that is what happened.
Since 2000 I have been back there twice, once with Jonathan and a second time to learn more advanced techniques. Ever since 2001 I have worked with Jonathan using the Sonrise method, not on my own, but always coaching people who were part of my ‘home team’ who intensively worked with Jonathan, and with good results: from no eye contact to good eye contact when it matters; and a vocabulary of 500 words (Dutch words initially) and improved powers of concentration and interaction with the outside world. In my years in the Netherlands I worked with ‘au pairs’ who were keen to learn and live in our home. I coached them, so that they could take responsibility for working with and stimulating Jonathan while I was at work elsewhere.
The Sonrise method at Ruach
In our Ruach home we base our work on the Sonrise principles, although we are not able to implement all principles to the full as desired. (We are not in a positon to have a separate ‘play room’ and work with each of the residents for several hours per day) We have of course a loving and respectful attitude towards our residents, but the core of our approach is that we work in 30 minute sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to make contact with Daniel and Loyda.
They do not make contact with us, so we must ‘contact’ them, otherwise we would live in two separate worlds. From earlier blogs you know we have had results: Loyda offers eye contact, occasionally. Daniel is more expressive and sometimes strokes a person, albeit somewhat clumsily. Loyda expresses herself sometimes with a sound not unlike humming. We respond to that by humming back, so we can have a humming dialogue, because neither Daniel nor Loyda talk. Loyda now always indicates that she needs to use the toilet, Daniel does this about 80% of the time. It saves us a lot of work mopping the floors, which fortunately are easy-care tiled floors.
Intensive work
The Sonrise method of working is intensive (see picture). And we also need to give attention to Jonathan en Miguel. On a lucky day we have three assistants. That sounds a lot but it is not a luxury if we truly want to make progress. Often we work with less than three assistants during a day, because all assistants have a statutory day off every week, and they are entitled to leave days and of course can be off-work due to illness. So how far do we go with our stimulation programme? Where do we draw the line? These are ethical questions. But is is clear that more progress can be made than people normally think possible. There is more under the sun than meets the eye: our great belief that progess is possible often turns into a self-fulfilling prophesy. If we widen our perspective, ‘life’ answers back in accordance with that broader vision.
We go for it
‘Help me be who I (in essence) am’ is the slogan printed on the back of the T-shirts that our staff wear at our home. And that drives us, together with our supporters. Because only together can we make a difference!