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Elijah is a 16 year old who goes to a special needs school for high functioning children. When he was four years old, I worked with Elijah and his parents using the Son-Rise Program. At the time he was completely non-verbal. Elijah recently found me on Facebook. He is now verbal and agreed to an interview via e-mail. All capitalization and emphasis is his. Part one is below.
JL: Do you remember when you were non-verbal? If so, what was it like?
Elijah: I remember a lot of my childhood actually since my long-term memory is better then my short-term memory. (And by the way, I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and wasn't so socially avoidant and was more BEHAVIORAL and socially inappropriate.) I remember everything seemed hard and confusing for me, was beyond exhausted (I still am but not as much as I use to be - it's due to my medication), and constantly cried and had tantrums and I recall throwing everything all over the place.
I also remember lining up my stuffed animals and really liking Winnie the Pooh and rolling around in blankets constantly. I also remember my dad always screaming at me at the top of his lungs and then when I would want a hug from my mom she looked stressed and exhausted. I remember not liking my dad and only wanting to be with my mom.
I slightly remember being in a white playroom that seemed to have blinded me (when I watched a tape of me being at the Son-Rise Program Institute, I remembered being in that room and remembered how I felt when my mom left the playroom and was stuck with my dad, who I didn't want to be with.)
I also remember my ABA program. I remembered Bobby, Lenore (my speech pathologist), Joelle (facilitator/baby sitter/family-friend). I remember not liking (Name removed) School. I remember this teacher and one time during naptime she screamed at me: "Elijah, stop sucking your thumb and take your thumb out of your mouth!" when I was only three years old at the time.
JL: What are your thoughts now about Son-Rise, ABA, and/or other treatments?
Elijah: Well I can definitely tell, as Temple Grandin stated in her autobiography "Thinking in Pictures", that "what one therapy may work for one child may be completely useless for another," which makes sense. Although I don't understand what made Floortime/DIR more popular then Son-Rise. I guess its because their are more trained DIR professionals in school's, which Son-Rise doesn't do. Something about Son-Rise I think is EXTREMELY effective, and I think everyone should use the "Option dialogue" method for any stresses.
I think ABA is good for language, and academic skills, generally; Son-Rise is good for relationship skills; PECS is good for the "visual" learners; HBOT/Biomedical intervention is good too. But I think these can ALL overlap.
JL: How do you feel about being on the spectrum?
Elijah: Well, the weird thing about it is, sometimes me and other people don't even notice I'm on the spectrum, so it could be either way. When it comes to my "interests," they can become obsessive, but I wouldn't say they are like OCD because that's more "anxiety," although I have both.
Also: for me, I don't have trouble "interacting," its more of being "socially inappropriate," although I am better at that then I used to be.
Also I'm EXTREMELY friendly and have TONS of friends.
And I tend to have trouble "processing" new information, like in school. And I tend to learn better "visually" and in a slower pace then everyone else.
JL: What kind of 'socially inappropriate' things do you do?
Elijah: By 'socially inappropriate' I mean like interrupting others before they finish they're thought (I've gotten better with that), and a lot of times when people tell me things that shouldn't be repeated, I would tell the other person.
In part two I ask Elijah about his romantic interests and current goals and dreams. Part two will be posted next week.
