I heard about it when our son was first diagnosed and have heard great things. Unfortunately is very expensive. We used DIR/Floortime by dr. Greenspan and is very similar to what the son-rise program offers. Here is the website if you want to look at it. icdl.com We actually used his book, "A child with special Needs" as our manual to his program because there are not a lot of providers here in CA and it really became like my bible and it really fosters learning and growing in the basic 6 levels of typical development. Its the complete opposite of ABA. DIR is child driven and teaches in a functional way vs drilling like discrete trials/ABA does. I hope you find it helpful. (:

The Son-Rise Program offers scholarship and they have a whole bunch of info on fund raising.

The Son-Rise Program is amazing! I have seen it help so many children and families. I personally think its one of the most respectful therapies I've seen for people with autism, so I'm not sure why so many make other assumptions based off of things they have read out of context. It can be as expensive as you want it to be depending upon how much training you pursue for yourself and what kind of team you would like to support you. One of the best things about the Son-Rise Program is the community. It's incredibly supportive and you feel as if you gain an additional family, which is why once people go to a training they keep on going. However nowdays there are so many ways to get support that even though going to a training is ideal it is certainly not the only way to learn. I would definitely recommend at least incorporating the Son-Rise attitude into every child's life!

@ fatinamaui
You're still assuming a few things about me.

First of all, the Son Rise program speaks of "curing" autism... a major irritant to people who actually are autistic... as well as language that suggests that autism is a death-like state from which one is reborn, or that it is a choice that the person with autism can make.

Acceptance and quality time with parents, structured environments, dietary focus on healthy eating and eliminating allergens, etc. are all best practice for any parent with any child and not unique to the Son Rise program. It does not CURE anything. The child just learns better coping skills for sensory overloads and social scripting requirements, as well as feeling more connected to parents and therefore stable and secure.

The behaviors that drive parents nuts... stimming, withdrawal, and temper tantrums... has to do with fear and sensory pain. Structure, acceptance, and sensory therapy take care of these problems. Son Rise does include them in its program, and that is why parents see positive changes in their child's behavior.

Attitude within a program toward a condition, trait, or difference is another matter.

For example:
"Their basic idea seems to be that any problem in the world can be solved by choosing to feel happy about it, and Barry Kaufman constantly makes a big deal of how important it is to love and accept and autistic child the way they are, autism and all - but then implies that if you just accept them enough, they'll miraculously be "rescued" from the autism (if a miracle doesn't occur, then presumably you had the wrong attitude, since Kaufman regards any suggestions that that autism might be an incurable disability as defeatist). Sorry, but that's not real acceptance. If you truly accept something, you stop hoping and praying that it'll go away."
http://rsaffran.tripod.com/sonrise.html

or:
" Kaufman is on record that if the program is followed faithfully, most children will in fact choose not to be autistic and choose to come out of it. --Bluejay Young 05:42, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't like explaining it, "choosing not to-be autistic." It's a brain disorder. For example, People can't say, "I choose not to have a cancer." "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3ASon-Rise

I tried to be diplomatic in my prior post, but you seemed to want clarification regarding why I might have the attitude I have toward Son Rise, and you suggested I am not familiar with the program.

Any program for the apparent benefit of a particular group, no matter how effective application components are, that uses language that makes that group sound like less for who they truly are, is something to question and challenge.

Thank you very much by the way, I had heard something about the Greenspan DIR/Floortime method being very similar, it might give me a head start while I'm saving up to go back east! :)