Son-Rise Hardcover – January 1, 1976

I have a brother with Autism, and we went through all of the things that the Kaufman family went through with Raun. My brother was born in the mid 70's and with so little information to go on back then, the trauma of seeing what doctors and psychologists did to some of these children was just absolutely horrid!!!! I remember the family meetings that we had to where we were told my brother was not normal. He had to be medicated and in an home. As an 8 year at the time I remember asking the doctor, "what is normal?" What is normal for someone else, is not normal for others and that is okay. We did what the Kaufman family did and we surrounded my brother in love and accepted him for who is he is, and where he was back then and to this day. He was non verbal back then and music is the first thing we connected on. We'd sit and listen to the classical station (back then), not a word had to be said. We sat and rocked back and forth to the music. My brother can talk today, he's not as advanced as Raun is, but he is further along than what he was in the 70's. He was 1 of 8 children with a disability in high school to graduate back in the 90's. Seeing my little brother walk across the stage and get a diploma still brings tears to my eyes. Thank you Barry for sharing your family's journey.

I read this book when it first came out in the 1970's when I was a University student studying child psychology. Little did I know that I would be born with an autistic daughter that couldn't make eye contact, never responded to a hug (except the day she had a 103-degree fever and I pretended her falling into me was cuddling), and screamed all day, every day for the first six months of her life. And that was just the beginning. She was in counseling by kindergarten, never made friends, began cutting herself in high school, and attempted suicide 3 times in one year. But all along, from her earliest moments, I just kept working the methods and stratagies in this book. I knew there had to be someone in there and there was no one but me that cared enough to reach her. My daughter, now 35, is a licensed social worker with an extremely successful practice and 2 delightful and bright young daughters. Without this book none of this would have ever been. It was truly a godsend in my life and I will be forever greatful for it. I purchased this for her so she could know how I tried to help her when she was too little to help herself.

One of my favorite books on autism. The story of how one family engaged with their autistic son and found a way through for him and eventually for many of the other children with autism as well.

This book is very encouraging to parents of autistic children, and gives excellent advice on starting a Sonrise program. Also, I wouldn't waste money on Autism Can Be Cured or Breakthough Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorder because their website gives those lectures for free and actually in more depth. However, the book has information not told on the website or from the movie. It even gave an outline daily schedule that they used. Also, if you need strategies they have you tube video's out and a blog on their website where they will answer any questions for free.My book was not an updated version but one from the 1970's.

I read this book back in the 70's and was impressed! My best girlfriend has a grandson with Asperger's Syndrome, so I ordered this book for her to read. It would be a great help to anyone dealing with autism or other similar problems. Highly recommended.

I read this book many years ago when I knew very little about autism. Since I work with some students with autism I thought it might be interesting to read it again. I enjoyed it this time as well and thought that it had some interesting insights into very young children with autism. The difference in ways of thinking then and now is evident as well.

It is a good book but very deep minded author--His sons book Autism Breakthrough is much easier to grasp.

You can read this for entertainment, but don't bother trying it on your child.

Now I am training my son with support of this book. It’s really good one, the parents who has autistic kid should read this book, it will help them to change their perceptions of their kids in a positive way.

Book had a very musty smell - to the extent I could not put it near any other books.