Celebrating the soul within - an account of S-bear

In February 2011, an au pair came to reside with us. We took a huge leap of faith to make a bold financial commitment & do this for the purpose of helping us implement fully our SonRise therapy for our children, and also get the help we so desperately needed. P. was with us for 8 of 12 months, when she relocated to another state and family au pair assignment. It was a huge transition for us because we were not prepared. For those of you reading this which have children on the autism spectrum-- you know the shock waves of ramifications I'm eluding to.

Anyhow, P. left our home in October of 2011 and just a  few weeks ago (nearly 6 months later), out of the complete blue, S-bear asked me, “Mom, does P. live in China?” I said, “Well, she is from China.” I paused to see if he would express more about what he was thinking about. He just sat there at the kitchen table reading his books for a few minutes, then he said to me, “Mom, is P. coming home soon?”

This whole spontaneous conversation blew me away, because it was completely random, and when P. was here, S-bear didn't outwardly show much of a connection with with her. For one, he is less expressive outwardly (it's only been about 20 months since he first uttered a 3 word sentence for something beyond a basic need); secondly, he has such sensory challenges that he doesn't tend to show emotional attachment beyond Momma & Daddy. 

S-bear is truly changing & really healing. We are so grateful for his healing. This reminded me again &  showed me how his feelings have always been there inside & that he had truly bonded with P., just in a way that maybe wasn’t as identifiable outwardly to us around him. This is a very teachable lesson for me & such a blessing because it absolutely fuels me to always keep on the road of S-bear's recovery. ENDLESSLY.

Even further, it reminds me to celebrate the beautiful soul he is, TODAY and everyday forward-- right where he is in each day (without judgement, assumptions, and full respect that he 100% is complete). Every inch of the iceberg of my son, S-bear, which is revealed as it comes above the water level of autism is a gift, and everything below water level I do not comprehend is also a gift ; &, by God's plan and direction we WILL see our boy's whole spirit & being through our faith & service.

I love you my beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy.

Meet one of our Earth Angels -- Ms. Stacey Rhodes

Let me start with I cannot say enough about this amazing lady whom has become a true friend. We met Stacey nearly 4 years ago when she first began working with S-Bear through early intervention. I was impressed with her positivity, passion & talent upon meeting her. What makes her a standout are all those things, plus she truly wants to COLLABORATE! I never take that for granted in working with the myriad of professionals surrounding my nest of 4 extraordinary blessings. Before meeting Stacey, I had never known a therapist to want to have a team meeting, share a binder of written team notes, etc, etc. I always felt the weight of being the integrator as the family matriarch & scheduler of all therapy work amongst the 4 kids.

Stacey has seen us through some of the roughest times of our journey. When she started, Bella & S-Bear alone had been enveloped into Autism. Within the following 2 years we hit rock bottom, witnessing our 15 mo old baby drift away & only months later, Roo then 3.5 years old regressed sharply & became very ill. Stacey was one constant whom kept me grounded. She truly has an unmatched compassion for others and is driven to HELP them. Her love of music & enrichment for others comes through her work so apparent. Though our youngest has really cycled through MAAAANY regressions, Stacey never gave up on her. Even when my mind was fragmented & not so sharp-- she never gave up on me. She even came back to us after having her own little one & did so much more than could ever be expected of a professional-- all out gift of her beautiful heart.

Today Stacey is still a key contributor to SJ through her SonRise home program, and soon she will be expanding to S-Bear this summer. We'd never be where we are today without this remarkable & ambitious professional. She brought SonRise back into my sights, after ABA failed for SJ. My kids are blooming in front of my eyes & you've had a tender hand in it; I'm forever grateful, Stacey. 

It is with pleasure that I share this very talented professional's Summer Programming information.