Raun Kaufman
Encyclopedia
Raun Kahlil Kaufman is a teacher
and writer
who serves as CEO
for the early Intervention therapy
program Son-Rise
. Son-Rise is located at the Autism Treatment Center of America, a division of the Option Institute in Sheffield, Massachusetts
, which is an independent non-profit organization
that offers attitudinal training workshops for parents to help their children.
Kaufman, at the age of two, was diagnosed as severely autistic
with an under 30 IQ, although questions have been raised whether Raun Kaufman was actually autistic before being treated. His parents Barry Neil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman refused to listen to professionals who said their son was incurable and hopeless; instead they created a home-based program to reach Raun. Subsequently, Raun is claimed to have recovered as a neurotypical
person.
and a several-day hospital stay; doctors feared Raun would suffer permanent hearing loss. Raun eventually started displaying autistic symptoms and was later diagnosed as severely autistic. Although the Kaufmans were advised to institutionalize their child because of his "hopeless, lifelong condition", they began a program of their own, based upon the idea that their child was engaged in these behaviors for a reason that made sense only to him.
His parents tried to communicate with Raun not by overt attempts to force neurotypical
behavior
, but by imitating his endless rocking, plate spinning and other ritual
s, while gently introducing eye contact, speech and song for him to engage with if he would, until Raun, on his own, made direct eye contact with his mother during the treatment. According to the Kaufmans, during an intensive program, Raun's autistic behaviors vanished and he became a highly verbal, socially interactive child with a near-genius IQ. By his parents' and his own accounts, he now leads a "normal" life.
school with a degree in bioethics
and was once the director of a children's learning center. Kaufman's career has included stints with SCORE! Educational Centers
, a tutoring program in the United States. He is the CEO of the Autism Treatment Center of America (ATCA), and is overseeing expansion of its treatment centers to the United Kingdom
. In 1983, the Kaufmans founded the Autism Treatment Center of America to offer other parents the opportunity to learn how to create a play-based home program for autism spectrum children.
. An NBC
TV Movie Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love
based on the book was broadcast in 1979. The Son-Rise Program has been widely covered in the press; for example, the 1997 BBC
documentary I Want My Little Boy Back followed the family of a five-year-old autistic boy treated by the program.
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who serves as CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
for the early Intervention therapy
Early Childhood Intervention
Early childhood intervention is a support system for children with developmental disabilities or delays and their families.The mission of Early Childhood Intervention is to assure that families who have children ages birth to three, with diagnosed disabilities, developmental delays or substantial...
program Son-Rise
Son-Rise
Son-Rise is a home-based program for children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities, which was developed by Barry Neil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman for their autistic son. The program is a parent-directed, relationship-based play therapy...
. Son-Rise is located at the Autism Treatment Center of America, a division of the Option Institute in Sheffield, Massachusetts
Sheffield, Massachusetts
Not to be confused with the city of Sheffield in the UK, or Sheffield, Vermont.Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,257 at the 2010 census. Sheffield is home to...
, which is an independent non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that offers attitudinal training workshops for parents to help their children.
Kaufman, at the age of two, was diagnosed as severely autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
with an under 30 IQ, although questions have been raised whether Raun Kaufman was actually autistic before being treated. His parents Barry Neil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman refused to listen to professionals who said their son was incurable and hopeless; instead they created a home-based program to reach Raun. Subsequently, Raun is claimed to have recovered as a neurotypical
Neurotypical
Neurotypical is a term that was coined in the autistic community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum: specifically, neurotypical people have neurological development and states that are consistent with what most people would perceive as normal, particularly with respect to...
person.
Early childhood
At the age of four weeks, Raun had an ear infection that was treated with antibiotics, which caused severe dehydrationDehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
and a several-day hospital stay; doctors feared Raun would suffer permanent hearing loss. Raun eventually started displaying autistic symptoms and was later diagnosed as severely autistic. Although the Kaufmans were advised to institutionalize their child because of his "hopeless, lifelong condition", they began a program of their own, based upon the idea that their child was engaged in these behaviors for a reason that made sense only to him.
His parents tried to communicate with Raun not by overt attempts to force neurotypical
Neurotypical
Neurotypical is a term that was coined in the autistic community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum: specifically, neurotypical people have neurological development and states that are consistent with what most people would perceive as normal, particularly with respect to...
behavior
Behavior
Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...
, but by imitating his endless rocking, plate spinning and other ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
s, while gently introducing eye contact, speech and song for him to engage with if he would, until Raun, on his own, made direct eye contact with his mother during the treatment. According to the Kaufmans, during an intensive program, Raun's autistic behaviors vanished and he became a highly verbal, socially interactive child with a near-genius IQ. By his parents' and his own accounts, he now leads a "normal" life.
Education and career
Kaufman graduated from an Ivy LeagueIvy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
school with a degree in bioethics
Bioethics
Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy....
and was once the director of a children's learning center. Kaufman's career has included stints with SCORE! Educational Centers
SCORE! Educational Centers
SCORE! Educational Centers , was owned by Kaplan, Inc., which is a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, and was a United States provider of customized supplementary education and one-on-three tutoring services for children in kindergarten through ninth grade...
, a tutoring program in the United States. He is the CEO of the Autism Treatment Center of America (ATCA), and is overseeing expansion of its treatment centers to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 1983, the Kaufmans founded the Autism Treatment Center of America to offer other parents the opportunity to learn how to create a play-based home program for autism spectrum children.
Award-winning book and film
In 1976, Barry Kaufman published Son-Rise, a book about his son Raun's "triumph over autism", which he revised and added further material to in 1995 in Son-Rise: The Miracle ContinuesSon-Rise: The Miracle Continues
Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues is a biographical book by Barry Neil Kaufman and published in 1994. It was revived and expanded from the original book, Son-Rise, which spawned into the NBC television movie entitled Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love...
. An NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV Movie Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love
Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love
Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love is a 1979 NBC television docudrama film adapted by the biographical book Son-Rise by Barry Neil Kaufman, and is the real life story of how, according to his parents, Raun Kaufman completely recovered from severe autism...
based on the book was broadcast in 1979. The Son-Rise Program has been widely covered in the press; for example, the 1997 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary I Want My Little Boy Back followed the family of a five-year-old autistic boy treated by the program.