Glastonbury, Lyme Regis and Charmouth

Playing with sister, paddling, looking for fossils, a trip up the Tor and to Chalice Well. 

Raffy did great on our short break. 

He went to the toilet all holiday! Down with nappies!

Wish summer could last a few weeks longer.

Will have to see how the cooler seasons progress. Raffy says he want to be barefoot forever! 

Watch this space :)

Secret Garden Party

Barefoot summer days.

Season of trees and festivals

Raffy has been on two camping trips in the past month. One was a pop-up festival for a friends birthday with bands, DJ's games and a magician. 

Now we are gearing up for a proper 4-day arts and music festival in Cambridgeshire. The one and only Secret Garden Party! We have a pitch in the Sanctuary area offering Reiki and Osteopathy treatments to all and sundry plus hopefully seeing Public Enemy and Martha and the Vandellas! Who knows how the trip will pan out?! It really is a new one for all of us.

I can't believe it's been so long since the last update. We have had a two day outreach with Gerd Winkler, a highly experienced Son-Rise Program® teacher. It was a lot of money but was very much worth it. 

We are still reaping the benefits and implementing his ideas. So much love, respect and challenges for when Raffy was interactive and we saw our boy reach out of himself even more than before. 

It was so inspiring to see and also to have an expert on hand for every crazy eventuality! 

Raffy is at the stage where he is coming through his classic autism diagnosis with more sophisticated language, jokes, questions and expansion. He can seem more challenging at times because he is finding how the world works and testing things out with words and actions. 

We found out we can ask him to do more things like put his own seat belt on in the car as he really is able to do this. His motor skills in general are coming along. He is even finding out ways to keep us doing stuff for him by mentioning that only 8 year olds can do it and he is only 7!

He is experimenting with climbing up the steps of the slide and coming down on his own, balancing on ropes and doing some hanging from monkey bars. All big risks for him.

He is now vitally interested in trees and leaves and is busy identifying the local trees. He carries around his book - British Trees: A photographic guide to every common species (Collins Complete Guide) and is currently on the trail of a hickory nut!

Our Son-Rise program has changed to allow more time outside the playroom with games around people and their interests mixed with some homeschooling elements. Such a brilliant period of growth. We are very very proud of him.

Our gorgeous lad :)

Raffy enjoying the good weather. Collecting flowers in yet another box!

The Iron Giant

Raffy is having some emotional breakthroughs and it's so very exciting to witness. In the last week he has started to show some empathy. He held my hand last week when I cried while reading a sad article in the newspaper.

Today he asked me if he could watch a film with me. We watched The Iron Giant (based on a Ted Hughes novel) and he rubbed his eyes when the deer was killed by the hunter and wanted a hug.

He's been having some physical and verbal outbursts over the past six months and this is a fantastic step forwards. He is a wonderful boy. It's not an easy path for him. We are so proud.

Autism Breakthrough! Essential reading for all :)

Raun Kaufman was the first Son-Rise child. He is now a biomedical expert, Son-Rise teacher and all round brilliant person (I've met him!)

This book is going to be the bible for autism parents and any professional who really wants to support and help families and kids/adults on the spectrum. Or anyone who wants to be part of the broader human race! Raun is the dude. 

Pre order from Amazon UK in hardback or paperback.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Autism-Breakthrough-K-Raun-Kaufman/dp/1250041112/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394710770&sr=1-1&keywords=autism+breakthrough

Climbing the Mountain :-)

Here he is! Attending a party for the first time and having a great time in his unique way! It was a party for one of his sisters friends. He wasn't invited but ended up joining in a bit. 

Slap bang in the middle of everyone singing 'Happy birthday', he yelled out "Who's birthday is it??!" 

This is a serious machine mountain with it's babies. 

Who are all wearing hats and being zapped by viruses.

Raffy asked me to take a picture of him waving the sticks from our new-to-us but broken xylophone! He wanted to check out the traces!!!

Toxic River 

Another masterpiece by the resident creative genius (one of them!)