New treatment funded by council

A controversial treatment programme which
claims to cure children of autistic behaviour is to be funded in the UK for the
first time by Stirling Council.  

The Son-Rise programme was first developed in the
US by Barry and Samantha Kaufman for their son, Raun, who was diagnosed with
severe autism and an IQ of less than 30. The intensive home-based method
involves joining the child in their autistic behaviour and coaxing them out of
it. After three years Raun showed no signs of autistic behaviour. But the
programme has been criticised by health professionals and autism charities.

A spokesperson for the National Autistic
Society warned that there was no known cure for autism and added: “There has
not been a great deal of research into how effective the Son-Rise programme
is.  Without research and scientific
evaluation we can’t comment on how well the programme works.”

Stirling Council will pay Gary and
Laura Galstaun £16,500 per year towards applying the Son-Rise programme to
their six-year old son, Aaron. The Galstauns, from Callander, embarked on the
Son-Rise approach two years ago. Gary Galstaun said: “The impact of the
treatment has already been huge.”