Autism Breakthrough

The Groundbreaking Method That Has Helped Families All Over the World

by Raun K. Kaufman • 2014 • 368 pages

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Autistic Spectrum Disorder Psychology Parenting

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Key Takeaways

1. Autism is a social-relational disorder, not just a behavioral one

Autism is not a behavioral disorder; it is a social-relational disorder.

Reframing autism: This shift in perspective is crucial for understanding and effectively treating autism. While behavioral symptoms are often the most visible, they are merely manifestations of the underlying difficulty in forming social connections and relationships.

Core challenges: Children with autism struggle with:

Bonding and forming relationships with others
Processing sensory information
Recognizing patterns in social situations
Feeling overwhelmed by their environment

By addressing these core issues rather than just trying to modify behaviors, we can help children with autism develop the skills they need to navigate the social world more effectively.

2. The Son-Rise Program: A revolutionary approach to autism treatment

You love your child more than anything in the world.

Child-centered approach: The Son-Rise Program, developed by Barry Neil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman, is based on the principle that parents are the best resource for helping their autistic children. It emphasizes:

Creating a loving, accepting environment
Following the child's lead
Building on the child's interests and motivations

Paradigm shift: Unlike traditional therapies that focus on behavior modification, Son-Rise seeks to create a deep connection with the child. This approach allows for:

Increased social engagement
Improved communication
Greater flexibility in thinking and behavior

The program's success is rooted in its ability to tap into the parent-child bond and use it as a powerful tool for growth and development.

3. Joining: Enter your child's world to build trust and connection

Rather than forcing these children to conform to a world they do not understand, we begin by joining them in their world.

Understanding joining: Joining involves participating in your child's repetitive behaviors or interests (known as "isms") without judgment. This technique:

Builds trust and rapport
Shows acceptance of the child's world
Creates opportunities for social interaction

How to join:

Observe your child's behavior
Participate in the same activity alongside them
Match their energy and enthusiasm
Wait for them to initiate interaction

By joining, parents create a bridge between their child's world and the social world, making it easier for the child to engage and learn.

4. Motivation is the key to unlocking your child's potential

Motivation is the engine of growth.

Harnessing intrinsic motivation: Instead of using external rewards, the Son-Rise Program focuses on tapping into a child's natural interests and desires. This approach:

Increases engagement in learning activities
Promotes genuine skill acquisition
Enhances generalization of learned skills

Implementing motivation-based learning:

Identify your child's interests and passions
Create activities and games around these interests
Use these motivating activities to teach new skills
Gradually expand the range of interests and activities

By making learning intrinsically rewarding, children become active participants in their own development, leading to more meaningful and lasting progress.

5. The Four Fundamentals of Socialization in autism

There are four absolutely critical areas (each consisting of five stages of development) that you want to focus on if you are interested in your child's social development and progression through autism.

The Four Fundamentals:

Eye contact and nonverbal communication
Verbal communication
Interactive attention span
Flexibility

These areas form the foundation of social interaction and are crucial for developing meaningful relationships. By focusing on these fundamentals, parents can help their children build the skills necessary for successful social engagement.

Developmental approach: The Son-Rise Program provides a developmental model that helps parents track progress and set appropriate goals in each of these areas, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive approach to social skill development.

6. Creating an optimal learning environment for autistic children

Because of your child's sensory-processing challenges, addressing your child's environment is essential.

Designing a supportive space: An optimal learning environment for children with autism should:

Minimize sensory distractions
Provide a sense of safety and control
Allow for one-on-one interaction

Key elements of a Son-Rise playroom:

Neutral colors and minimal patterns
Reduced background noise
Incandescent or natural lighting
Toys and objects stored on shelves, not on the floor
Space for undistracted play and interaction

By creating an environment that addresses sensory sensitivities and promotes focus, children with autism can more easily engage in learning and social interaction.

7. Attitude matters: The critical element in helping your child

This is the most important chapter of the entire book.

Power of perspective: Your attitude as a parent or caregiver profoundly impacts your child's progress. A positive, accepting attitude:

Increases your child's responsiveness
Enhances your effectiveness in implementing techniques
Sustains your motivation over time

Cultivating a Son-Rise attitude:

Embrace your child's uniqueness, including autistic behaviors
Believe in your child's potential for growth
Maintain enthusiasm and energy in interactions
Practice nonjudgmental acceptance

By adopting this mindset, you create an environment of love and acceptance that allows your child to feel safe, supported, and motivated to engage with the world.

8. Giving control generates breakthroughs in autistic children

Control battles are one of the most disabling dealings you can have with your child.

Empowering through choice: Allowing your child to have control in certain areas can lead to significant breakthroughs. This approach:

Reduces anxiety and resistance
Increases willingness to engage and learn
Builds trust and cooperation

Implementing the control principle:

Offer choices whenever possible
Respect your child's decisions
Allow your child to initiate and end interactions
Be responsive to your child's cues and preferences

By giving control, you create a partnership with your child, fostering a sense of safety and autonomy that encourages exploration and growth.

9. Diet and biology play a crucial role in autism treatment

What your child is eating might be having a gigantic effect on him.

Addressing biological factors: Many children with autism have underlying biological issues that can impact behavior and development. Key areas to consider:

Food sensitivities (especially to gluten and casein)
Digestive problems
Nutritional deficiencies
Sensory processing challenges

Dietary interventions:

Gluten-free, casein-free diet
Supplementation with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes
Probiotics for gut health
Reduction of inflammatory foods

By addressing these biological factors, many children experience improvements in behavior, communication, and overall well-being, making other interventions more effective.

10. Handling challenging behaviors with a new perspective

When your child is tantruming, hitting, crying, pinching, screaming, etc., he is trying to communicate!

Reframing challenging behaviors: Instead of seeing tantrums and difficult behaviors as problems to be eliminated, view them as attempts at communication. This perspective shift allows you to:

Respond more calmly and effectively
Teach more appropriate communication methods
Build a stronger connection with your child

Strategies for addressing challenging behaviors:

Stay calm and nonreactive
Identify the underlying need or message
Teach alternative communication methods
Celebrate and reinforce positive behaviors

By approaching challenging behaviors as opportunities for teaching and connection, you can help your child develop more effective ways of expressing their needs and emotions.

Last updated: May 28, 2025

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FAQ

What is "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman about?

Personal recovery story: The book shares Raun K. Kaufman’s journey from severe autism to full recovery, offering hope and challenging the belief that autism is a lifelong, unchangeable condition.
Introduction to The Son-Rise Program: It explains a parent-created, home-based, child-centered autism treatment that focuses on joining the child’s world rather than forcing behavior change.
Social-relational focus: The book redefines autism as a social-relational disorder and provides practical strategies for building trust, motivation, communication, and social skills.
Empowerment for families: It aims to empower parents with knowledge, techniques, and optimism to help their children progress and potentially recover.

Why should I read "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman?

Hopeful and optimistic perspective: The book counters common pessimism about autism, encouraging parents to believe in their child’s potential for growth and change.
Practical, actionable guidance: It offers clear techniques such as joining, motivation, and the Good-Tryer Principle that parents can implement immediately at home.
Comprehensive and holistic approach: The book addresses socialization, communication, sensory issues, flexibility, behavior management, and even dietary interventions.
Backed by experience and research: Advice is grounded in decades of work at the Autism Treatment Center of America and supported by empirical research and real-life success stories.

What are the key takeaways from "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman?

Autism is not fixed: The book challenges the idea that autism is a permanent, unchangeable condition and offers hope for significant progress or recovery.
Relationship over behavior: Emphasizes building social connection and trust through joining and motivation, rather than focusing solely on extinguishing behaviors.
Parental attitude matters: Highlights the critical role of a parent’s attitude, optimism, and belief in their child’s potential for success.
Practical strategies: Provides detailed, step-by-step techniques for joining, motivating, celebrating, and managing challenging behaviors.

What is The Son-Rise Program as described in "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman?

Joining the child’s world: Parents participate in their child’s repetitive behaviors (isms) to build trust and connection, rather than trying to stop them.
Motivation-driven learning: The program uses the child’s intrinsic interests as the foundation for learning and socialization, making activities fun and meaningful.
Giving control and celebration: Children are given control over interactions, and every attempt or success is celebrated with enthusiasm to encourage confidence and repetition.
Nonjudgmental, loving attitude: The program stresses the importance of a welcoming, optimistic, and nonjudgmental approach from parents.

How does "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman define autism and its core challenges?

Social-relational disorder: Autism is primarily seen as a difficulty in bonding and forming relationships, not just a set of behaviors to be changed.
Sensory processing differences: Children with autism often experience sensory input differently, leading to overstimulation and unique coping mechanisms.
Pattern recognition and rigidity: The book explains that children struggle with predicting social cues and routines, resulting in rigidity and control-seeking behaviors.
Behaviors as coping: Repetitive behaviors (isms) are viewed as coping mechanisms rather than problems to be eliminated.

What is the "joining" technique in "Autism Breakthrough" and why is it important?

Definition of joining: Parents participate in their child’s repetitive behaviors with genuine interest and love, mirroring actions without trying to change them.
Builds trust and connection: This approach helps children feel safe and accepted, encouraging them to engage more with others over time.
Stimulates social learning: Joining activates brain areas related to empathy and social learning, which are often underactive in autism.
Reduces stimming naturally: Contrary to fears, joining does not increase repetitive behaviors but helps children shift toward interactive behaviors voluntarily.

How does "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman explain the role of motivation in learning?

Motivation is the engine: Learning happens fastest when children are intrinsically motivated by their own interests, not by external rewards or forced repetition.
Pitfalls of reward systems: Using rewards to force behavior can lead to robotic compliance and poor generalization of skills.
Customized learning: Parents are encouraged to tailor activities around what their child loves, combining motivations with educational goals.
Three-step technique: The process involves joining until the child is ready, inviting them to a motivating activity, and keeping the game going as long as they willingly participate.

What are the Four Fundamentals of Socialization in "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman?

Eye contact and nonverbal communication: Building the ability to look at others, read facial expressions, and use gestures.
Verbal communication: Developing meaningful speech that is linked to the child’s interests and needs.
Interactive attention span: Increasing the duration a child can engage in social interaction before disengaging.
Flexibility: Helping the child tolerate changes, transitions, and different ways of doing things to reduce rigidity and meltdowns.

How does "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman suggest managing tantrums and challenging behaviors?

Tantrums as communication: Challenging behaviors are seen as attempts to communicate when the child lacks other means.
Calm, flat responses: Parents are advised to respond to tantrums with slow, calm, and flat reactions to reduce their power and frequency.
Reinforce positive communication: Sweet, communicative behaviors should be met with fast, enthusiastic, and urgent reactions to encourage their use.
Teach alternatives: Encourage and celebrate gentle, communicative behaviors to gradually replace tantrums.

What is the Good-Tryer Principle in "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman?

Encourage multiple attempts: Children need to try many times, making mistakes, to master new skills.
Celebrate effort, not just success: Parents should enthusiastically celebrate every attempt, not just the end result, to build willingness to try.
Avoid discouragement: Don’t finish words for your child or give up when they struggle; instead, encourage persistence and resilience.
Bring energy and enthusiasm: High energy and excitement from parents help motivate and engage children in learning and trying.

What is the ABC model of interaction timing in "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman?

Assess: Observe whether your child is giving a red light (exclusive, disconnected) or green light (interactive, engaged).
Bond: When your child gives a red light, focus on joining and relationship-building without pushing for change.
Challenge: When your child gives a green light, introduce learning, new skills, or social challenges based on motivation.
Timing is crucial: Matching your approach to your child’s moment-to-moment state maximizes progress and trust.

How does "Autism Breakthrough" by Raun K. Kaufman address dietary interventions for children with autism?

Biological connection: The book explains that many children with autism have digestive and immunological challenges that affect their behavior and development.
Key diets discussed: It covers the Gluten- and Casein-Free Diet (GFCF), Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), and Body Ecology Diet (BED) as starting points for dietary intervention.
Son-Rise feeding principles: Five principles—control, creativity, relationship-building, attitude, and persistence—are outlined to help parents change their child’s diet in a noncoercive, fun, and effective way.
Shifting from survival to recovery: The book highlights how diet and the Son-Rise Program together help shift children from fight-or-flight survival mode to recovery mode, improving their biology and capacity to learn.