Special Needs Counselling

Contact Malai Sontheimer Telephone Bristol England (UK) 0117 9537219 OR Mobile 07762551084

Option programme

The day Oliver was first diagnosed with severe developmental delay and with the prognosis, that he would always be half his age, was the day when I first heard about the Option programme.  It was the light in my darkest dark.  It changed my deepest tragedy into my most rewarding adventure.  It worked when nothing else was working. 

As soon as I read the books and watched the video I started running an Option programme for Oliver.  My friend Kate and I started fund raising to be able to go to the Option Institute and learn the Option methods properly. 

When Oliver was two years old we took him there for a fortnight.  We had Steve Wertz and Bryn Hogan, Director of the Son-Rise Program, as our main teachers.  Steve now leads the Growing Minds Program, (www.autism-programs.com), this is a parent-directed treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum disorders.

 It was such an amazing time learning to be happy with Oliver for who he was, and in accepting and loving ourselves in our struggles. 

After that I ran a full time Option programme for him in our house for the next seven years.  My son started walking and talking and coming into life with the help of this amazing way of loving him.  I had about 10 volunteers helping me, we all had so much fun and learnt so much, that at times I was wondering if we were running the programme for him or was he in fact running it for us?

Although Oliver progressed so much he never got anywhere near being mainstream.  Eventually I stopped the programme when we were working more intensely with Donna and when I realised that we had to address Oliver’s Exposure Anxiety in a different way.

I shall always feel immensely grateful to everybody at the Option Institute for showing me what a special and wonderful person Oliver is.  

I feel especially thankful towards Bryn for guiding, supporting and loving me through those seven years.  For teaching me about changing my belief systems to ones that made me happier.  For always reminding me that I was lucky to have a child that I could love and care for so deeply.  For telling me that the journey matters, not the outcome, and why not make it the most loving and wonderful journey possible.  

Oliver now age 18 is obsessed with all the videos we took during his Option programme and watches them over and over again.

The Option Institute

The Option Institute runs the Son-Rise Program (autismtreatmentcenter.org) a powerful, effective and totally unique treatment for children and adults with autism spectrum conditions and other developmental difficulties.

Their website is (www.option.org)
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