Thanks for autism story

Thank you so much for your inspiring and informative autism article! I cannot overstate how important it is for families like the Shrimplins to have options.

The Son-Rise Program that this dedicated family is doing with their precious son Alex was originally developed to help me!

When I was a little boy, I was diagnosed with severe autism. I had no language, no eye contact, and a tested IQ of under 30. My parents were told that my condition was permanent and that I was destined to spend my life in an institution.

Refusing to give up on me, my parents developed The Son-Rise Program to reach me.

And it worked.

After three-and-a-half years, I recovered completely, bearing no traces of my former condition and later graduating from the Ivy League's Brown University with a degree in Biomedical Ethics. Now, spending my days involved in the most social of professions: working with families, teaching workshops, and lecturing worldwide.

Carmen Shrimplin said that her family is the only one in Southeast Missouri doing The Son-Rise Program. This can change very quickly. My new book, "Autism Breakthrough," was just released on April 1. Any of your readers can simply read the book and learn all of the fundamentals of the program that the Shrimplins are doing. They can also access many free resources on the website of our not-for-profit (the Autism Treatment Center of America) at autismtreatment.org.

There is always hope for every child!

RAUN K. KAUFMAN, Sheffield, Mass.