In 1995, my son was first diagnosed within the autism spectrum. What wouldn’t I have given to get solid, proven, common-sense information to put into practice and start helping my child immediately! Today my child is one of the success stories of autism. I created this website to help other children reach their maximum potential.

When our son, was diagnosed at age 3 1/2 by a psychologist from the University of Michigan, he told us, “There is nothing you can do – just wait until your son gets to kindergarten.” Naturally, my husband and I felt totally devastated and helpless.  Not being able to accept that our son had a problem and there was nothing we could do to about it, I went to our local book store and spent hours browsing in the section on special needs children. This was the beginning of his journey towards recovery. Over a period of years, my husband and I researched and tried many therapies – some of which were invaluable in helping my son make enormous strides forward.

The first year after our son's diagnosis, we worked with a behavioral speech therapist to create and implement a modified Lovass behavioral intervention program, during which our son had 4 hours a day of one-on-one therapy a day to improve speech, memory and comprehension.* Most of this therapy was done by us. That first year, our son also went through a session of Auditory Integration Training (AIT) which triggered remarkable growth—he began speaking in complete sentences for the first time during that first session. We then put him on a restricted diet, limiting foods containing gluten and casein, added supplements, and saw even greater improvements. Since that first year, we have repeated auditory integration training, eliminated gluten and casein foods from his diet, and added visual integration therapy.  We also purchased AIT CDs  from www.seriouscomposer.com which allows us to carry out AIT in our home - we use them periodically when he looks like he needs a pick-me-up to keep him moving forward.  In first through third grade, he received outstanding services through his public school for speech, occupational therapy, and social work.  He has also benefited from interactive metronome therapy, visual integration therapy, tap dancing,  and autism enzymes.  

He came so far that at age 10, he was a gifted pianist, reading chapter books, had ridden every roller coaster at Cedar Point, and biked around the neighborhood with his best friend.  Currently, at age 14, he is considered by several of his music teachers to be a musical prodigy - he has been playing piano for about 8 years, guitar for 4 years, and drums for 3 years.  He composes music and he and his sister have a formed band and are playing in public in  Ann Arbor, Michigan and he was hired to play holiday music at a local mall during the 2006/2007 holiday season.  He is sweet, loving, funny, and quirky and we wouldn't have him any other way. That he has come so far is in large part due to the combination of the interventions carried out by us and by the talented professionals who came into our son's life over the years. However, our son deserves deserves the lion's share of the credit for his hard work, perseverance and courage.  

I also created this web site, because I had a mentally retarded brother, Marty, who did not get the help he needed when he was young.  He had a much sadder outcome than my son and spent his life in public institutions, barely able to communicate and severely limited in his abilities. He was finally free of his handicaps and going to his maker.  Within a month of his death, I began Autism Coach to honor what I believe would have been Marty's wishes that other children be spared his fate, having the opportunity to receive the help they need.

If this site has helped to brighten the future of a single child, it has served its purpose.