By Juliana Edwards
Our journey with Isaac, our autistic son, as he has grown up, has been about building bridges for him.
With our neurotypical children, along their path of development and maturity, when it came time for them to take the next step, it was as if there was a bridge already built for them, and all we as parents needed to do was take their hand and encourage them across and then they would be away. Or maybe all we needed to do was to prompt them to take that next step by themselves.
With Isaac, however, we found that we would get to a point when we realised there was no bridge. So we had to think about how we were going to build one for him. What tools were we going to use to help him take that next step? And that is where the Davis programme has been invaluable.
Ron Davis’ program has built bridges for Isaac. For us, it is the biggest difference between the Davis program and all of the other programs we have tried.
Together, Isaac and I have gained the tools to know how to build bridges for life – not just from one step in development to the next. These are tools that he can use for the rest of his life. The Davis Autism concepts are the bridges that help Isaac to walk from where he is, to be able to live a full life, to have what he needs in order to be the person he wants to be and to do what he wants to do. No longer will he come to a point where there is a chasm and he doesn’t know how to get across it – he will always have those tools.
The Davis Autism concepts are the bridges that help Isaac to walk from where he is, to be able to live a full life, to have what he needs in order to be the person he wants to be and to do what he wants to do.
Ron Davis has not created the Davis Autism Approach in a way that says, “You must be like this.” The program is not prescriptive. It is individualized. I think this is because Ron has created it from the inside out – not from the outside in. He, being autistic himself, truly understands.
The program does not convey the message that you need to change who you are. Instead its message is: I get who you are. These are the tools that are going to help you become even more who you want to be.
One of the unique things about the Davis Autism Approach, the thing that makes it different to any other therapy or program, is that Ron Davis really understands autism from the within. And his program truly reaches to the core of who Isaac is.
The Davis Autism Approach has allowed Isaac to cross those bridges into the big wide world, but whenever he chooses he can cross back into his own world too. He hasn’t had to leave things behind that are important to him, or lose any of his strengths. In fact the Davis program embraces Isaac’s strengths while helping him overcome the weaknesses. It bridges the gap between the autistic world and this big world beyond, and embraces both worlds so that they are able to work in harmony.
The Davis Autism Approach program bridges the gap between the autistic world and this big world beyond, and embraces both worlds so that they are able to work in harmony.
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