George & Jack - Positive Path Play Therapy

Our Boys George and Jack

George

George was diagnosed with severe autism at 2 years old and was predicted a very grim future by his consultant. Jane was advised to consider residential care for George and that he would have very limited life and communication skills and would very likely not be able to deal with everyday life.

Jane was palmed off with the standard leaflets containing basic information and local support groups.

After digesting this devastating news Jane started to heavily research autism and found herself in America trying out a therapy that she had read about. While this therapy had its benefits she did not think it would entirely suit George and her family’s needs.

Upon returning from America with a vast amount of knowledge Jane decided to experiment with play therapy with George to see what he responded to best. After five years and great success with George, Jane felt it was finally time to help other children to progress to their full potential.

George is now at mainstream sixth-form college and enjoys sport (participating and watching) and music. Socially George enjoys meeting up with friends, going to the cinema, bowling and going to shows and concerts.

Jack

Jack was your typical toddler… walking, talking and singing Old MacDonald. After the age of 18 months he started to lose some of the words he had learnt and no longer sung any nursery rhymes. Then came the lack of eye contact and could not tolerate any noise. His Health Visitor came to our home to carry out his 2 year development test which Jack failed as he would not co-operate with any of the tasks set.

Jack was taken to a private hospital to have a hearing test, the consultant carried out the test and told Jack’s mother that he could be wrong but he thought Jack may be autistic.

Well the next few months were a continual search to find the right therapies that could help Jack be the boy he once was.

With all the research pointing out that autism was not curable but could be improved greatly by early intervention Jacks mother knew she could not waste time in finding the right help for Jack. By this stage Jack was completely non-verbal, non-communicative and would not make any eye contact and would only come to his mum for assistance.

By chance his mother stumbled across a thread on a forum posted by another parent stating the great change in her child due to intervention by a therapy carried out by an organisation called Future Kids.

Upon telephoning Jane, his mother had a gut feeling that this was right therapy for her child.

Jack is now an inquisitive cheeky boy who willingly gives hugs and kisses, makes fantastic eye contact and is very sociable. Jack’s speech is still limited but very much in the right context, spontaneous and improving every day.