Mimico couple seeks volunteers to further son's strides

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As Matthew Anderson leaps up and down on a small trampoline, he holds fast to his mom's hands, listening to her voice, and looking into her eyes.

Watching the energetic, engaged little boy, it's hard to believe that just a year ago Matthew, who's autistic, was turned inward, often frustrated, a non-verbal boy who played alone and often hit himself or others.

Carrie and Russell Anderson credit their nearly five-year-old son's gains in socialization and language skills to a demanding, home-based, privately funded therapy for autism called Intensive Multi-Treatment Intervention (IMTI).

"Matthew has come a long way," his mom Carrie Anderson said last week in the living room of the family's Mimico home. "It's great to see what has changed, but I want more. I want my son to be a little kid who goes out and plays with his friends. I want him to have a place in the world independent of me."

Wanting more for Matthew has motivated the couple to seek volunteers necessary to increase their son's IMTI therapy time from 14 hours to between 30 to 40 hours per week in a specially designed playroom in their home.

"Volunteers have to be enthusiastic and fun. We're talking about playing," Anderson said of the IMTI therapy, for which she provides the training. "We want to find people who are interested in making a difference in the life of our child."

To learn more about how to volunteer to be part of Matthew's IMTI therapy team, see box at LEFT/RIGHT.

The Anderson's chestnut-haired son's retreat into a solitary world, even from their affection, began around age two. A preliminary diagnosis of autism followed a year ago.

Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact with others. A spectrum disorder, autism varies in degrees of severity and impairment.

In Ontario, an estimated 70,000 people have autism spectrum disorder, according to the Autism Society of Ontario.

"I think I spent three-and-a-half years trying to make the world perfect for him," Anderson said of her son before IMTI. "Your whole life becomes about trying to accommodate him. It's totally and utterly exhausting."

Previously, Matthew sought absolute control, but couldn't communicate his needs.

Daily trips to day care proved emotionally excruciating for Matthew because road work meant his mom couldn't take the usual route home.

"I want my child to experience joy, not have tears streaming down his face ripped apart because we turned left in the car instead of right," she said.

Matthew's dad Russell researched autism on the Internet. But an astounding 17-million hits and endless treatment options later yielded little but confusion.

Ontario-funded behavioural intervention wasn't an option for Matthew. The wait list for an assessment was 14 months. Even then, his parents were told he was likely too high-functioning to receive treatment.

"People told us it's just too hard to raise a child like this," Anderson said. "We were told, 'Shove him into full-time day care, go back to work, hope that he figures it out.'"

Determined to help their son, a family friend linked the Andersons to Jonathan Alderson, an autism treatment specialist for more than 13 years who recently relocated to Toronto from London, Ont.

Alderson founded IMTI, a program that integrates treatments in a three-part approach: biological (a special diet that includes supplements), behavioural and cognitive education and family and therapist "attitudinal training".

The six-phase IMTI program begins with free-play and relationship building and ends with transitioning the child to school.

Alderson identifies a "treatment map" individualized to each child's specific needs that meets the goals of the child's parents. Matthew is in pre-phase three, which introduces curriculum and table work.

"We do therapy that teaches Matthew how to act and think differently, how to talk and how to learn," Alderson said last week, after a monthly consultation with the Andersons and their therapy volunteers. "Then through family attitudinal fitness we develop coping strategies to help parents live a decent life and be at peace with what's happening as much as they can...

"Our end goal is to help Matthew integrate to a mainstream classroom where he can learn and be with his peers."

Austistic Cambridge twins Michael and Kevin Blane, now seven, did just that. Alderson's IMTI program is credited with helping the boys complete Grade 1 without an education assistant or curriculum modification.

Alderson currently works with five Toronto-area families, including the Andersons.

IMTI demands family commitment. The program requires 30 to 40 hours a week in a home-based playroom. Filling those hours requires volunteers, including the enlistment of family and friends.

Russell, Carrie, her mom Deanna Sager, and six volunteers currently do the IMTI program with Matthew. But more volunteers are needed.

The approach doesn't attempt to eliminate the autistic behaviour, but rather to join the child in what he's doing.

Carrie bounces a basketball with Matthew, then the pair are jumping up and down. A volunteer encourages Matthew to draw a circle, which will then become a clock with numbers.

Matthew is constantly engaged during therapy by being asked questions, having requests made of him, singing, playing and maintaining eye contact to develop emotional and social connection.

When Matthew cries after his mom tells him he can't come downstairs to play with Play-Doh, Alderson uses the teachable moment to train the volunteers.

"In the IMTI program, children can have emotions," Alderson tells them. "But there are socially appropriate ways to be disappointed. You can raise your voice and stamp your foot, but you don't get aggressive and destructive.

"It's OK to be upset. You communicate with him about it, and look for alternatives."

Training is ongoing, facilitated through observation of Matthew through a one-way window in the playroom, and the videotaping of his sessions.

Alderson's IMTI approach is based on giving autistic children love and acceptance.

"It's about being able to love our child rather than battling with him," Anderson said of her son. "We celebrate the positives and know we can make changes. Now we get to have a lot of joy with him."

IMTI is an approach that is working for her family, Anderson said.

"We're really putting our whole lives behind our son. That's what it takes to raise a child with autism."

VOLUNTEER TO HELP MATTHEW

Carrie and Russell Anderson are seeking volunteers to be trained in a home-based autism therapy for their son Matthew who is almost five.

WHO: Volunteers should have experience with children. No experience with autism is required. Candidates could include part-time teachers or moms of autistic kids interested in learning about the program.

WHAT: An autism therapy program called Intensive Multi-Treatment Intervention.

WHERE: The Anderson's Mimico home.

WHEN: A minimum commitment of two hours, twice a week. A longer-term commitment is requested.

WHY: To further help Matthew pull out of autism and toward being integrated into school.

HOW: Contact the Andersons at 416-255-9487 or via e-mail at carrie.anderson@rogers.com