Testimonials
What other parents and professionals have to say about the Autism-Essentials
Program,
Monique's expertise and the effectivness of her therapy.
Testimonials about the Program
"...by far the most informative and enlightning guidance
I have received to date!"
"The Autism Essential DVD Program is by far THE BEST, MOST INFORMATIVE and ENLIGHTENING collective of information and guidance that I have recieved to date!
I cannot express my gratitude to you for giving and sharing this invaluable insight to understanding autism. Even though I am only half way through disc 6, please know that the knowlegde of persepective has been a wonderful thing.
To finally understand the way my child interperates the world and the way the world may impact on him, has really given me a better insight into the guidance and support that I can provide him in everyday life. I feel that I am able to approach and work with his therapists with a greater comprehension of his needs and not just trust blind faith.
Knowlegde is power! Now I don't feel so helpless, for this I thankyou."
"...finally we have the answers we have been
searching for."
"After watching 3 DVDs I have already noticed significant changes after implementing some of the strategies. I can't believe the wealth of knowledge you teach in each video.
Thank you for your program, it is a "God send." Thank you Connect Therapy, finally we have the answers we have been searching for."
"...the dvd package is awesome."
"We are so looking forward to starting the home program with Connect; the DVD package is awesome - we are currently on DVD no. 4"
"...I as a foreigner have no problem in following the progamme."
"I am Zehra from Pakistan thanks for sending me the Autism Essentials
Programme it is very intresting and easy to follow I have just gone through
DVD 1 & 2 your way of teaching is so perfect that I as a foreigner have
no problem in following the progamme."
"The DVDs have been just wonderful."
"The DVDs have been just wonderful. They are packed with information that is easy to follow and understand. I have learnt so much from them. The sessions both OT and Speech have been invaluable."
"This program is the "first stop" for all ASD children"
"We are now armed with valuable and specific techniques relevant to our son. The dvds also demystified autism in a concise way that often books and internet articles fail to do. This program is the "first stop" for all ASD children. We have no hesitation in recommending this program for any child and their family."
"The videos were an absolute god-send ...should be compulsory viewing for all parents of a newly diagnosed child"
"When our son Joseph was diagnosed with autism at 2, we tried to get him into various intervention programs but everything had lengthy waiting lists.
We were recommended to Connect Therapy and we immediately purchased the 'Autism Essentials' video series while on the waiting list for a home based program.
The videos were an absolute god-send. So much information presented in a clear and interesting manner and so much easier to understand than reading all about it in books.
The videos should be compulsory viewing for all parents of a newly diagnosed child.
We were able to start implementing strategies to help our son straight away and had a better understanding of why he behaved the way that he did.
The home based program was awesome. Monique and Emily are a fantastic team and had an instant connection with our son. We were overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and dedication and it is obvious that they love what they do and genuinely care about their clients."
"I can't thank you enough for the understanding I now have of my child..."
"I feel more confident now in myself to help Jimmy, whereas before I felt powerless. I learnt so much about Autism and I can't thank you enough for the understanding I now have of my child and how I can help him."
"The parent training empowered me and gave me back a sense of confidence and control..."
"Connect therapy has played a central role in the significant gains my autistic 3 year old has made... It targets core deficits in reciprocal social relationships and communication and is tailored specifically for the individual child’s needs. The parent training empowered me and gave me back a sense of confidence and control in the face of this overwhelming diagnosis."
Testimonials about Monique's Therapy
"It will be the best gift you can give to your child."
"At the age of 3 our son, Luke, was diagnosed with autism. At the time, he said only a few words, he easily frustrated, tantrums were frequent, communication was difficult and he began to isolate himself from other children. We did not know how to reach him.
Shortly after Luke's diagnosis we were fortunately directed to Monique Simpson and her Connect Therapy program. We were attracted to Monique's extensive experience and unique style of therapy...
Connect Therapy has allowed us to take a step into Luke's world and he a step into ours. As a family we are living in a more harmonious world together-no longer separated. We are all very optimistic about the future and look forward to Luke's continued success.
If your child has recently been diagnosed with autism we can only say run, don't walk to Connect Therapy. It will be the best gift you can give to your child."
"...we came out of Connect with so much more
than learning how to help Mack."
"When Toni and I received the diagnosis on Mack, it was quite devastating. We were recommended to Monique very early on in the process and we are so pleased that we were! The journey since then has been one of discovery, excitement, frustration, demand but most of all hope. At Connect Therapy we learnt so much about our little man but also about ourselves.
Whilst we didn't know what to expect and we didn't necessarily have goals, we came out of Connect with so much more than learning how to help Mack. We still have a mountain of work to complete with Mack but Monique and Emily have set us on the right track and whilst we still don't know what will happen in the future (who does) we are sure that this program has been a very positive influence on our long and exciting journey. I would be happy to discuss this with anyone should they wish"
"Connect Therapy has literally given us back our lost daughter"
"Since meeting monique 5 months ago, our lives have happily changed. Connect Therapy has literally given us back our lost daughter. We can honestly say that she is a very different child.
We now have the understanding of Zoe's challenges and have learnt specifically how to make every interaction a learning experience and an environment of warmth and joy... the way life was supposed to be.
Monique instilled such confidence in us making us feel that we can make a huge difference with Zoe."
"The progress that he has made since the onset of speech
is remarkable"
"Connect Therapy is an empowering education in autism. It gave us the knowledge that all affected parents should have of why their autistic children behave the way they do...
To see Ethan playing and interacting with his sisters is one of the greatest joys we have experienced. Ethan did not speak until he was six years of age. The progress that he has made since the onset of speech is remarkable and is due to a significant degree to Monique Simpson and her Connect Therapy program."
"Our life does not seem so uncertain thanks to Monique Simpson and her team."
"Our son Max was always different from the other children, but being first time parents we made many excuses for his odd behaviors, social skills and language.
Max was diagnosed with autism at 2 years and 4 months. We were recommended to Monique Simpson by the Autism Association of NSW and also the Diagnostic Center where Max was diagnosed.
We have been involved in Connect Therapy for over 2 years and our family have realized through this journey how empowering Connect Therapy is and the difference it has had on our family life.
Our son Max is now playing appropriately instead of lining toys, spinning wheels and running up and down our hallway. He is now asking us to play with him instead of wanting to watch television or be by himself. His language has improved from basically pointing to now speaking in full meaningful sentences.
Max now enjoys being with people especially peers and most importantly is a happy 4 year old child. He has been recently re-diagnosed and we have been recommended to send him to kindergarten next year... Our life does not seem so uncertain thanks to Monique Simpson and her team.
Monique’s extensive knowledge of autism and positive approach has empowered us to be confident as parents and to understand and believe in our child. I would recommend Connect Therapy wholeheartedly to any parent."
"...it educates the family on all aspects of autism."
"One important aspect of Connect Therapy that our family found invaluable is that it educates the family on all aspects of autism. At the end of the program we knew what our son was going through physically, mentally and emotionally."
"...the most effective therapy we have encountered in 3 years."
"After our son Nicholas was diagnosed with autism we tried various therapies. While they were somewhat helpful no one thought to explain to us how we could understand and get the most from our relationship with our son.
It wasn't until we did Connect Therapy that we understood how autism effects Nicholas as an individual. We learnt to enjoy Nicholas more and learnt strategies to help Nicholas with issues that he faces each day.
We have seen his language and other skills develop with him enjoying the process. We would recommend Connect therapy to any parent who has an autistic child as the most effective therapy we have encountered in the 3 years we have been searching for help for our son."
"The transformation in Anna has been
nothing short of miraculous"
"When Anna was diagnosed with autism we really didn't know where to start. After speaking with specialists, searching the internet for therapies, filling in miles of paperwork and being placed on a number of waiting lists, we felt confused and angered that Anna could not be helped straight away.
Thankfully we came across a friend who had achieved wonderful results through the Connect Therapy program. Since starting the program we never looked back. The transformation in Anna has been nothing short of miraculous. Within 3 month's Anna's eye contact had improved quite dramatically and she also started to use single word speech nd initiate play. Seeing Anna connect with her family and with her environment brings us immense joy and hop of better things to come.
Connect Therapy is a must for parents who have just received a diagnosis of autism and are unsure of what to do first. It provides you with an abundant amount of knowledge and strategies that teach you how to really 'connect' with your child and how your child can connect with the world around them."
"...we are now more confident and less anxious about
our child's future."
"Connect Therapy has provided us with the tools to understand our child's behaviour and it's associated physiological connections. It has empowered us with the knowledge and confidence to implement strategies that work in our daily lives. Most importantly Connect Therapy has taught us how to connect with our child and the importance this has to his overall development.
As parents we are now more confident and less anxious about our child's future and better equipped to make informative decisions about our sons education program."
"...the effect that this is having on my son, fills me with
hope and happiness."
"Monique's passion and excitement in the ideas she presents, and the effect that this is having on my son, fills me with hope and happiness.
In such a short time my little boy who was non-verbal, is now starting to imitate sounds and some words. I feel inspired and empowered by what I am learning...
Monique sees my son as an individual and is able to show me the ways and tools to help and encourage me with his development. Working with Monique and following her guidance gives me the confidence to try things and as a family we are overwhelmed at his progress in what is such a short time.
Monique is supportive and enthusiastic. Her passion is genuine and I feel an indescribable amount of gratitude at the impact she is having on our family. Monique's encouragement and ideas continue to give me the skills needed as my son's needs constantly change.
Thank you Connect Therapy, you have made an incredible difference to our lives."
"...a brilliant foundation from which your child will be able to get even more benefit from ABA and other programs..."
"The program has assisted my 4 year old daughter's development whereby she now enjoys interacting with people and gives us lots of eye contact an I can see the emotion of joy in her face.
The program is very intense and detailed and has empowered me with strategies to assist my daughter with her difficulties with sensory processing. I am able to use the information gained whilst discussing my daughters progress, needs and future interventions with professionals and feel confident in doing so. I would recommend all families to do the Connect Therapy program before commencing an ABA or similar program.
It gives you the essential knowledge about exactly where your child is at to enable you to make the most relevant choice for his or her future treatment if you should need more. It also lays a brilliant foundation from which your child will be able to get even more benefit from ABA and other programs than they otherwise would have.
I found the key things about Connect Therapy that worked for us were the calming techniques e.g. the use of and electronic massager that my daughter uses everyday to help her self-regulate, keeps her calm, puts herself to sleep and keeps her functioning at her optimum level.
The main positive changes in our lives since we started is the connection I now have with my daughter. I get lots of hugs and kisses. My daughter is starting to imitate vocalize and initiate. I no longer feel helpless."
"Two Doctors recommended Monique's program and we are so glad they did."
"Thinking back prior to commencing the Connect Therapy course, my husband and I were devastated with our son's diagnosis, ignorant as to what autism was and how it affected our child and confused as to what to do about it. The internet seemed to be filled with information about autism, but we had so many specific questions about our son and few answers.
Two Doctors recommended Monique's program and we are so glad they did. It was like going back to school with a folder and homework and it was hard work. But we found out so much about ourselves and about our son. We now understand where he breaks down and why, why he finds it difficult to communicate and socialise and why he engages in repetitive behaviours. Our therapists addressed all these issues and more and showed us how to help change his behaviour through his sensory function.
We have learned how to speak and interact with our son and most importantly have fun together as a family. Connect Therapy has given us hope for the future. Thanks Monique ."
"Connect Therapy is fun. Our son Andrew loves it! "
"Connect Therapy is fun. Our son Andrew, love it.
Previous therapies did not work for Andrew, because previous therapies did not teach us how to make Andrew connected to us in the first place. If there is no connection between us, Andrew is not going to learn anything from us.
Connect Therapy is play-based therapy, so Andrew enjoys it and he's willing to participate.
Many thanks to Connect Therapy. Andrew is more connected to us now and he's starting to use words to communicate."
"...his laughter, giggles and facial expressions
can now light up a room."
"We have been involved with Connect Therapy for 7 months and have seen the greatest improvements in Thomas. He has made significant gains in his sensory processing skills to the point where he will run along the beach, build sandcastles and fingerpaint.
He has greater want to play with us and his little brother. He enoys playing and his laughter, giggles and facial expressions can now light up a room. For a litle boy who had very few way to show emotion prior to Connect Therapy, this brings tears of joy to my husband and me.
We have learnt so much about Thomas and Thomas's autism during the Connect Therapy program that we now feel confident and empowered to direct Thomas's therapy to meet his needs and develop the areas that are lacking.
I feel that as a mother I have a new special bond with my little boy that I didn't have before. I understand him now like a mother should and this has been the greatest gift that Connect Therapy has given me.
I could not recommend Connect Therapy more highly to anyone with a child with autism."
"This program has given us so much knowledge and hope."
"When we first had a diagnosis for Zoe we felt that her life was already over before it had even begun.The doctors were all very negative telling us that she'll never know who we are.
Connect Therapy has given us back our daughter! She not only knows who we are, but she can tell us our names. This program has given us so much knowledge and hope."
"...our son has shown a marked improvement in
communicaton skills and behaviour."
"We started Connect Therapy shortly after our 4 year old son was diagnosed with ASD.
The obvious stregth of this program is that it is specifically targetted to the needs of your child, and is not a 'one size fits all' strategy.
Our therapist built up an instant connection with our son, and willingly adapted techniques as required, showing the vast exerience of our therapist in teaching children with Autism.
Over the length of the program our son has shown a marked improvement in communicaton skills and behaviour. "
Testimonials from other Health Professionals
Other autism professionals actually advise THEIR OWN clients to do the Autism Essentials Training Program before commencing therapy because they've found that they get effective results more quickly, when their clients are equipped with the knowledge and skills taught in the program.
"...I can highly recommend this program."
"Having worked with children with an autism spectrum disorder for 17 years and having used the Autism Essentials™ In-Home DVD Training Program with parents, I can highly recommend this program.
The DVD package gives parents an opportunity to learn in-depth of how their child perceives and interprets their world as well as gaining access to numerous practical strategies to help their child.
The DVDs are explicit, clear and easy to understand although packed with information with the benefit that parents can watch them over and over.
The accompanying manual supports parents’ learning by including numerous activities to complete during the course of the program andenabling parents to individualise strategies for their own child. The DVD also allows parents to watch the DVDs attheir own pace.
I was able to experience the delight parents had at finally understandingwhy their child behaved as s/he did and being empowered to have the knowledge and skills tohelp their child connect with our world."
"I highly reccommend the DVDs as an important background to understanding your child's development."
"As teachers and therapy practitioners we aim to find that "just right" challenge for the children we teach.
The Autism Essentials DVDs provide an important source of information for learning about the different stages that children must move through to achieve higher goals such as communication and language.
I highly reccommend the DVDs as an important background to understanding your child's development."
"We are soooo grateful for this program,
it has literally rescued our child."
"Sorry for not writing you earlier. Your program is absolutely wonderful. It has totally changed our lives.
Although I am a medical doctor, our child had problems which we did not understand and which we were not able to handle. I suspected a very mild form of autism, so that is how I stumbled upon your site when doing some internet searches.
This program let EVERYTHING fall into its own place, we are now able to understand the whole picture, and what is even much better, we are able to handle it, so we now know how to calm her down when she is upset or overwhelmed. We are soooo grateful for this program, it has literally rescued our child.
As soon as we started to apply what we had learned there was a dramatic improvement visible, resulting in a happier and more confident child, and in a more pleasant atmosphere at home. We still have a journey to go (especially where it comes to socializing), but we feel confident we are on the right track.
A BIG thank you and a BIG hug for you!!! (And also, as a medical doctor I learned soo much about autism from you, wonderful, I wished I could help more of these children to help them reach their full potential!!!)
"...to say that it has changed our lives is an understatement."
"Our son Ethan was diagnosed at 3 years of age with autism. He had limited language, social skills and connection to his world. He felt great feelings of frustration and we were at a real loss as how to really help him at home.
Previous therapies were difficult as they were not carried out in a familiar environment and the style of therapy was basically not enjoyable or motivating for Ethan or any of the family. I am very grateful that Connect Therapy has been a part of our lives for almost 2 years and to say that it has changed our lives is an understatement.
Ethan is now five years old. Thanks to Connect Therapy he is now confident, happy and rarely frustrated. His language has improved enormously from single words to now participating in conversations. He has an enquiring mind and has formed great relationships with family and friends.
Connect Therapy has given us a powerful understanding of our son and we now know how to help him achieve his full potential."
"...she has made such amazing changes in the lives of children with ASD and their families."
"Having worked in association with Monique for more than 7 years now, it is easy for me to see how she has made such amazing changes in the lives of children with ASD and their families. Monique brings passion, dedication, experience and sound knowledge to Connect Therapy. She strongly believes in empowering families to gain the skills to communicate and understand their children holistically. In this way, families do not become dependent on therapists and are able to make differences to their child’s development every day.
She understands the importance of children having a balanced “sensory diet” to help them function optimally and regulate their behaviour. We love that she has such a good understanding of occupational therapy.
We find it easier to work with families who are involved in Connect Therapy as the parents have great knowledge and are confident communicating with their children. As a result the families help their children to develop their skills faster.
Monique is an innovative therapist and Connect Therapy is a great program for families."
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