Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love

Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love, was one of the many "made-for-TV" and "based on a true story" movies that were so popular in the late 1970's, and I consider it to be one of the best. It is the story of a family dealing with the difficulties of raising an autistic child. The couple already had two young daughters when their son, Raun, was born. While they were excited to finally have a son, the couple became concerned when Raun failed to develop emotionally in the same way that their daughters had. Shortly thereafter, Raun was diagnosed as autistic. He could not form complete sentences and he would spend hours at a time, spinning a china plate on the tile floor, shaking his hands wildly in the air while he watch the plate spin, then starting the process over again...spinning the plate and shaking his hands in the air.

Raun's parents took him to several specialists and considered placing him in a full-time care facility until they discovered that many of these facilities suffered from poor sanitation or experimented with shock-treatment. The couple found this to be very frustrating and disappointing, often blaming themselves for their son's situation. Raun's mother laments, "When I was pregnant with the girls, I would continually ask God to make sure that they were healthy. When Raun was on the way, all I could think to ask was that we have a son."

Finally, the couple decided to develop their own therapy program for their son. With years of hard work, tremendous patience and a seemingly endless capacity for love, Raun's parents and sisters were able to help him find a way out of his autism, and become able to interact with other people in a more "normal" way.

It has been more than 20 years since "Son-Rise" appeared on television. But the moving story of a family's determination to help their son, continues to be an inspiration to me.

I remember seeing this movie when I was in my early teens. It moved me to tears. I didn't understand autism at the time, I don't think anyone did back then, but it was a truly wonderful story about a family's love for their son. I can remember the scene where the parents checked out a local facility for kids with problems like Raun's, and seeing the goings on at that place scared them into reconsidering and taking over his intervention themselves.

The hard part was watching how hard it was on Raun's sisters. Their parents were obsessed with trying to reach Raun and pull him out of his world. But then they were included on the intervention and they too spent a lot of time locked in the bathroom with him and doing everything he would do. It was heart wrenching, yet very inspirational. I would love to have the movie on DVD to own, cause now I think I would look at it differently, not just as a grown up and a parent, but as a parent of an autistic child.

This movie is a must see, I would recommend this movie to everyone. It is wonderful. I can't say enough good things about it. I love it!

I am now in the middle of watching this movie, I recorded it on my DVR by default because I have "Autism" as a keyword to set to automatically record. I have to say, so far, this movie, although filmed in the mid-late 70's, could still be filmed here in 2009! I am a mom to 3 kids, 2 with Autism. I am so far liking this movie and hopes it ends on a good note. This is the FIRST MOVIE, or even TV/Movie broadcast that ACTUALLY SHOWS what Autism REALLY IS. Also, the therapies shown when the parents first started to investigate treatment options for their son, well, lets just say, they are still all being used today. And that makes me FURIOUS! All of this time has gone by and yet nothing has changed except the number of kids in the US with Autism is well over 1 in 100! To me, its even MORE obvious that the parents are not being listened to when they state things that are helping their kids..whether it be a 'new' therapy which incorporates more play, or a special diet...the medical community has spent more energy FIGHTING these 'new' and 'unproven' techniques than they have trying to figure anything out!

The beginning of the movie is probably the same story line as almost all of us families with kids with Autism have experienced. "Colic" crying baby, ear infections/various other viruses/illnesses, etc...my two boys were just like that, however, they were developing 'normally' until they did a dramatic regression, talking and eye contact, laughing and interacting, to what you seen Raun as in the movie. And yet, us parents don't have 'any scientific' proof of what happened to, or what is helping our kids.

Shame on the medical community for not improving the quality of care, or therapies to help our kids. I would have NEVER of guessed they have been using these terrible techniques for well over 30 years, THANKS to the makers of this movie, it needs to be shown MORE and MORE AND MORE!

I only saw the very end of it but made a point to record it it will be on one of the Encore stations again on 9/18 It should be made available to Teachers, Families of Autistic children for a movie 30 years old it just shows you how a loving family can make a difference all I can say is I work with special needs children and this movie would help me understand the kids I am working with. I have dealt with children who have varying degrees of autism it truly should be made available as well as the Novel to Schools, hospitals and other institutions basically I see this film as a Great Teaching tool if it is not used already I just happened upon it by accident This movie as well as other made for TV Movies can help in many ways the networks that produced them should make them available So many of them are forgotten

there are many movies that I saw in School that I have made a point to find or see again.

Such as Rickie Ticky Tavie Bang the Drum Slowly Movies are for entertainment but also can be used as teaching tools

I must have been about 12 when Miracle of Love was on Finnish television. The story itself was touching enough, and the theme song... I tried humming it for days so I wouldn't forget the melody. Eventually I did, of course. I never thought I's have the slightest chance of finding the song, but now in the age of internet anything is possible. Does anyone know of a recording of the theme song?

I totally recommend the film to anyone interested in autism and other neurological dysfunctions. As well as to all softies. I remember it being clearly a television film - today it would probably be called a "Hallmark-type" of film. For me it was the first time to learn about autism, and I think it gave me quite the right impression - judging from what I know now. None of the easy labels so often given.