Tal was almost three years old when his parents were given an explanation for his strange behavior. They were told that his inability to speak, his strange behaviors, inappropriate use of toys, lack of imagination, and total disregard for the world around him was due to a childhood disorder called autism. They learned that autism is a brain disorder that is generally not responsive to treatment. Autism, they read, was a lifelong developmental disorder.

Seeking help, Tal's parents consulted with professionals who work with children who are diagnosed with autism. The information they gathered led them to the conclusion that they would need a language therapist to help Tal speak, an occupational therapist to help him use his hands, a behavioral therapist to teach him how to respond to instructions, a psychologist to help them cope with Tal, and help them deal with their feelings that they may have been responsible in some way for their son's disability. Making these arrangements took many months of meetings and agonizing over decisions to choose suitable services and find therapists.

In the course of their inquiries, the Mifne Center's early intervention program came to their attention. Speaking to parents who had been to the Mifne Center, they heard stories that were unusual. Children who completed the program improved beyond expectation. Many parents spoke about their child's autistic behavior as an episode from the past. However, they also heard that there were no promises and that the results would not be equally successful for every child.

It was not the typical rational decision that usually guided their actions but a last flicker of hope that brought Tal and his parents to the Mifne Center in Israel. It was their desperate wish that Tal could be helped to respond to them with affection, speak, and play with other children. They hoped their life would be given back to them if they could help their son emerge from his private world. They decided to commit themselves to the rigorous demands of the Mifne program. It was their conviction that if it failed, they would have lost several months and the fees but at least they would have tried. They could always return to the schedule of therapies that they were abandoning perhaps only temporarily.

A miracle is an event that exceeds the limits of human understanding. It is a contradiction that contravenes conventional wisdom. What happened with Tal might seem like a mircle. He is now almost seven years old. He attends regular elementary school. He has an affectionate relationship with his parents, plays with his toys and enjoys the company of other children.

But Tal's parents know that the Mifne method is not a miracle. It is a program that requires serious commitment, tremendous effort, and significant parent participation. During the month that the family spent in residence at the Mifne Center, they each worked with a therapist in the treatment room, and observed Tal in treatment with the therapist in this "therapeutic incubator" for some nine hours daily, every day of the week. Tal responded after just a few days to the Reciprocal Play Therapy (RPT) that is the essence of the Mifne method. The treatment is individualized (the Center treats one family per month). Sessions with the psychologist at the Center helped them understand how Tal was responding. They also helped them deal with their feelings about the changes they were observing. The process was examined at every stage. The parents delighted in their understanding of Tal's needs and the new interactions that developed between family members.

Treatment does not end when the family leaves the Mifne Center. The contract calls for the family's commitment to continue working with their child in a playroom at home, using RPT for a prescribed period of time that is determined by Tal's progress, under the supervision of the Mifne staff.

Today, Tal is a good student and he loves sports. He sometimes talks about his time in the "room" with nostalgia, mentioning the names of the therapists that he enjoyed playing with.

About the Mifne Program

The Mifne approach is based on attachment theory that stresses the significance of human bonding. The bonding process must be nurtured in ways that are mutually gratifying in order for the child to develop the ability to interact with his/her environment. This is the theoretical basis for the method of treatment that was developed over a fifteen year period of clinical research at the Mifne center.

The Mifne Rationale

The family is a living, constantly evolving organism, whose health and stability depends upon the mutual support and nourishment of each of its members. When one member displays developmental maladjustments, the entire family is likely to be affected.

Years of clinical experience at the Center with the treatment of children who were diagnosed on the autism spectrum indicates that attempting to influence surface behaviors is generally not penetrating and does little to help engage the child. For profound change in perception and behavior to occur the child needs to be carefully, sensitively guided toward a relationship with an adult (the therapist). Ultimately, in most cases, the child's ability to relate socially will be generalized to other adults in his environment.

The Mifne method is based upon relational therapy. The therapist, who is the primary adult at the beginning of treatment, guides the family toward changes that are in sync with the child's readiness to respond to them. This is the essence of Reciprocal Play Therapy.

Practical Approach /Treatment /Therapy

RPT (Reciprocal Play Therapy) is essentially adult posturing that encourages the child to discover the pleasures of human contact and communication. It presents the child with opportunities to help him discover himself.

The child is accepted non-judgmentally. No expectations or demands are made of him. The child is not trained to perform or taught specific behaviors. RPT creates a non-threatening atmosphere for the child in a controlled, predictable environment, with a therapist. The child's self-stimulatory behavior will initiate a reciprocal response from the therapist. The therapist will accompany their "play" with a narrative that provides a normative context to their "shared" activity.

The child is free to proceed at his own rhythm. Everything moves at his pace according to his preference. This is intended to be an empowering experience for him/her. The child is not expected to behave in a certain manner, but is the originator of the interactions that take place in the room. Everything in the room is potentially a new learning experience that is guided by the child during the first phase of treatment.

An atmosphere is created that is safe for the child, with the understanding that the feeling of comfort and safety will lead to stress reduction and this will then open the possibility for the growth of trust in the adults who spend many hours with him.

RPT makes no distinctions between professions. Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, speech therapists, etc., are trained to use RPT in the same manner (individual personalities will produce natural differences, of course).

After one month, when the family returns home from the Center, they will continue working with the child using RPT at home. The child's progress is monitored on a regular basis by Mifne staff who receive videos of the child in his natural setting. With each video, a clinical meeting is held at the Center to discuss the changes in the child's behavior. Parents receive feedback from the therapist who is the family's designated consultant. This continues until the child is gradually integrated into a regular full-time nursery school.