Brilliant, a lifesaver! Sari is All-In-One Behavior Consultant, Speech and Occupational Therapist whose unique intervention has improved my autistic 11-year old son. He was nonverbal with aggressive and self-harming behaviors and stims. In less than a year I have my son back! He’s happy and talking, while using his new coping skills in all areas of life. I couldn’t be happier.

 

Sari reached out to me after seeing my post on Valeries List. It took me 3 months before I called and set up a home visit. Needless to say, I am so glad we did! After working with many ABA companies, Speech and OT therapists, my son still couldn’t sit for more than half a minute much less do a puzzle. With Ms. Sari he sits for 45 minutes at the table, focused and having fun learning. We as a family have a new approach and are now able to see a bright future.

I hired Sari to care for my sister, Nicole. My sister is severely autistic, has never spoken in all her 58 years, will not do sign language, does not function in any way except to eat, and has spent a lifetime not cooperating with any attempts anyone has made to work with her or help her.

 

I arrived to observe their session and found Sari with a big smile on her face, energetically working with Nicole on basic skills such as removing a ball that was wedged into a cup (fine motor skills), matching colored objects to colored squares, standing up and sitting down, putting her legs up and down. Nicole looked pissed off and was characteristically needing multiple prompts to do anything, but Sari just happily carried on.

 

I sat there just in awe of what she was doing and how committed she was to whatever it takes to outlast Nicole’s resistance and keep her progressing. It struck me as exactly what Nicole needs—someone to make her comply and perform, to not give up, to keep on her, to not give in to Nicole’s various manipulations and ploys to get out of ever doing anything (all of which demonstrates how smart she actually is).

 

This is what I have dreamed of. I have always had the feeling that if Nicole were worked with, consistently, in a way that made sense, with the workers outlasting her defenses, that she would eventually go with the program and progress. I had dreamed to find someone who loved working with Nicole rather than being utterly depressed at having to deal with her, as I am. I found that in Sari. My ultimate goal was that Nicole would be able to enter into a Day Program. Seven months later, she did!!! I am just in awe and so immensely grateful. It truly feels like a miracle.

Hello, my name is Sharon, and I am speaking for those who have not found their voices yet, and to what I personally witnessed. It started when an old friend of mine, Daria, asked if I would be a part-time caregiver for her mother who had advanced Alzheimer’s. Soon after Daria's sister Nicole was brought to California and some of that responsibility would be mine. 

 

On the day of Nicole’s arrival she came in and proceeded to grab items from the walls and tables, tip over dressers and toss the drawers and contents all around the room. She pulled sockets from the wall, and tore up blankets and pillows. (Her bed was a gym mat and indestructible).

 

This was my introduction to Nicole. She also had a full-time caregiver, Robin, who cared for Nicole with much love. He would wake up early every morning to clean her fecal eating/smeared room, while having her showered and ready for the day before Sari arrived. One day Sari caught Robin cleaning up, and asked why he hadn’t told her earlier? At this point he was exhausted and ready to quit. The next day Sari proceeded to take care of the problem, and it became immediately manageable to Robin's relief. It seemed a miracle that after seven months with Sari, Nicole was enrolled for the first time in her life in a full-time adult daycare program, truly enjoying her experiences. One day, I knocked, she guided me with her arthritic hand, and we sat together while she proceeded for 45 minutes speaking in gibberish (nonverbal), telling me all about her experiences. When she was done, she again grabbed my wrist and showed me the door. She was tired, and I was very, very happy. After that, I watched Sari go on to two other clients as she helped change their lives forever. I watched mothers go from being overwhelmed to complete joy at having their homes back, sitting together as a family during meals, and doing chores without worry. I have seen such amazing changes in these families' lives.