Parent's
endorsement
July 2009, from Cinthia R
Véronique has been a godsend to our family. Our daughter has sensory integration and language processing issues. While those issues can make some physical and social activities difficult, she cannot be easily diagnosed, and her treatment requires constant fine-tuning. Véronique has worked with our daughter one-on-one for over two years, and during that time she has helped us think through and coordinate what our child needs as she evolves, progresses and grows. She is not only an outstanding professional with a broad network of resources – she is empathetic, understands what we are going through, and is always there for us. Our daughter is doing great, and Veronique’s expertise, insight and compassion have been a big part of her progress.
July 2009, from Amy, M.
When we first met Veronique, she was Chloe's teacher at the Montgomery County Primary Achievement Center. Chloe was just 2 years old and had only recently been diagnosed with autism. From the day we met Veronique, we could tell she would be an incredible resource -- not only as Chloe's teacher and therapist, but as an adviser who could help us learn about Chloe's needs and how to meet them. Veronique has now been working with Chloe for over three years. She oversees our home therapy program and works with Chloe's teachers at school to ensure to continuity in approach across different environments. Veronique uses a combination of ABA, play therapy, sensory integration, fine and gross motor activities, and communication techniques to engage Chloe and help her learn. Chloe is non-verbal, and Veronique has been persistent and creative in finding ways to help her communicate, using PECS (picture exchange communication system) and sign language. One thing we have learned about Chloe is that she performs best when she "connects" with her teacher or therapist. More than anyone else, Veronique has been able to find ways to connect with Chloe, to engage her, to encourage her, and to push her to do her best.
As time went on, Chloe's challenges grew. When she was almost three, she began having seizures, which have never been fully controlled. The seizures exacerbated Chloe's physical and cognitive challenges. As we learned how to deal with this new situation, Veronique was with us every step of the way. She adapted Chloe's programs to accommodate for her medical health and needs. When Chloe went on a special, highly-restrictive diet to help control her seizures and could no longer have food rewards as motivators, Veronique identified substitutes. She suggested ways to adapt Chloe’s environment for safety and accessibility, and has been a source of helpful information on virtually every topic that relates to children with disabilities.
Veronique has always been a tireless cheerleader for Chloe and a source of
support for us. We are very grateful for her guiding hand, her endless
patience, and her cheerful countenance, no matter how challenging the
situation. She always remains optimistic, focusing on Chloe's progress and
potential, rather than her challenges, and in that way, she has served as a role
model for us as parents.
July 2009, from
Charlotte
We heard about Veronique from one of my son's classmates. Our situation was
different from other families' circumstances, in that, although my son was in
"the system" from about the age of two, we did not get an ASD diagnosis until
after he turned 3. At that time, he appeared higher functioning than he
actually was---he "fooled" a lot of people because he was engaging in some ways
and had some language, but in reality his delays and some behavioral issues were
going to get worse before they got better.
After spending only about 20 minutes observing him, we really felt that Veronique understood him. She was able to explain so much about him and the way his mind worked in a short amount of time. She also understood, in many ways even better than we did, how his different environments were affecting/impeding his progress. Upon her recommendation, we made several changes to our interventions, and now we feel he is in the best possible learning environment. Not only did Veronique find a way to break into my son's world in play therapy, but she provided us with invaluable information to turn mundane, everyday activities into learning opportunities. She also gave us novel and different techniques for expanding his attention span and interest in different kinds of play, and she advised us on teaching self-help skills and working through behavioral issues. Because my son's learning is so dependent on the relationship he has with his therapist or teacher, and because Veronique really gets these kids, her intervention made a huge impact in my son's progress, and we continue to consult with her in navigating the often overwhelming world of resources and education alternatives. She continues to be an invaluable source of information and support as our son grows and progresses.
March 2008 from Marie, mother of Tristan (5 years and a half)
...Our journey with Veronique started in November 2006, several months after our arrival in Bethesda from London. We quickly uprooted ourselves after our son Tristan’s tragic ASD diagnosis in August 2005 to provide him with the best therapeutic and biomedical interventions in the world.
My meeting Veronique was a “natural fit,” as the friend who introduced us described it. What were the odds that one of the most experienced autism consultants in the DC area also happened to be a French national, just like myself?? Initially, I wanted Veronique to work with Tristan in parallel with our full-time ABA (Lovaas) home-based program which lasted 10 months.
Within no time at all, Tristan and Veronique developed a special chemistry which fed into his greater awareness of and interest in other people. So much so, that we decided to stop ABA and hand over the full-time consulting reins to Veronique. Upon arriving at our home, our little one will often reach out to her for a hug, say “hi” and sometimes add “/eek/!” (for Veronique)
The monthly program she crafts for Tristan is well tailored to his multi-faceted and unique needs (speech and RDI-inspired play therapy, sensory needs, gross and fine motor skills, academic/cognitive, adaptive skills and music). Our program enhances the rigorous speech, sensory-motor integration and fitness programs my son benefits from outside of home. What a welcome relief to be able to lean on Veronique to maintain regular contact with all professionals on our team so as to better fine-tune Tristan’s progress. She is a special brand of consultant/therapist, all at once reliable, hard-working and loving with my son, demanding of the highest standards to ensure our family will always strive for our child’s maximum potential.
Tristan has made remarkable progress the last 18 months, in the areas of gross motor skills (by the likes of his intense bike-pedalling, you would think he is training for the Tour de France!), general awareness of and interest in his surroundings, receptive skills, relatedness to others and the incipience of speech. Veronique’s educational method --coupled with our intensive biomedical, homeopathic and therapeutic treatments (Speech, OT, auditory processing, vision and cranial-sacral therapies etc..)-- has enabled my beautiful angel (now 51/2) to blossom into a more playful, related and affectionate little boy…
Ongoing and significant challenges, nonetheless, continue to plague my daily life, rendering it painful and exhausting: For one, my son redefines the meaning of “stimming.” Second, my heart always bleeds every time I see a beautiful blond NT little boy in the supermarket talking up a storm to his mother who remains oblivious to her incredible good fortune… Or when I see a team of little boys playing soccer, and I catch Tristan glancing their way… Still, thanks to our hard work, we remain hopeful that Tristan will one day be able to partake and enjoy more of life’s bountiful pleasures. No matter what, the blue ribbon for “Hardest Worker” remains forever his.
A consummate professional, Veronique remains compassionate and devoted to Tristan, not to mention a source of precious moral support to his mother! My husband and I feel lucky to continue walking the thankless road of autism intervention with a guide like Veronique, our consultant extraordinaire whom I now also call a friend.
April 2007 from Amy K.
Sunrise Guidance has been a lifeline for our family. With two children on the autism spectrum, finding a reliable, successful, and progressive therapeutic provider was doubly important. Veronique Bure is a professional unlike any other. We often refer to her as our own Mary Poppins. Her ability to connect with our children, to bring light to their eyes and laughter to their voices is unmatched. She sees each child as an individual and creates a plan specific to their needs, abilities, and personalities. She is progressive in her approach and unafraid to try new ideas and methods. Veronique also recognizes the high levels of stress autism places on the entire family and works to provide adequate supports for caregivers. She has an amazing staff of professionals working with her, all of which we would refer without reservation.
The successes of our children are due in large part to Veronique and Sunrise Guidance. I do not like to think about where they would be without her. There are no better hands in which to place your child and your trust in than those of Sunrise Guidance.
March 20, 2007 from Andrea
...Veronique came to us at a time when we felt like we were losing control of our 4 year old son with Autism. He was engaging in behaviors that were threatening his safety. His school teachers were sympathetic, but not very helpful. We called Veronique, and after our 1st visit we emerged with a plan and the feeling that we could take back control of our family. Her advice was clearly presented, easy to follow, and provided rapid results.
Since that first visit we have successfully tackled elevator obsession and potty training. We have seen Jason become much more flexible in his daily routine. Veronique was also instrumental in helping us figure out what Kindergarten program would best meet Jason’s needs. Veronique is an invaluable member of Jason’s treatment team. I would strongly recommend her services to any family with a child on the Autism spectrum.
January 17th 2005, from Julie Riley
..Veronique Buré’s talents and skills have been invaluable to our family. Ms. Buré first worked with Zach when he attended the Toddlers Collaborative Autism Preschool Program. She taught Zach using the ABA method. He soon blossomed, and Ms. Buré, recognizing the change in Zach’s skills, structured her teaching strategy to match Zach’s individual needs. Thanks in large part to her wonderful tskills, Zach now attends a mainstream preschool.
Ms. Buré has also provided us with critical counseling. In January of last year, when it came time to decide whether to apply to regular preschools or forgo that option and assume that Zach would have to attend a special education preschool program (PEP) when he turned three in November, she suggested starting Zach in a mainstream preschool in September, and then decide whether to place him in PEP. As it turns out, Zach is thriving in our local preschool, where he has age appropriate models of behavior and an academic program that better suits his abilities.
Ms. Buré continues to provide our family with counseling and guidance. She has unique skills and unique insights into the needs of these very special children. I enthusiastically recommend Sunrise Guidance.