"Therapeutic Vacation" for Families Raising Autistic Kids

My name is Jim Keenan. I am a psychologist living in Savage, MN. Recently my wife and I purchased a 14 unit resort. On the property is a full restaurant/lounge, indoor swimming pool and sauna, 250 feet of beautiful lakeshore with boats etc. After a full renovation we opened on Memorial Day 2008. The purpose of our purchase was to create a place where families with a child on the spectrum could come for 3-5 nights of "therapeutic vacations". My plan is that families would stay at the resort, during their day individualized programming would be implemented to begin to address the emotional needs of the non-autistic family members. As you may know, the divorce rates among couples with a child on the spectrum are sky rocketing to greater than 70%. Siblings are often out of the loop in regards to being educated as to how to cope with an autistic sibling. I hope to help families begin their journey to understanding their own situation in a healthier fashion. I plan on using what I call "real time" interventions during their stay with us. We may do average everyday activities such as grocery shopping, going to an event, movie or the park. I plan on providing couples with the tools needed to increase communication around issues that arise throughout daily life. I would love for you to visit my web site at http://www.vacationairelodge.com/. I am hoping to get the word out across the country as I do believe the beauty and tranquility of northern Minnesota is the perfect place to assist families in their ongoing journey of raising a family.