Watching Sarah Rise

A Journey of Thriving with Autism

By: Jennifer Celeste Briggs

Narrated by: Jennifer Celeste Briggs

For those who love inspiring true stories, a contemporary memoir from a mother who helped her nonverbal daughter with autism find her voice.

Families who have supported a child with special needs will connect with this memoir about Sarah, a feisty girl with autism and a unique genetic blueprint. Her mom, Jenny, is equally feisty and determined, which leads her to make a commitment that dramatically changes her and Sarah’s lives—as well as those of many others.

Sarah’s early years are filled with challenges, and Jenny and her husband, Carl, try various therapies in an effort to help her. At four years old, Sarah is still nonverbal, still doesn’t use the potty, and still struggles with eating. Jenny knows she must do more. She has heard of a method developed by the Autism Treatment Center of America called The Son-Rise Program, which, through loving, supportive interaction, aims to foster social connection in people with autism. It is a huge undertaking, requiring hours of one-on-one therapeutic playtime, which means Jenny needs to find and train volunteers to make it possible. Though Jenny isn’t sure she can do it, she decides to try. She calls her program Sarah-Rise.

Accompany Jenny as Sarah’s language explodes, her eye contact intensifies, and she plays games, plays imaginatively, uses the potty, eats healthily, reads, and writes. Have your heart warmed and your socks knocked off by this momentous journey.

©2025 Jennifer Celeste Briggs (P)2025 Jennifer Celeste Briggs

A must read for humanity

This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about humanity and creating space for difference. While the book certainly focuses on a lot of the practicalities of raising a child with autism, on a wider level the book becomes about conscientiously creating systems to learn how to meet each other where we are. The Sarah Rise program that Briggs and her family/community created is an incredible case study in human beings endeavoring to learn one another. It’s a journey that takes you through so many shades of care: yes, frustration and ambivalence but also joy, wonder, and curiosity. Briggs, who also voices the audiobook, writes in a voice that is both personal and practical, and steeped in a warmth that will immediately inure you to her story and her family, and leave you wondering how to carry this story forward in your own life ♥️

Words from the heart

What a compelling story about a novel approach to raising a child with special needs. The impact of the approach on the child and the village that stepped up to help was inspiring. Kudos to all for see the process through and telling the story.

Willingness to open your creative mind.

This amazing story opened my eyes the the beauty of being open minded about learning, teaching, growing, sharing, and just being. The abundance of community commitment to supporting others in their life journey and being open to sharing that journey is amazing. Being able to open your mind to alternatives to the ordinary way we think and interact with each other seems to bring a freedom to push boundaries of what normal means.