Autism: The Musical

[IvyRose]

HBO airdate for Autism: The Musical - March 25th

Elaine Hall
----------

Elaine is an Educator, Writer, Consultant, Performer, and Professional Acting Coach for television and film who has written and directed over 30 children’s plays. Most recently, she was the Children’s Acting Coach on AKEELAH AND THE BEE. Her unique, positive relationship-building approach to children’s arts
education has been featured in many documentaries and publications. She has served as a drama coach for Wildwood School, UCLA Bruin Kids, Pressman Academy, Walt Disney Studios, Universal Studios, ABC
Television, and Nickelodeon.

Elaine is the founder of Kids On Stage, Inc. and is the mother of Neal, a very special child whom she adopted from a Russian orphanage, diagnosed autistic. When traditional therapies did not help Neal, Elaine sought creative people (actors, writers, musicians), to work with her son. She developed these methods to create The Miracle Project. Elaine now coaches both typical and “special” children with relationship, self-esteem and selfconfidence issues, as well as coaching children and young adults seeking a professional career in the entertainment industry. Elaine is currently writing and producing a children’s CD celebrating diversity, positive thinking and kindness to others.

Neal
-----

I am 12 years old and in the 6th grade. I am mainstreamed in all typically developing classes. My favorite subject is Lunchtime and Math. In my spare time I enjoy eating at restaurants with Zack, playing computer games, taking walks, hiking and being with Mom. Autism makes it hard for me to express how I am feeling and what I want. My hope is that I will learn to talk someday. I would like to help the world understand people with disabilities better. I wish that people would be more understanding of people with
disabilities.

HBO airdate for Autism: The Musical - March 25th

[Luba]

I believe it takes a very special and patient type of person to be a parent to a child with disabilities; who every day goes through SO much more than parents with children without disabilities. I SO admire and respect these parents who don't make it a 'job' but an 'act of love' everyday to these wonderful children.

I often wonder why the label 'disability' is put on them...isn't that already like putting a mark beside their name? A child is a child is a child; a wonderful and an unique gift, IMHO!

[IvyRose]

I admire this woman. She's done so much for her son.

I don't think of "special" or "disabled" as a label. I think of it as the definition of the uniqueness a child has. In some ways, it's an honor. It just depends on how someone uses these words that make them good or bad.

[IR_Efrem]

My daughter is legally blind. She had a couple birth defects when she was born. We found out 7 months after she was born that she had septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) and optic-nerve hypoplasia (ONH). Children born with these defects are either blind or partially sighted. Often they have severe hormonal discrepancies, downs syndrome, diabetes, and at the time there were not many documented cases of her conditions. Our outlook was very bleak at the time because the majority of children did not live past the age of 12 (or there abouts, kind of difficult to remember the facts that were given to us almost 14 years ago). For those researching SOD or ONH, I would like to say that her mom did not abuse drugs or alcohol during pregnancy, my daughters condition was a complete fluke.

She has adapted to her sight problems very well, she does have glasses of course but they only correct her vision so much. If you met her you would never know anything was wrong at all. After spending many years and a ton of repeated visits to an Endocrinologist, I am also happy to report that she has no problems with her glands that produce hormones. I feel extremely lucky now because her sight is the limit of her problems, considering how many issues she could have had.

I spent a lot of time worrying about her outlook and her future, in the end it was her that taught me to be accepting and much more positive. These words, "special and disabled" mean nothing to me at all, nor do I care about who uses them either for demeaning or uplifting. My children all all "precious" to me, I care little about anything that anyone has to say.

This story is inspirational and I am glad that this woman is finding newer methods to help everyone reach out a bit more.

[IvyRose]

You're an inspiration yourself, IR. Thank you for sharing your struggles here.

You are a great Dad!

[TKDLady]

I have a major respect for all parents who have any children with disabilities. It is difficult enough to raise children who are healthy. I know about the issues with insurance companies paying bills (or not in most cases), about insensitive people who don't know what in the hell is important and about the extra care that the parents take to ensure their children are as healthy and happy as possible.