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Autism the Musical!
By Richard | March 19, 2008
Music Reaches Kids With Autism
(CBS) The Centers for Disease Control says one in every 150 children has autism. Now, a new HBO documentary called “Autism: The Musical” follows five children with autism and their families as they write, rehearse, and perform their very own musical.
Elaine Hall, the founder of “The Miracle Project,” who teaches the children herself, and Henry Stills, one of the participants, as well as his mom Kristen, wife of Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash, joined The Early Show Wednesday to talk about the musical and film.
Elaine came up with the idea to use the arts when traditional therapies didn’t work for her son. “When traditional therapies didn’t work for Neal, I went to my actor, creative, musical friends, and they were able to reach him in a way that the other professionals weren’t able to. So I trained them in all the protocols, speech therapy. I trained the actors, and they were able to reach him.”
The change, she says, was gradual but profound. “Little by little, Neal — we joined Neal’s world, and little by little he was able to join our world.”
The documentary, “Autism: The Musical,” airs Tuesday, March 25, ay 8 p.m. on HBO.
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Topics: Film and Television |
March 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
You can also find out more about Elaine and The Miracle Project at www.themiracleproject.com. She is planning to make The Miracle Project available in cities around the world.