Music Reaches Kids With Autism

Documentary Follows Kids & Families As They Perform Unique Musical

(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.

Watch both parts of The Early Show interview below.

[suzyq25]

I think this is a wonderful program, However it is for high functioning autistics. Things like this and the Jenny McCarthy interviews make people believe that we are not trying hard enough with our son.
I''m glad that he can talk, reads at a first grade level and can comprehend some money. But we still face challanges, like getting him into places without any behaviors, they do not bother us but garner a great deal of attention. His sister''s graduation, it was indoors, between the lighting, crowding, length of the ceremony and just plain noise, it was a difficult afternoon. he was rocking and flapping and we had to climb over numerous people to get out before the head banging and yelling started. Respite care was not available.
This year when she graduates with her bachlors, she is not going to walk, she told us it is just too hard for Joe. She worked so hard for this, all the things she has sacrificed for love of her brother. Most people never realize that rasing a handicapped child effects every member of the family and not just the handicapped child.
We had no respite care available and very few of us do. We were denied therapy, because it was a skill he never had not one that he lost. So my view of autism is very diffrent from theirs.
we are building a group home for our son because, we know there are not going to be enough of them.

[davidbthelen]

I believe in pet therapy. I have three kids of my own. I remembered when they started school for the first time, there was a little anxiety being away from home for the first time.
I believe if more schools had a very friendly dog, the pet would reduce the anxiety among kids who are starting school. I also believe these pets may work wonders for kids with autism as well.