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Life is a journey; enjoy the trip! I wake up happy everyday and try to share that with a smile to everyone I see.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Autism... God's Misunderstood Children

"Autism: The Musical" opens with the jarring data that autism in America has spiked from 1-in-10,000 kids in 1980 to 1-in-150 today. But instead of dwelling on the cause of autism, the film focuses mostly on five wonderful kids - two boys with very high functioning autism who are brilliant, charming, and yes, "comical"; a teenage girl who sings beautifully; a little boy who rarely speaks, but who can express himself vividly through his cello; and one adopted Russian boy who is completely nonverbal (until he gets a computer) and who will break your heart when you see him.

Breathtaking. Touching. Powerful. Elaine Hall (Coach E) runs the Miracle Project, an initiative that leads theater cast through writing, rehearsing and performing a musical. This musical, though, is comprised of autistic children. The children rehearse and interact with each other as they prepare for their big show within a duration of six months. Watching Coach E unlock some of those doors and windows into the childrens' closely guarded inner lives is as absorbing as hearing their parents' fears and frustrations is heartbreaking. Most revealing, though, we follow the children home. Their parents are candid and we get to know the challenges of getting an autistic diagnosis for their children, the complexity of the living situation and the distance that seems to grow between parents. The documentary unflinchingly shows just how stressful the disorder can be on families. The weight on couples is obvious: One marriage suffers through infidelity, another ends in painful divorce.

The interviews with the children are often the most riveting of the film. Henry is the son of Kristen and Steven Stills (of Crosby, Stills and Nash) and has Asperger's. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things dinosaur. Lexi only repeats what is said to her, she sings beautifully, but has to type on a computer to communicate with her mother. Wyatt is obsessed with the idea of bullies and is on the cusp of understanding how his mind works differently from that of other children. He is a high functioning child; he has perhaps the most self-aware discussion about autism: "You're in your own world. You're not talking to anybody. There's no point to it. You're not going to make friends." He explains how he can see Henry going into his own world when reciting facts and talking about dinosaurs. He even knows when and why he goes into his own world. "Sometimes I don't have anybody else to talk to”.

The children in "Autism: The Musical" deserve a standing ovation, right along with their parents. This film is anything but maudlin; it’s an eyes-wide-open account of tenacity and triumph for parents and children alike. Considering the dramatic rise in the number of children born with autism, I believe it's a film that everyone should see and appreciate.

Ms. Hall's determination, patience and faith are extraordinary. As she guides the kids through rehearsals, she's not really sure that they'll be able to perform the show-but she stays the course, dealing with the childrens' discipline problems and parents who express their anxieties by making demands. In the end, however, the show does go on-and Adam plays the cello beautifully. The real message here is that children with autism are human beings, just like everyone else on God's green earth - with their own hopes and fears, intellects and personalities. They deserve more than our compassion, our love and our dollars; they deserve our respect.

“In the United States, children with disabilities from birth to age 21 are entitled by law to receive a free, appropriate education. States offer free special education, speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy to infants, toddlers and preschoolers who qualify. Here is a list of state early intervention offices
(http://www.nichcy.org/states.htm). Click on your state at the bottom of the page. You may contact your local office to refer your child for a free evaluation. In many communities, the Early Intervention Office can be reached by contacting the local school district, health department or developmental disability center. Parents can refer a school-aged child for special education testing and services by contacting the child's school”.


Autism Web. “A Parents' Guide to Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)”

Where to Find Your State's Early Intervention Program. ©
AutismWeb™ 2000-2008.

http://www.autismweb.com/education.htm.

2 comments:

Anthony S said...

Nice post with good information about autism. I also enjoyed the movie and applaud all parents who choose to still love and nurture their children even though they have autism.

jeneane akiens said...

I wonder how many parents refuse to accept autism, and explain the actions of their children as misunderstood child, or he just likes to be alone. there are many people who won't look you in the eyes when they speak. How much is explained away, instead of accepting? good post...