The New York Times references Elaine Hall as “The Child Whisperer." Her profound bond with children has been the defining force of her life and has led her to the successive miracles she documents with grace, humor and heart in her memoir: Now I See the Moon: A Mother, a Son, a Miracle.
Elaine was an A-list Hollywood acting coach for children when she learned that she could not have biological children. She adopted a beautiful two year old boy from Russia, who was subsequently diagnosed with severe autism. Refusing to heed the admonitions to “send him back” she used her professional knowledge and wisdom garnered from leading, humanistic authorities on autism to guide him through the inspiring, miraculous journey that has made him the happy, increasingly independent teenager that he is now.
Drawing on that experience, she went on to create The Miracle Project, through which she took on the seemingly impossible task of engaging children on the autistic spectrum to create and perform an original musical. Sparked by her conviction that involvement in the performing arts has the power to transform, her program has been a triumph, the subject of the award winning HBO documentary, and a miracle shared by all who witness it or participate in it. Elaine Hall believes in miracles, and so will anyone who reads her personal account of how faith, persistence and love can bring them into being. The title of the book comes from an ancient Chinese Proverb: My barn burned down, but now I can see the moon.
My Take on the Book
While my children are not autistic, I found this book to a very positive, uplifting look at how to work with this population. Written in such a way that you as a eader are amazed at the steps that one mother will take to make a difference in her own child's life as well as the lives of so many other autistic children.
I have worked with autistic children in college befoe and even then they can, at times, be challenging. I can only imagine the struggles, such as were explored within the book, would be like. I commend the author on her candor as well as for being willing to make such a difference in so many people's lives!
If this book sounds like something you would like in your own library you can find it on Amazon!
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