Becoming a mom changes your life, and sometimes as a result you are propelled to change the world. Elaine Hall is one of those mothers who has made an impact in her community while raising her child.
Elaine Hall is a mom who rocks -- rocks and rolls, to be exact. Through music and drama, she reaches children and teens impacted with autism. When Elaine adopted a 2-year-old boy from Russia who was subsequently diagnosed with severe autism, she sought out help from the leading humanistic authorities on autism to find ways to help him develop into the happy teenager he is now. As a result, in 2004 she created The Miracle Project which is a program that enables children and teens with autism and other special needs to express themselves through music, dance, acting, story and writing. In 2008, a documentary about The Miracle Project Autism: The Musical, aired on HBO and subsequently won two Emmys. The Miracle Project began in California, but has been taken to different places around the world. There are no language barriers when it comes to music.
Along the way, Elaine wrote two books. The first one, Now I See the Moon: A Mother, a Son, a Miracle chronicles the personal journey of raising her son. Her most recent book, co-authored with Diane Isaacs, is Seven Keys to Unlock Autism: Making Miracles in the Classroom. The book is based on the unique approach they use at the Miracle Project, which integrates traditional and creative therapies in an interactive, social dynamic. The book shows how to apply these effective strategies at school and at home to nurture kids' self-expression and social skills.
It's obvious that Elaine Hall believes in miracles, and so will anyone who sees her in action. The title of her first book, Now I See the Moon, comes from an ancient Chinese proverb: "My barn burned down, but now I can see the moon." This positive attitude is inherent in everything Elaine does.