I always knew Neal was smart. Sure, he was diagnosed severely autistic, severely mentally handicapped, and severely developmentally delayed. He couldn’t thread yarn through a spool; he didn’t do well stacking blocks (because if they fell, the sound hurt his ears), he couldn’t talk, even at age three, and his auditory processing challenges caused for quite a delay before he would respond to his name. He failed many diagnostic exams – miserably.

Yet, I knew Neal was smart. I tell the examiners about the time that Neal dumped out 5 wooden puzzles with over 100 pieces and in less than 10 minutes put them back together. Or the time I was driving to San Diego and missed an exit without knowing it and Neal started screaming in the back seat, motioning for me to turn around.

But these things do not show up on an assessment test. Neal’s intelligence remained his and my secret – until we discovered Darlene Hanson and augmentative communication. Although Neal was 9 years old, he had been placed in the most restricted special education class in a district that combined all ages – 4, 5, and 6 year olds with 8, 9, and 10 year olds. The teacher had them all doing rudimentary skills: “Neal can you put the blue peg in the blue hole?” . . . then rewarding him with M & M’s when he did. “Good job.” Often I would receive phone calls to pick him up from school as he had thrown the blue pegs across the floor, or turned over a desk that contained the box of blue holes. I believed Neal was just bored and frustrated, and that all behavior was communication. The teacher thought I was in denial.

But not Darlene Hanson, a speech pathologist and augmentative communication expert who specializes in kids like Neal. Darlene immediately expected that Neal could do more. The first time she saw him, she drew a grid on a sheet of paper with 4 boxes. In each box she wrote a word: Vote, Washington D.C., Bush, and Clinton. She asked Neal who was president of the United States. He pointed to Bush. “Who was president before Bush?” He pointed to “Clinton.” “Where do they live?” He pointed to “Washington DC.” And “How did he get there?” “Vote.”

Finally, Neal could show what he and I knew: that Neal comprehends everything and that his apraxia gets in the way of his being able to express it.

Neal continued to share his thoughts and feelings through his choice board, and later through typing. We were able to remove him from the preschool classroom and place him with his peers in mainstream classes, with a 1:1 aide, throughout elementary school.

During the filming of Autism: The Musical, I was often extremely busy – running two Miracle Project classes and working other odd jobs to pay our mortgage. Often my time with Neal was put on the back burner. One day Neal typed to me: “Be more of a listener,” which was true. I had forgotten to listen to him, to take time to be with him. I had forgotten what is now my mantra – “Listen to the child who does not speak.” Their words are wisdom.

Biography

Elaine Hall's brilliant, pioneering work with The Miracle Project, which she created and directs, has garnered accolades throughout the world and is the subject of the EMMY Award winning documentary Autism: The Musical. She also created and directs a groundbreaking Bat and Bar Mitzvah program for children on the autism spectrum. She has been the subject of articles in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Jerusalem Post, among many others and has appeared on CNN, CBS News, Oprah Radio and NPR. Elaine has coached children on numerous TV shows and films which include Honey I Blew Up the Kids, The Flintstones, and Akeelah and the Bee.

Hall has been honored by countless organizations, among them Autism Speaks, Autism Society of America, The Doug Flutie Foundation, and The Malibu Special Education Foundation. A featured, inspirational speaker at autism events throughout the United States and Canada, she recently spoke at an autism conference at the United Nations.

Elaine Hall is the author of Now I See the Moon: a mother, a son, a miracle, which chronicles her inspiring journey to Russia to adopt her son, Neal, his autism diagnosis, and the creation of The Miracle Project.