Seven Keys to Unlock Autism

ELAINE HALL ("Coach E") is the founder of The Miracle Project. When traditional therapies failed to help her autistic son, she sought out creative people—actors, writers, and teachers—to work with him. The methods Elaine developed to reach kids with autism resulted in The Miracle Project and were profiled in the HBO documentary, Autism: The Musical. DIANE ISAACS is the cofounder of The Miracle Project. A successful film producer, she is the former president of Green Moon Productions, which she cofounded with Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. Diane produced The Miracle Project's benefit album, FLY, with artists including Jack Black, Stephen Stills, and Chaka Khan. She is expanding The Miracle Project nationally and internationally, from India to Ethiopia.

Acknowledgments ix

About the Authors xi

About The Miracle Project xiii

Foreword by Stephen M. Shore xv

Introduction: It Starts with You xvii

The Seven Keys xviii

How to Use This Book xix

The Keys xx

Elaine’s Story xxiii

Part One: Autism 101 1

Primer: Autism Through a Different Lens 3

A Brief History 7

Inspirational Stories 11

Autism’s Alphabet Soup 13

Part Two: The Seven Keys 19

Key One Set an Intention 21

Key Two Develop Acceptance and Appreciation 37

Diane’s Story of Acceptance 51

Key Three Understand Sensory Profi le 59

Key Four Follow the Leader 73

Key Five Include the Child 87

Key Six Practice and Preparation Make Progress 105

Key Seven Live Miracle Minded 121

Conclusion: Opening Doors 131

Part Three: Appendixes 135

Appendix A: The Resource Room: Tools for Using the Seven Keys 137

Primer: Leading Schools of Thought 138

Autism Organizations 139

Films 141

IDEA and IEP 142

Key One Resources 142

Key Two Resources 143

Key Three Resources 144

Key Four Resources 144

Key Five Resources 145

Key Six Resources 145

Key Seven Resources 146

Appendix B: Additional Corners of the Resource Room 149

Environmental Factors 149

Classroom Set-Up 151

Proactive Tools 153

Accommodations 157

Creating Consistency Across All Environments 160

Creating a User-Friendly System 161

Seven Keys to a Smooth IEP 164

The Greatest Untapped Resource: The Parent 167

Index 175