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posted October 21, 2008
Coach E
Things are moving along so quickly for us! It just seems like yesterday that we were together with some of you during our summer training! Here's a quick peek at what has been going on:
In September Autism: The Musical received not one but two Emmys! It was a great experience to see Tricia Regan's great film be recognized, and I am so thankful that the recognition has brought so many new wonderful people into our Miracle family.
On October 2nd I was honored to receive an award at the Open House for Acts of Love, "In Recognition of Your Work Making Miracles." The Open House was lots of fun, so I've included some photos from the event below.
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PHOTOS FROM THE OPEN HOUSE FOR ACTS OF LOVE
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0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
click a title to view an enlargement
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I'm not the only one making miracles, of course. All of you who have written to me and are making an impact in your community strengthen me to know that we can all do this together. That's why we're so excited for our upcoming training sessions. Like we did this summer, during our winter training sessions there will be a large Introductory session for anyone interested in attending. That will be immediately followed by a Level 1 Intensive session. Those of you who took the Introductory and Level 1 courses this summer can also sign up for a Level 2 Intensive. To get the details and register, go to our Create Your Own Miracles page.
Even though it seems that we are making great strides in making the public aware of our wonderful children on the spectrum, unfortunately many are still badly informed. I recently made a post on the Huffington Post in regards to Denis Leary's recent unfortunate comments. You can read the post here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elaine-hall/denis-leary-neither-stupi_b_135258.html
In the face of ignorance or insensitivity, making Miracles happen can sometimes seem a steep, uphill battle. But I know that together we'll get to the top of that hill. And the view will be AMAZING!
Coach E
Elaine Hall
The Kids Coach
Founder/Director
The Miracle Project
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posted September 12, 2008
Coach E
A shot of future Miracle Makers from our summer training session.
This summer has been simply AMAZING for The Miracle Project. It all started with the HBO release of Autism: The Musical, which just received an Emmy award for Non-Fiction Special. Tune into E Entertainment channel on Saturday the 20th to watch the awards ceremony.
The documentary got hundreds of you from across the country (and the world!) interested in The Miracle Project. We held our first training sessions and our first Summer Camp in July and both were fantastic. Thank you to everyone who came, especially to you parents who brought your children to our summer camp.
Our trainings were our first step to helping spread miracles across the country and I know all of you who attended will do amazing things with the children you work with. I wanted to share an email I received this week from Carolyn, who lives near Brownsville, Texas and participated in our first training session.
"Good evening Elaine,
I just had to share what has been happening the last two days. (well actually the last week but especially the last two days). I spoke to an ACES parent support group meeting last Tuesday and walked out with a list of 16 parents who are interested in the possibility of having a workshop based on your methods. I am still looking for a location for that but it will happen soon enough. I also spoke to a meeting of all of the diagnosticians, self-contained teachers and speech therapists in my district about my experiences in LA. The teacher who works with one of my students who is visually impaired approached me and asked me if I would be willing to try the methods with her class. She has 5 students. One of her students is visually impaired, one is non-verbal (not labeled autistic) and the other three have varying degrees of autism.
Yesterday I was walking into the school to work with my student to see if the teacher wanted me to start working with the entire class. (The day before I had observed the assistants telling a child to "stop it", "sit down" "hands quiet" etc. He kept running around a chair and they kept trying to grab him to make him stop. I asked one of them to try to join him. She looked at me funny then started running around the chair with him. At first he didn't seem to notice her at all, then she reversed her direction and he would make his circles wider to avoid her, then he stopped altogether and sat down.) Well, on my way into the school the second day I was singing the chorus, "I'm a Miracle, You're a Miracle, ....." and a butterfly crossed my path. I had the biggest smile on my face and knew it was the day to start.
When I started the circle, the kids were a little reluctant, but they started participating. All except the one who was running around the day before. The assistant started grabbing his hands and telling him to sit down in the circle. I stopped her and told her to just stay with him wherever he chose to be and she could continue to do what we were doing in the circle but just stay with him. When we got to the waking up the cheeks part I blew up my cheeks and had my student who is visually impaired press my cheeks. She laughed so loud because of the noise. (This is a little girl who does not like to touch ANYTHING). She kept pressing my cheeks for a while and laughing. The boy who is not labeled autistic but is non-verbal played the zip zap game, two of the boys with autism made eye contact during the same and the boy who would not sit down joined the circle for about 10 minutes.
The teachers kept giving me these looks like "I don't believe it". We finished off the circle with "I'm a Miracle" and asking if they had fun with the response of "YYYYEEESSSS". Then when I was walking with my student with VI in the hallway the school nurse asked her if she had any words for her and she said, "How are you?". This was the first time any of us have heard her speak a sentence without being prompted what to say.
Today was equally as miraculous. The boy who would not sit down joined for about 10 minutes again, and the boy who is nonverbal kept talking and we discovered that he is a great dancer.
Bless you Elaine and all of your staff for bringing us this opportunity to share with others. I can't wait until January.
Miraculously minded,
Carolyn"
I am so proud of Carolyn and what she is doing with children in Texas. If you live in the area and want like to plug in to what Carolyn is doing, please contact Naomi at The Miracle Project: naomi@themiracleproject.com
Coach E
Elaine Hall
The Kids Coach
Founder/Director
The Miracle Project
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posted June 13, 2008
Coach E
What a year this has been for The Miracle Project! What blessings! What a gift to see our family of Miracle Makers grow!
How do we recount such a phenomenal year? Where to begin? As many of you know, The Miracle Project is the subject of the award winning documentary, AUTISM: THE MUSICAL, which aired on HBO throughout the month of April. As a direct result, we have received emails and voice mails from people applauding our work from all over the US and as far away as Australia, the Philippines, and Israel. Due to this overwhelming response, we are developing curriculum which we hope to translate into any language so that others can create their own miracles. http://www.themiracleproject.org/create.html
The Miracle Project has been featured on television, radio, and print, including: CNN – (US And International), NPR, Oprah Radio, the LA Times, the NY Times, and the Wall Street Journal! Our "Miracles on the Move" performed at Paramount Studios with a red carpet entrance, and also at the International Occupational Therapy Conference, with Ben Vereen and Maria Manoudos at the Barnes and Noble Book Store in the Los Angeles Farmers Market! Just this weekend, we performed at the TACA picnic (Talk About Curing Autism Now) where Jenny McCarthy was also signing books. There were over 1500 people at the TACA picnic. We all felt like family -- a family of people who embrace the joys, challenges, and miracles with autism.
The entertainment community has also embraced The Miracle Project students I am so proud to say. Our CD, “Fly: INTO THE WORLD OF AUTISM,” will be released this fall featuring The Miracle Project kids and celebrity artists such as Jack Black, Stephen Stills, Jason Alexander, Gary Cole, and Taylor Parks. David Lawrence (High School Musical) and his wife Faye Greenberg just wrote us a rockin' song to be included on the CD!  Ben Vereen will be recording with us in a few weeks, as well as Holly Robinson Peete. We will soon be working with The Chaka Khan Foundation to bring The Miracle Project to inner city families. It's so exciting! We continue to understand the deep and transformational power of love, art, and community. Our goal is to continue to build bridges so as to cultivate the greatest quality of life for each and all.
In response to the overwhelming requests to start The Miracle Project in different communities, we are offering our first ever Miracle Project training and certification program. http://www.themiracleproject.org/create.html
Sign up this week, and receive a 10% discount. (We will also offer a payment plan if you would like to separate out the payments). Help us spread Miracles around the world! Become a Miracle Project Coach in your area.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of our miraculous year!
Until our next e-connection,
Be Miracle Minded
With gratitude,
Coach E
Elaine Hall
The Kids Coach
Founder/Director
The Miracle Project
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| SPRING IS THE TIME TO LET GO |
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posted May 25, 2008
Coach E
OK, its May and the perfect time of the year to be refreshed. It is about spring-cleaning. As a self-confessed pack rat, I enter this time of year with some trepidation. I know how good it feels to send all the clutter packing, but there is that voice inside that just wants to hold on. What if I need it one day. Oh, but it was a nice gift. If I lose 5 pounds, I can wear it again. Yeah, a lot of voices.
Jeff, my sweet husband (yes, we’re still newly weds!) is great at helping to get rid of stuff. So, I suggest if you’re like me, you may want to ask a friend, spouse, or sibling to help you let go of the old to make room for the new.
I have learned that if I let go of the physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually “OLD”, I create an opening for “NEW”. It’s miraculous how this happens. Last year at this time, I finally got rid of an old couch – and within days, a friend who was remodeling his place, gave us his beautiful slightly used furniture. Space allows new thoughts, things and feelings to enter. I admit, I work in paper clutter, and when I clear it away, I can see my real “to do” list. Space allows clarity- literally and figuratively.
Here are 7 tips to really LET GO (and welcome change!)
1. Get over the “Chatchkes" (as my mom would say)--all those little gifts and mementos that clutter up the bookshelves – I admit, it’s challenging for me to let them go but I find that they become unnoticed over time. My cousin, Gloria, an organizing expert, tells me to literally take a picture of any special items to remember them – put the photos in a scrapbook to keep and then gift them to someone else! “Your forgotten dust collectors will brighten someone else’s day.”
2. Wardrobe Clean out. Anything you have not worn in the last year – put in a box or bag. If you don’t wear it or miss it in a month – GIVE it away! Seems once I cleaned out my closet, my mother-in-love (Neal’s Grandma) had done the same and gave me some gorgeous jackets and dress up clothes that I wear on my TV interviews.
3. Kids’ Closets. Take a hard look. Your kids are growing in size and changing their styles. Are there clothes that are (like the song “Sensitive”) itchy and scratchy to your kids? Are there clothes just hanging out that we hope they will wear? Are we holding on to those beautiful leather shoes with ties that our kids can’t tie? Good will and other charities welcome such under-used garments. Or hand them down internally-- Neal’s older cousin, David, gives us all his old suits, sports jackets, dress pants and cool t-shirts that he has outgrown. We’ve never had to shop for these items and they are in great condition!
4. Say goodbye to all the toys that are sitting there unused. There are many children’s centers with kids who’d love to play with them. Let them go. Now. Accept your child for what they connect with. Now. If they love to play with boxes – give them a box to play with. We brought home huge refrigerator boxes one year and Neal made all kinds of things with them: a store, a time traveling ship, etc. He never was a legos fan. We just gave away all of Neal’s sensory integration pieces i.e. swing, ladder, etc. to our neighbor whose son was recently diagnosed with autism. It just thrills us to see all of this in use as he has built a “mini-clinic” in his garage just like we had built when Neal was younger.
5. What about the Desk Piles that you want to get to one day? Let today be the day. Give yourself an hour or two of uninterrupted time (ask a neighbor to watch your child, hire a high school student to play with him/her; request some respite from your local support center). Re-look at all the papers and let most of them go -- unfortunately, bills are exempt. You won’t make it to every event so RSVP “no” (email!!) and recycle the invitation. You can’t read every saved article or magazine. Mark down the articles you want to read and enter them into your computer. Most articles today, are available online. As for the magazines – give them to local schools – they can be used for collages or other art projects – or put in the recycling bin. Let them go.
6. Let go of negative thoughts – This is the most challenging – all of those condescending things we say to ourselves on a daily basis. These are toxic mind clutter and have no space for a miracle mind! Be aware of them and (all together now) “LET THEM GO”. We’ll be talking more and more about this as we become more Miracle Minded.
7. Let go of negative people. Best for last . . . We don’t have enough time in our day to see the folks who matter to us. So why spend time with those who are critical and don’t understand our situation? Let them go. Ask them nicely if they can be more positive – and if not – spend less and less time with them. Give yourself space to allow positive people to join your community of friends.
Letting go of invalid beliefs and those who judge us creates space for new ideas and new relationships. Letting go of the old physical, mental, and spiritual clutter opens pathways for new beginnings.
May this spring bring forth the blossoms of a fruitful, bountiful time. Until our next e-connection, be…
With gratitude,
Coach E
Elaine Hall
The Kids Coach
Founder/Director
The Miracle Project
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| GREENS GIRL DOES MIRACLE MEALS: Issue #1 - The Color of Food |
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posted May 13, 2008
Diane Isaacs
category: Nutrition
 I have been called many things in my life: film producer, coach, mom, Ironwoman, 5-minute chef, NY speed walker, lead foot, yogi . . . but the one title that is consistent is "GREENS GIRL".
Yeah, my diet is 90% "green" – a lot of salads, leafy this and leafier that, vegetables, sprouts- and other greenish foods like nuts, seeds and fruits. I make a daily shake that sends everyone running with its iridescent pond sources (I am extreme in my green.) However, GREEN in any proportion is the key to healthy nutrition – packing plentiful of vitamins, antioxidants minerals, proteins, complex carbs-- without the health sabotagers known as sugar, artificial additives, and processing. Since we are what we eat, we could all use a bigger dose of green. Adults, Children. Especially children with special needs.
 My son Wyatt has been diagnosed with autism since 5 years old, and has for the most part followed gluten/casein free, low sugar, organic eating. I say eating because diet sounds restrictive! He has a wonderful diet, rich in vegetables, proteins, grains and fruits- he declared himself VEGAN last year because he loves the food, and secondarily because he didn't want to impact the environment with animal products. His digestion has improved. He missed the winter cold this year, and has great energy with less mood swings. Greens work.
Gasp (I can hear you thinking)- "My kid won't touch a vegetable." "Not a chance." "Green lucky charms is as close as it's gonna get . . ." "Does creamy cole slaw count as salad?"
Clearly, it is going to require a shift in the way you think before you change the way you eat and feed your children. Change your mind then change your habits!
What is important to remember is that your eating is as critical as your child's. As a parent, you have to be strong, energetic and fueled to take on the task of caretaking, You are also the role model, so it is not a good situation if you are pushing the steamed spinach while sneaking into your chocolate stash. Greens are good for the WHOLE FAMILY. One green pot per family. No special meals, just special people.
Greens Girl is going to debunk the popular cultural MYTHS about kids and food -- one at a time with a quick and easy splash in the kitchen with the 15 & Under Miracle Minutes Recipes to comfort you and your kids through the transition. The motivation can remain taste, and the cherry on top is how you feel and how your child thrives with valuable nutrition.
As you add in the greens (and other vibrant natural colors) regime, there are some immediate ‘drops’ from the family diet:
· high fructose corn syrup and all corn syrup (it’s in most things in a box and a major obesity factor)
· hydrogenated oils (basically indigestible in processed/prepared foods!)
· artificial sweeteners (diet’s first three letters are…)
· red/yellow/blue dyes --all colorings (unless you want your child to ingest crude oil which is their chemical base)
· all fast food (sorry, no exceptions). Toxic to all, and hyper toxic to our children with special sensitivities.
I'll wait for the tantrum to stop. I have a three day theory. You can change your habits in three days, It's up to you if you want to tantrum for all of them or not. You’ll get over it.
| GREEN'S GIRL takes on . . .MYTH #1 |
"Kids don't like greens; Kids won't eat greens!"
You are entirely right if they have not been served greens and if they frequent drive-thrus. Junk food lives up to its name and makes the palette and the body a junkyard. Just as polluted areas do not thrive, kids with a poor diet are deprived what is essential to their well being.
Likes and dislikes are conditioned habits - if we assumed that our kids will only eat mac 'n cheese, pizza, french fries and chicken fingers, (not sure who determined that standard) - then that's what they will eat and probably all they will eat. If we assume children are born with a sweet tooth, (sugar highs are not that cute, especially when they crash) breakfast/ lunch/snack and dinner will be a sugar battle and emotional rollercoaster.
However, if you serve greens as part of their diet, they simply develop a taste for them. Greens literally ground a child's body )adults too) but food has greater impact the smaller the body.) My son Wyatt loves every vegetable- (even ones that I hated as a kid, like brussel sprouts.)
How did that happen? (told you I can hear you think) He was never given choice to like or dislike greens. There was never a substitute if he didn't “like” it. To create a "green" taste, start by cleverly camouflaging vegetables into meals, then gradually make them more visible. If your child resists eating the green foods, do not force it. Don't let there be drama around food. Simply remove the dinner plate and that meal is over. No other food, snack, dessert is allowed. You'll be surprised how that young body will learn to like that missed meal. Hunger is a great motivator!
| 15 & UNDER MIRACLE MINUTE RECIPE by Green's Girl |
CRISPY YAM CHIPS - 15 mins
(Green can appear orange in this case)
Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees.
2 large Yams- organic please
2 Tbs Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 cloves minced Garlic (optional)
1 Lime (optional)
Add'l: curry powder, cumin, red pepper- mix it up for a change.
2 mins.: Wash the yams with skin on. Carefully slice yams into thin chips at an angle and put in large bowl.
2 mins: Drizzle with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and spices and let marinate briefly. Coating all sides.
9 mins: Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Spread the yams out on a sheet with little overlap and put in piping hot oven- let the chips sizzle and turn brown, turning as needed to get an even ‘tan’. I prefer them super crispy, but they are delicious after 7 mins or so…
2 mins: squeeze a bit of lime on the hot chips. Let cool before de-roofing mouth palette.
While the oven is hot, I usually take advantage and thinly slice brusell sprouts, with same procedure of yams (olive oil, etc) and give them an blasted oven roasting- camo the green to a crispy brown and they will disappear-
Now these are healthy ‘chips’!!
Green's Girl Take on Myth #2: Children's Menus
15 & Under Miracle Minute Recipe: Guacamole (5mins and wow) The Ultimate Green Comfort Food !
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. . .coming soon to Coach E Corner.
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| FOR ALL THE "SPECIAL MOMS" |
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posted May 5, 2008
My mom used to say that Mother's Day was just another day. She still needed to make the bed, straighten up the house, wash the dishes (especially after we'd made her that fabulous breakfast in bed and turned the kitchen into a splattered mess!) Though my mom didn't always show it, I know those cards we decorated and the little gifts we made in school warmed her heart.
For us "Special Moms" it can be a little different. Our kids can't always express how they feel towards us in traditional ways. They may not be able to verbalize how they feel, or they may not be able to draw or write their name on a card. But know, when you dig down inside of your own soul, you can hear their voices.You can sense their appreciation. You can know that you are their lifeline; their advocate; their way in to the world.
I'd like to share with you a poem that came to me just before Mother's Day a few years ago.
As I was getting into the bath, I heard a voice in my heart. It was as if Neal's soul was echoing to me:
Momma, if you had just brought me out of Russia from that Orphanage - Dayenu [1]
If you had brought me out of the orphanage but didn't heal my physical illnesses - Dayenu
If you had healed my illnesses, but not found doctors, therapists to help me with my autism -Dayenu
If you had found therapists - but not quit your work for 7 years to focus solely on me - Dayenu
If you had quit your work and not found actors, and creative people to reach me - Dayenu
If you had found creative people but not led them to push me constantly - Dayenu
If they had pushed me constantly - but not encouraged me to go back to school - Dayenu
If I had gone back to school and you didn't constantly battle with the school system- Dayenu
If you had battled with the school system ... , etc., etc., etc.
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[1] Dayenu, roughly translated, means it would have sufficed. The song "Dayenu," part of the Jewish Passover celebration, expresses gratitude to God for all his gifts, including leading them out of slavery.
After "HEARING" this poem, for the first time in the 11 years that Neal had been in my life, I finally felt like I was doing enough.
This Mother's Day, I invite you to give yourself this gift. Of KNOWING who you are for your child, your children, your parents, your friends. I invite you to KNOW that you are doing ENOUGH. That you are ENOUGH. I invite you to see who you are for yourSELF, and give yourSELF the gift of Unconditional Love.
Be miracle minded.
May you have a blessed Mother's Day.
I celebrate and Honor you All.
With gratitude,
Coach E
Elaine Hall
The Kids Coach
Founder/Director
The Miracle Project
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