Autism: The Musical

I watch a lot of documentaries, and I haven't seen one that affected me as much as Autism: The Musical in a long time.

I have watched Autism: The Musical several times. It makes me think of India. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry. It makes me understand autism a tiny bit more, and makes me miss so badly those kids at SCH. The documentary follows a woman who has an autistic son, adopted from Russia. She starts The Miracle Project and over the course of 6 months, works with a group of autistic children and their siblings to put on a musical. The film focuses in on 5 of those kids; telling their stories and allowing us to get to know them.

Part 1 of the documentary is below. It is all on youtube, and you will see the other parts linked after Part 1 is finished.


There is a part when they are introducing Lexi. They show a videoclip of her when she is a toddler. She is at a playdate and she is covering her eyes, rocking back and forth. I couldn't stop thinking of April. I am not sure why, because April can't walk, or even stand, so rocking back and forth is not something she does. But she is autistic, and I got an update on her from a volunteer in India telling me that she is doing well, but her autistic behaviours are becoming more obvious.

And then there is a part when Neal, who is non-verbal, uses a speaking machine to send a message to his mom. I bawled. This made me think of Amanda, one of the older girls at SCH (maybe 12 years old) who is completely non-verbal. I wonder what she would say, if she could.

This post that Sarah wrote, Amanda's Love, and the documentary got me to thinking about how special 'special kids' really are. Before I went to India, I never really understood it. But now, I am thinking about each of the kids I fell in love with, and how endearing they are. How easy they are to fall in love with. Even in the documentary, when Neal's eyes light up after a breakthrough with him, I just want to give him a big hug. And when Lexi sings in that beautiful voice, I think of Christopher and how his songs would bring tears to my eyes (read THIS post about Christopher, he is amazing).
I never knew, before I went to India, how much I could love someone with special needs, and how truly special they are.

This documentary is a must see. It shows you the parts of autism that we all know; the daily struggles, the tears the parents shed, and the heartbreak, but it shows so much more. It shows the potential of people with autism and the light they bring to the world.

This post is one in a December series of National Blog Posting Month, where I am advocating for children with special needs. To make a difference in the life of someone living with special needs, check out THIS POST.