“You have warmed my heart for life!” Pat Harvey, CBS News Anchor
“I got “such a deal” at Amazon and recently finished your wonderful book. I couldn’t put it down! Thank you for your lovingkindness, patience and for sharing your heart with us. Blessings and best wishes for you and yours as we count our blessings in this impermanent world…xox”
February was Jewish Disabilities Month. Here are what people said when Elaine Hall Visited Michigan:
A few comments from the parents and teachers:
- “Wonderful speaker; dynamic and inspiring!
- · “It touched my Heart and soul. Thank You for making a Difference in our community”
- · “Excellent movie!”
- “Thank you for a profound and moving experience”
A few comments from the Social Workers:
- “Very engaging & warm, topic very relevant for parents & professionals “
- “What a great movie with an amazing message!”
- “Excellent”
“You have warmed my heart for life!” Pay Harvey, CBS News Anchor
“I just finished reading your book over Shabbat. My mom recommended it and I loved it. We identify with you because I had a severely special needs brother. My parents set up round the clock at home “patterning” & other intervention for him because the state’s answer to his “problem” was institutionalization. It was the early 1970’s and there was NOTHING available and when he couldn’t live at home anymore, my parents had to put him in a institution briefly but fought really hard and got him into the first Jewish group home in Far Rockaway NY. His aids, his people were the most dedicated and amazing group and reading your book brought it all back. Hashem should bless you with strength and continued energy.
As a side, I “do” music with kids and loved your trailer showing your stuff. I hope to purchase the entire CD”
-Sister of Brother with Special Needs, New Jersey
Elaine,
I am not sure if you remember me… I met you right before the children’s performance at the Autism Society’s conference in Dallas… we talked about Autism the Musical and I wanted to share that we require it as a “text” in our autism certificate course work.. you gave me your book.
I just finished your book(instead of my lectures for next weekend- we teach our autism courses on Friday night and all day Saturday four times a semester). I am honored that you that I have read your journey. Paula Kluth says that “good teachers always read to their students” I have never read to my cohort of grad students in the autism certificate courses… this changes next weekend with your book, not sure where I will start and what I will read because this is the last class in the last course of their certificate work. But I wanted you to know. Thank-you for all of your special gifts.
PS I shared with our local Autism Society Chapter how much I was enjoying your book. Linell Weinberg, their Executive Director, may be in contact with you to come and give a lecture/workshop. She provides workshops for parents and professionals- in part through a local family empowerment grant from a our board of Developmental Disabilities. I hope it works out that our paths cross again. Take care.
Anderia Trail Ryley, M.Ed.
School of Intervention Services
You have warmed my heart for life!
Pat Harvey
KCAL/CBS2 News
QJAC
The Queens Jewish Agency Coalition
Dear Elaine,
On behalf of QJAC (the Queens Jewish Agency Coalition) we want to thank you for coming out To Queens to spread your magic and for opening a community conversation on Autism. Rave reviews would be an understatement; you have inspired an entire audience to think of ways to work with Autistic kids. Jane Schulman, a speech therapist who works with Autistic children wants to work on a musical production. Shellie Orian’s Brother (Shellie is the young woman who sat on the panel with you) is the outreach coordinator for the Knicks will sent one of the players to facilitate a sports clinic to the Autistic Sports team at the Samuel Field Y. Another special needs teacher volunteered to work on any funded project that we pursue.
Our attendees enjoyed not only your presentation but the humorous and real life way in which your story was delivered.
The Queens Jewish Coalition looks forward to continuing our efforts on behalf of children with special needs. We hope to be working with you again in the near future.
Thank you for inspiring us.
Best Regards
Cynthia Zalisky Chana Silberstein
C0-chairs of QJAC
Elaine and Neal,
It was wonderful to get the “back story” since EmpowerTech has worked with Neal when he was a preschooler(as Computer Access Center) and again now that he is a middle-schooler. I was very impressed with his expressive level of vocabulary when he types which is something he would not do for us here either during our sessions nor at Open Access since it takes more frequent meetings for his comfort zone than our time would allow. However, he certainly is persistent in communicating with us what he wants to do with technology. Ruth, who comes with him every week is a charm. Neal has been experimenting with some of the new PDA size AAC devices. It’s a pleasure for EmpowerTech to contribute in any way we can. You have worked harder than anyone to enter his world and bring him into yours. Thank you for sharing your journey
sincerely,
Judy Nahman-Stouffer
EmpowerTech
310 338-1597
Elaine,
I just wanted to let you know that your article “Seven easy ways to help a family diagnosed with autism” was awesome! You really hit every detail right on! My son was diagnosed with high functioning autism about a year and a half ago. It has been overwhelming for us as a family. You are totally right about the issues with the “normal” sibling or the need to just have a friend and listening ear. Since his diagnosis, I have been reprimanded about my parenting by people who clearly don’t understand autism, when I really just needed someone to give me a hug or offer to help me out. It would be awesome to have someone offer to babysit the kids so I could have alone time with my husband or have someone just provide a meal from time to time. I totally understand where you are coming from with the grocery store. I absolutely refuse to go shopping with my son, so either I improvise with what I have around the house, or I go grocery shopping at 8:30 at night despite my exhaustion.
Thanks for taking the time to write such a helpful and important article! I’ve shared it on facebook. EVERYONE should read that article!
Elaine,
Please come to Vancouver BC!