Five-Minute Time Out: Autism: The Musical
On stage and on the spectrum.
by April Peveteaux
March 25, 2008
There was a moment in the film I wanted to ask you about: the scene at Neal's birthday party when he hurts a younger child. Is this something you experience a lot?
Elaine: That's one of the hardest scenes for me in the film. What led up to it is the little boy had kind of been nudging the kids around and Neal saw the camera and went [explosive sound effect] and he has his moment. What's challenging is when Neal is overwhelmed he may act out physically. And it used to be nonstop. We couldn't have any pictures on the wall. He broke glass. He would break things constantly. However, that has diminished, I would say 99.9%.
What do you think about Richard's [father to Adam, a Miracle Project kid] assessment that moms become so involved in the life of the autistic child that men leave?
Diane: I know the divorce rate is incredible, but I think [his comment] is specific to Rosanne [Adam's mother]. She really devoted so much of her life . . . I think that is almost a mistake. I know it's tempting. I didn't have such challenges, but I think I had a little more leeway with Wyatt. I kept a balance. I felt like I had to be a working mom, and I have an older son. I think if you have other things, it doesn't become the center.
That was a theme in this film.
"I hear 'window of opportunity,' now or never. But there is no window. There is an entire skyscraper."
Elaine: Personally, I am guilty of being monomaniacal.
The thing about autism is that you get this word that there is a small window of opportunity, that if you don't do it now, before the child is four years old . . . And as a mom, I hear "window of opportunity," now or never. I quit my job. I had a high paying professional job of coaching kids in film and TV. I quit everything, lived off my savings, focused 100% of my energy into creating this whole world around Neal. But there is no window. There is an entire skyscraper of windows that can last a lifetime, and our kids' quality of life can constantly improve. Early intervention is phenomenal and important and necessary, but the brain will still develop. There are eighty-year-old people who learn to play the guitar, which means the brain is always developing.
Veatrice [Adam's caretaker in the film] said about Adam, "If he wasn't autistic . . . you can just imagine the possibilities." Is this a familiar sentiment?
Wyatt: These are hard questions.
Diane: They really are. My firstborn has always excelled at everything. He's a tennis star, thirtieth in the nation, honors. I guess the temptation is to compare. But I never have, because Wyatt has always been such a unique being and such an incredible voice and sunshine in our family. I've always honored who Wyatt is. He has beautiful qualities and they keep blossoming. He's writing a book. Wyatt is going to be something amazing.
Wyatt: And I'm autistic. Why compare?
Diane: I guess you wonder how independent, and what kind of career…? [To Wyatt] What do you want to be?
Wyatt: A writer. See, I can be whatever I want to be. I like to write fiction.
Diane: He's got a great imagination.
Wyatt: You don't have to be a celebrity to be whoever you want to be.
©2008 April Peveteaux and Nerve Media
About the Author
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April Peveteaux is an editor, writer and performer. Her work can be seen in
RADAR and The Life and Times of the Mummy. She lives in Brooklyn
with her husband, daughter and cocker spaniel. |
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