12 Silver Linings of the Coronavirus Shutdown
Drifting through the second full week of social distancing and (mostly) staying home, cabin fever is setting in. Is it Tuesday or Saturday? Does it matter? One day is the same as the next: hand washing till my skin dries out, spraying Lysol on everything, wiping...
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Living with Autism and the Coronavirus
For the past week I’ve been feeling increasingly anxious and pessimistic about the human race—especially when I shop in stores with empty shelves. There’s an apocalyptic vibe. Want paper toweling? Forget about it! None at Morton Williams, Target, Food Emporium or...
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A Dozen Birthday Wishes for an Autism Mom
Some of my birthday wishes are small and inexpensive. Others not so much. My birthday desires run from the sublime to the ridiculous. But what’s the harm of putting my list out into cyberspace? Maybe I have a secret admirer (or several?) somewhere in the world who...
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Can We End Disability Concentration Camps?
Worrying about where my high-functioning autistic daughter will live and how she will manage to navigate independently in a (mostly) unkind or indifferent world is hard enough. Or so I thought until I read the front-page headline in last Friday’s New York Times:...
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Where Will My Autistic Daughter Live When I’m Gone?
Instead of writing about hearts and flowers on Valentine’s Day, I find myself once again drawn to the subject of where—and how—my daughter on the spectrum can live safely and independently in Manhattan. As Samantha approaches 30 (gulp!) and I’m cruising along in my...
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Autism Atrocity in an Upside-Down World
How is it possible that an 8-year old boy with autism was murdered by his father? And his father was a policeman! As The New York Times reported, “it was no secret that Tommy Valva was suffering.” For the past two years, worried school officials and teachers had made...
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Autism and Idioms
Recently, a documentary filmmaker interviewing me about my daughter on the autism spectrum asked me why Samantha used idiomatic expressions so often. “Why do you think she enjoys them so much?” the filmmaker asked. The quick answer is because it’s part of Samantha’s...
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Can Autistic Actors Perform Shakespeare?
Most readers might (mistakenly!) think that performing in a Shakespeare play would be Mission Impossible for actors with autism. After all, if Shakespeare’s old English verses are a verbal stretch for neurotypical performers, how can autistic actors learn AND...
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Samantha Shines and Impresses the College Experience Alumni
In the spirit of a proud momager, I'm re-posting a short blog by Jesse Saperstein, Activities Coordinator for the College Experience. Jesse and his College Experience participants travelled nearly four hours to see Samantha and her fellow cast members in EPIC's most...
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20 New Year’s Resolutions by An Autism Mom in 2020
My number one goal is to be valued and recognized for my efforts. No more invisible labor. Connect with my son in person more than three times a year. Try to visit him once in LA. Get treatment for my dizziness. Find a safe, affordable and independent living situation...
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About Marguerite
Marguerite Elisofon is a New York City writer and the author of My Picture Perfect Family, a memoir about how her family navigated life with a child on the autistic spectrum before the internet and support groups existed. She also blogs about parenting young adults and disability related issues in The Never Empty Nest. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time and NY Metro Parents magazine, and her family’s story has been featured by the NY Post, Fox News, The Daily Mail, and on Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny radio show. A Vassar graduate, Marguerite was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, Howard, in their mostly-empty nest. She is available to speak about a wide variety of issues relating to twins, parenting, and autism. 