Not Quite Independence Day 2020
Nobody looks forward to the dentist, but last week was an exception for me. Crazy as it sounds, I was eager to have my teeth cleaned. Has the pandemic driven me totally nuts? Not exactly. Tooth cleaning was an opportunity to take care of MYSELF! I know a few other...
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Reopening New York City During the Coronavirus – Are We Safe?
As Phase 2 began this week, I felt like a bird being (slowly) released from my East 73rd Street cage. On Monday, my daughter and I went for a haircut. We both prefer our hair long, but Samantha was beginning to resemble Rapunzel, and I looked as though a litter of...
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Autism and Covid19: Questions Without Answers
As the coronavirus drags on, and New York continues to be (mostly) shut down, my daughter on the spectrum is asking more and more questions I can’t answer. The onslaught of her curiosity and sincere desire to understand adds to our daily household stress. I have my...
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Autism, Racism and the Coronavirus
How does a privileged white mother explain to her autistic daughter about racism in America? How can I help her to understand the horrifying on-camera murder of a black man by a white police officer? These would be difficult questions to address with a neurotypical...
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Autism, Memorial Day and Covid19
Another so-called holiday is about to bite the dust. Actually, I’d prefer the holiday to EAT the dust, so that Samantha and I don’t have to vacuum this weekend. Already in need of repair, my Miele vacuum is 10 years old and sounds weaker and more exhausted than I...
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26 Lessons Learned by an Autism Mom During the Coronavirus
As we approach the end of two months of “sheltering in place” and social distancing, some aspects of life have changed dramatically while others have stayed (stubbornly!) the same. Here is a sampling of the good, the bad and the ugly as experienced by one autism...
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Zooming Daily and Going Nowhere
During my six weeks (and counting!) confinement to our NYC apartment, I’ve been online and Zooming every day. Each morning I roll back my living room carpet halfway to create a mini-dance floor. I’m taking wonderful dance and Zumba classes online with my favorite...
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My Mother’s 93rd Birthday During the Coronavirus
My mom turned 93 last week. No celebration of any kind was possible. My mother doesn’t own a cell phone or a computer so there is no Zoom, FaceTime or opportunity to celebrate virtually. The good news is that my mother doesn’t live in a nursing home or assisted...
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Revelations During Coronavirus Confinement
After spending more than three hours cleaning and disinfecting our apartment, I have a new appreciation for my housekeeper. My back is killing me and I didn’t even finish the job. After cleaning three bedrooms and three bathrooms (with my daughter’s help!) I had to...
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Coronavirus: Searching for the New Normal
The city that “never sleeps” is currently comatose. New York City Streets are empty; most stores and restaurants are shuttered. White hospital tents are springing up in Central Park. I’m thinking it’s not safe to take a power walk anywhere near those tents,...
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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. 