by Marguerite Elisofon | May 8, 2015 | Adelphi University, Asperger's Syndrome, autism, beers, blogging, cyberspace, empty nest, family issues, John Elder Robison, neurotypical, sibling relationships, special education, twins
Okay, so now that I’m taking that first baby step toward 200 blogs, I keep hearing a silly song from my childhood: “100 bottles of beer on the wall, 100 bottles of beer, if one of those beers should happen to fall, 99 bottles of beer on the wall…” Remember...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Dec 19, 2014 | ABA, ACCES-VR, Asperger's, autism, Business Insider, capitalism, childhood disabilities, compassion, networking, neurodiversity, psychiatrists, Rajesh Anandan, software companies, special education, ULTRA Testing
Is compassionate capitalism my impossible dream? Perhaps trying to combine compassion with capitalism is like mixing oil and water. In today’s world of instant gratification, short-term profits, and “me-first-now,” the concept of compassionate capitalism...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Jun 6, 2014 | " Frommer's Guides, "Keep the Change, assistant teachers, August, autism, Board of Education, California, camp, children, film, neurotypical, special education, summer, twins, vacation
Summer is supposed to offer time to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures, right? Now that Arctic temperatures and relentless blizzards have given way –FINALLY—to sunshine and warmth, it’s a tremendous relief to shed all those layers of clothing and skip...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Nov 1, 2013 | ADHD, Ann Ford, autism, Charles Dickens, colllege, Great Expectations, learning disabilities, special education, weddings
Do you ever imagine your daughter’s wedding? How will it be, compared to your own? Bigger or smaller? Will she wear her mother’s wedding dress or pick out one of her own? How old will she be? Of course the most important questions are: Will she ever find her...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Sep 27, 2013 | autism, Board of Education, college, familly isues, government, learning disabilities, life skills, sequestration, special education, special needs, supplemental social security
Is it possible we did too good a job of helping our daughter, Sarah, partially emerge from autism for her to qualify for disability payments? Getting supplemental Social Security Income for Sarah wasn’t going to be easy, our Disabilities Advocate, told us....
by Adriane Tillman | Jul 26, 2013 | Abilify, ADHD, autism, drug side effects, familly isues, family issues, learning disabiities, parenting, prescription drug ads, prescription drugs, Risperdal, special education, Vyvanse, weight control
As television commercials remind us constantly nowadays, there’s a panoply of prescription drugs available to combat depression, arthritis, high cholesterol, nicotine addiction, and even “erectile dysfuncton.” You name the problem, and there are often several...
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. 