I’m less than a week away from the publication of my book, My Picture Perfect Family! As part of the lead-up to launch I wrote an essay on “What I learned About My Autistic Daughter” that was published onTime magazine’s website this morning! What a nice way to start the day!
Here’s an excerpt from the article, and you can follow the link below to read the whole thing on Time’s website:
When my twins were born 25 years ago, there were no autism support groups or Internet chat rooms. But, thanks to her neurotypical twin brother, our family recognized early on that something wasn’t right with Samantha. Matt began pointing at objects and asking questions; Samantha rocked and stared into space. By the time she was 12 months old, she’d been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delays, although no one actually said the A-word.
While researching treatments, I also worked with Samantha to keep her calm and stimulate her thinking. Along the way, I learned as much from her as she learned from me. . . .
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. 