Even though my ne
st is half-empty (because my son, Matt, is in LA), I’m approaching this Mother’s Day bubbling over with excitement and pride over both my twins and the memoir they inspired. Not only that, but Matt’s movie, Being Charlie—co-authored with Nick Reiner and directed by Rob Reiner—opens Friday, May 6th here in NYC! https://www.people.com/article/being-charlie-exclusive-trailer-rob-reiner-nick-robinson
All week long I’ve been reading emails and Facebook messages from new friends, old friends and classmates I haven’t seen in 40 years, congratulating me on Matt’s movie and planning to go to the premiere. Have I seen the article about Rob and Nick Reiner in People? How about Rob Reiner’s interviews on The View, The Today Show, AP, etc.? Any mom would be over the moon if her 25 year old offspring had collaborated with Rob Reiner and his son on a film.
But that’s not my only Mother’s Day gift this year. In the past two weeks, my daughter on the autistic spectrum has been interviewed by The New York Post and The Stir.
https://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/197474/i_rarely_share_that_im?ct=the_latest_1 How wonderful that Autism Awareness Month offered Sarah opportunities to speak up and speak out for others with autism! Last weekend, New York 1 (!!) interviewed my daughter and other cast members of DreamStreet (a theater group for adults with disabilities); New York 1 is also planning to film her cabaret performance on May 11th. Sarah has loved every minute of her hard-earned attention, and her joy is my joy.
My excitement has been growing ever since the publication of my memoir last month. As part of the book launch for My Picture Perfect Family – What Happens When One Twin Has Autism, I’ve been interviewed by a dozen radio shows, from Jenny 
McCarthy here in New York, to Maine, Nebraska, North Carolina and California. Without exception, all the radio hosts and media have been kind, curious and extremely complimentary. What more could an autism mom and author want?
My nest runneth over: I’ve had articles in New York Metro News, Time.com, Parent.com, and been featured in The New York Post, https://nypost.com/2016/04/20/my-twin-is-autistic-and-im-not/ Foxnews.com
https://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/04/21/mother-pens-honest-book-about-raising-1-twin-with-autism-1-without.html, The Stir https://thestir.cafemom.com/being_a_mom/197068/10_moms_share_what_they/160443/a_need_to_be_heard/1 and Positively Autism.https://positivelyautism.weebly.com/blog/q-and-a-on-college-independent-living-and-young-adult-issues-with-marguerite-elisofon-author-of-my-picture-perfect-family-what-happens-when-one-twin-has-autism An excerpt from my book is in the current issue of Ability Magazine. Am I dreaming? Is this really my life or am I just waking up in a sequel to The Twilight Zone in someone else’s body?
Wishing mothers everywhere a happy Mother’s Day, my message is: never give up on your dreams for yourself and your family, no matter how far-fetched they may sometimes seem.
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. 