AHANY Adelphi Conference Celebrates 30 Years of Support
I set my alarm for 7 am on Sunday, May 6th –a brutal awakening time after our family’s return from traveling to Tel Aviv, Boston and Cherry Hill in a two-week period. Nevertheless, I was determined to attend Adelphi University’s Autism Conference, “Independent Living...
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Autism Tours and Israel’s Love Affair with KEEP THE CHANGE
Our crazy, joyful (dare I say exhausting?) autism fairy tale continued last week in Israel. A producer, Eyal Shiray, bought the rights to Keep the Change and invited us to the Israeli premiere of the film in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ra’Anana. We landed in Tel Aviv on...
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Milestone Moments – UN World Autism Awareness Day 2018
Question: What could be a greater honor or thrill for an autism mom than arranging for my actress daughter on the spectrum to speak at the United Nations on World Autism Awareness Day? Answer: I’d say nothing, but Samantha has already surprised me so much that it’s...
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Autism Awareness Month – A Whirlwind Celebration
It’s the first week of Autism Awareness month, and I’m trying to follow the advice I always give my daughter Samantha when she’s flooded with anxiety. Take deep breaths. . . Slowly. Don’t hyperventilate. Easier said than done when our first week of Autism Awareness...
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The Autism Globetrotters Go to Israel
Who are the Autism Globetrotters? We are an international team of autism advocates spreading the message of diversity and inclusion, as we demonstrate and articulate the passions and hopes of people with autism through film. Although we possess zero basketball...
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Autism, Snow Days and Schedule Changes
All autism parents know how difficult and stressful schedule changes can be for a son or daughter on the spectrum. How comforting would it be to imagine that our kids with autism will outgrow their anxiety and inflexibility? To some extent maturity helps, but not as...
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Autism Movie and the Magical Mystery Tour
Keep the Change, co-starring my daughter Samantha, is opening in NYC at The Quad, playing from March 16th through March 22nd. The film is also premiering in 7 other cities: -San Francisco, CA - Roxie Theater - March 23-29th -Chicago, IL - Music Box Theater - March...
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EPIC Underground – What’s the Story?
On February 27th EPIC Players presented its first “Underground” performance—the result of a five-week narrative class focused on preparing cast members’ personal stories for the stage. The class served as a prerequisite to excelling in the arts of emceeing, public...
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Parents with Disabilities Face Joys and Challenges
This week guest blogger Ashley Taylor is offering encouragement and helpful suggestions to couples with disabilities who want to start families. A married mother of two, Ashley is a freelance writer, photographer and advocate for people with disabilities. She created...
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Happy Valentine’s Day to an Autism Ambassador
Just when I thought life couldn’t become any more wonderful, my daughter Samantha Elisofon learned today that she was cast in the SPARK’s Autism Awareness project. Not only that, but she will be paid $1000 for a full day of filming, plus additional fees. (!!) The...
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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. 