Finding Lost Children – An App to Help Autism Families
Help has arrived for parents of kids on the autistic spectrum in the form of an app that locates wanderers and run-aways. Regardless of how loving and vigilant parents may be, too many tragic stories of lost kids with autism—eventually found dead—appear in the news....
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Informed Compassion – Support for Asperger’s & High-Functioning Autism (AHANY)
On the second Tuesday of each month, parents of young adults with Asperger’s or high functioning autism are invited to attend a support group, led by Pat Schissel, AHA's Executive Director and LMSW. Last year when I attended my first meeting, I was impressed that Pat...
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Developmental Disabilities & Motherhood
Is a 19 year old woman with a developmental disability capable of raising her own baby? That turns out to be a complicated question, and the answer depends on who you ask. The cover story in this week’s New York Magazine, “Who Knows Best,” by Lisa Miller explores the...
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Debating Autism and Neurodiversity
What does a diagnosis of autism really mean? That depends on who you ask. Currently defined as a spectrum of disorders, the autism label covers people who are severely disabled—those who engage in violent or self-injurious behavior and are unable to communicate...
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Autism in Love – Pioneer Country
What happens when children with autism grow up and yearn for adult lives of their own? The documentary, Autism in Love, beautifully and bravely explores that question. Directed and produced by Matt Fuller, Autism in Love delves into the relationships and challenges...
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Making the Best of New Year’s Resolutions
Does the average New Year’s resolutions list make much sense? The short answer seems to be a resounding no. Forget about the kind of resolution that is defined by Webster as “finding an answer to a conflict,” or “the action of solving a problem, dispute or...
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Sweating Through Christmas
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Go back to sleep! If you live in New York—or anywhere on the East Coast—you’ve probably noticed the record-breaking high temperatures this holiday season. Forget about roasting chestnuts, sipping hot chocolate and cozying up to a...
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21 Holiday Wishes From An Autism Mom
Now that my kids are grown, I’m no longer caught up in the holiday frenzy of finding eight perfect gifts for Max and Sarah or lighting the menorah with them. In retrospect, the image of Sarah squabbling with her brother over who would light each candle, or her...
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DreamStreet – Enabling the Differently Abled
In a world where the number of babies born on the autistic spectrum has more than tripled from 1 in 150—when my daughter Sarah was born in 1990—to 1 in 45 in 2015, is there any GOOD news on the disabilities horizon? Ever since my daughter (25 this month) graduated...
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Protecting Planned Parenthood – Agreeing to Disagree
Whatever happened to “live and let live?” Apparently, ISIS, Al Qaeda and an increasing number of assorted crazy religious fanatics are violently opposed to tolerating people who live and worship differently. Sadly, the peace, love and brotherhood movement—near and...
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My Book
Consulting
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. 