Social Insecurity Revisited
Social Security is supposed to be a catch-all financial safety net for retirees and Americans unable to work because of physical or mental disabilities, right? Talk about a misnomer! The truth is there is NOTHING “social” about the service (or lack thereof)....
read moreGlobal Numbing
Growing up as a baby boomer, it seemed like the worst thing that ever happened was the Vietnam War. My friends and I worried about all the young men (some of them boyfriends) who might be drafted and die in a war many people believed we shouldn’t even be...
read moreHIPAA Flaws and Follies
Who dreamed up a law that prevents parents from access to medical information about their over 18 year-old kids—unless these famously still-adolescent offspring have signed a HIPAA waiver? I’m betting that in most cases even neurotypical kids want and need...
read moreShrinking Down
Why weren’t psychotherapists included in my lament about all the time and money our family has spent on doctors? (See “Doctored Up,” 6/27/13). The answer is both simple AND astonishing. Thanks to the mind-boggling variety of practitioners we affectionately (and...
read moreDoctored Up
If you are lucky enough to be “healthy”—aka free of terminal diseases—but saddled with the more usual chronic problems, you might just find yourself Doctored Up. By Doctored Up, I mean spending more time and money in the offices of “health providers” than you...
read moreSpecial Father’s Day Gifts
Early last week our twins went into Barnes & Noble together to buy Father’s Day gifts after having a rare lunch together. Just the fact that Max and Sarah shared a meal alone together was in and of itself a gift. Despite being twins, they are opposites in so...
read moreNest Shifts
The way our family lives now has completely changed from ten years ago—but not necessarily for the better. Ever since New York City started work on a subway for Second Avenue—where unfortunately our nest is located—our quality of life has gone downhill. Even...
read moreNot So Simple Summer
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...
read moreSarah’s Next Fifteen Minutes
Last summer Sarah co-starred in “Keep the Change,” a short film about two young adults with disabilities who struggle to find a romantic connection. (See “Sarah’s Fifteen Minutes,” 5/10/13). Written and directed by Columbia University film graduate Rachel...
read moreMiracle Milestone
I wish all the naysayers of the past 23 years could see Sarah now. All those educators and therapists who told me my autistic spectrum daughter would “never be independent and never go to college,” were WRONG. As of May 21st, Sarah graduated from Pace University...
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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. 