by Marguerite Elisofon | Nov 20, 2015 | autism, CDC, disabilities, George Orwell, homeless, ISIS, jihad, millennials, Muslims, Obama, Paris, Paul Ryan, refugees, suicide bombers, Syrian refugees, terrorism, xenophobia
After the mass murder of 129 innocent people in Paris by ISIS terrorists, are you surprised that many countries—including the US—are reluctant to allow Syrian refugees entrance? Paul Ryan and other conservative politicians are rightly worried about the wolf in...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Oct 30, 2015 | autism, candy, Christmas, costumes, disabilities, evites, ghosts, Grim Reaper, Halloween, Julia, Muppets, New Year's Eve, Raggedy Anne, Sesame Street, Thanksgiving
“I thought Halloween was just for children,” my 88 year old mother remarked in a tone of disbelief (and some disdain) when I said I was going to a Halloween party. (Clearly, my mom is not a fan of the marvelously entertaining Halloween Parade in the Big...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Oct 9, 2015 | Advil, Asperger's, autism, college grads, entry level jobs, Greece, gun control, John Lennon, migrants, moving, neurotypical, peace, shootings, Syria, U Haul, Umpqua community college, war, Yoko Ono
Tired of the tedious, depressing headlines in the news? Every day I read about more human misery: the war in Syria…human traffickers preying on migrants desperate to escape endless violence… the entire country of Greece drowning in debt, and all the individuals...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Sep 25, 2015 | "Being Charlie, "Keep the Change, addiction, AOL, autism, autistic spectrum, crowdfunding, double features, film festivals, movie premieres, Pace, Rachel Israel, rehab, Rob Reiner, TIFF, twins, Vassar
If anyone had told me that my very different young adult twins would BOTH venture out of our nest into the movie business, I’d have said: “Impossible!” Max and Sarah are NOT your garden variety fraternal twins, separated only by gender. Sarah’s early...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Aug 14, 2015 | ALUT, autism, Christians, De Blasio, Fellowship House, homelessness, Israel, Jews, Marie Antoinette, mentally ill, Michael Bloomberg, New York City, politicians, poor, rentals, Robin Hood
Why are there so many more homeless people living in our streets? New Yorkers all over the city are asking. No wonder Mayor De Blasio’s approval rating has plummeted. The New York Times reported that more than half of New York voters (53%) disapprove of the way...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Aug 6, 2015 | American Dream, autism, college students, Cornell, Einstein, helicopter parents, Ivy Leagues, parents, R.D. Lang, schizophrenia, social media, suicide, The Brady Bunch, Trinity, University of Pennsylvania
In the “Education Life” section of The New York Times (8/2/15), author Julie Scelfo described the progress of freshman college students—the super-ambitious, high-achieving, high school students—who spiral into deep depression and sometimes even commit suicide. Who...
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. 