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 | Jul 31, 2015 | baby boomers, crime rates, criminal justice reform, drug counselors policies, John Boehner, millennials, Obama, prisons, psychologists, sentencing laws, slavery, youthful offenders
Did you know that America has by far the highest incarceration rate of any Western nation, with 750 humans in jail per 100,000 people? If that statistic isn’t horrifying enough, consider the fact that over 50% of inmates are in federal prison for drug crimes...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Jul 25, 2015 | ACCES-VR, autism, baby boomers, college grads, disabilities, hope, John Milton, Larry David, lawyers, millennials, optimism, OPWDD, Pace University, pessimism, Shawshank Redemption, twins
In one of my all-time favorite movies, Shawshank Redemption, Red reads a letter from his friend Andy, who escaped from prison after years of being punished for a crime he didn’t commit. In the letter Andy says: “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things,...
by Marguerite Elisofon | May 1, 2015 | AHANY, Asperger's Syndrome, autism, baby boomers. Adelphi University, blacks, civil rights, disabilities, discrimination, gays, Harvey Milk, Jews, John Robison, Martin Luther King, millennials, neurodiversity, twins
If a fortune teller had predicted I’d write a blog called The Never-Empty Nest, with 100 posts over a two year period, I’d have called that person crazy. How could I possibly write about issues related to young adults struggling to leave the family nest...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Dec 5, 2014 | Asperger's Syndrome, autistic spectrum, Bill Gates, brains, college, Dr.Stanley Greenspan, jobs, media, millennials, minorities, neurodiversity, Pace, PDD-NOS, Steve Jobs, Temple Grandin, Tiger moms, twins
Since my daughter Sarah was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum at age one, I’ve fought as hard as any Tiger mom to help her grow up to become as accomplished and independent as possible. Instead of striving for the “American Dream” — including owning our home—...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Nov 21, 2014 | "White Christmas, autism, birthdays, Christmas, college graduates, empty nest, family traditions, Hanukah, holiday songs, holidays, Jews, menorah, millennials, New Year's Eve, Scrooge, single women, Thanksgiving
When I was single in my 20s, I dreaded the holiday trifecta: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The ordeal began on Thanksgiving, when my parents cross-examined me about my social life. If I was dating anyone, they wanted to know if “the relationship...
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. 