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 | Jul 16, 2015 | "Keep the Change, ACLU, actors, autism, autistic spectrum, Captain Hook, disabilities, Dustin Hoffman, love, Marlee Matlin, neurotypical, Quasimodo, Rachel Israel, Rain Man, Seed and Spark, villains
Remember the child’s game, Red Light, Green Light? A leader turns his back on a group of friends and calls out “green light;” then the kids run forward from a starting line until the leader says: “red light,” and everyone must stop. Anyone caught still moving is...
by Marguerite Elisofon | May 15, 2015 | Advil, armor, Aspies, autism, autistic spectrum, cards, family drama, family holidays, flowers, gifts, grandmothers, Hallmark, hearts, Mother's Day, neurotypical, Tums
When families get together for Hallmark holidays, it’s NOT always hearts and flowers, right? I’m sure there’s a mom or two out there who reached for some Advil or Tums on their special day in response to an unpredictable relative creating drama during Mother’s...
by Marguerite Elisofon | May 8, 2015 | Adelphi University, Asperger's Syndrome, autism, beers, blogging, cyberspace, empty nest, family issues, John Elder Robison, neurotypical, sibling relationships, special education, twins
Okay, so now that I’m taking that first baby step toward 200 blogs, I keep hearing a silly song from my childhood: “100 bottles of beer on the wall, 100 bottles of beer, if one of those beers should happen to fall, 99 bottles of beer on the wall…” Remember...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Apr 24, 2015 | Asperger's Syndrome, autism, autistic spectrum, Broadway, cliches, dogs, London, Mark Haddon, math, neurotypical, pet rats, puppies, SATS, sensory processing, small talk, tantrums, Temple Grandin, touch, trains
If you haven’t seen the Broadway play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” hurry over to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and get tickets. This not-to-be missed show is based on the 2003 award-winning mystery novel by British writer, Mark Haddon. What...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Jun 6, 2014 | " Frommer's Guides, "Keep the Change, assistant teachers, August, autism, Board of Education, California, camp, children, film, neurotypical, special education, summer, twins, vacation
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...
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. 