Hope in the Hard: Autism, Advocacy and the Lessons Her Son Taught Her
Rita Miceli is the proud mother of three daughters and her autistic son. A TikTok video of her son became viral and sparked a community with over 600,000 followers. It was the catalyst for a platform, a message, and eventually, her book 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗰𝗶 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲: 𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝.
For her manuscript, "Giaci and Me: Life Lessons on Raising an Autistic Child, " the Word Guild awarded her the Best New Canadian Manuscript award. With over three decades of educational experience, Rita teaches in the Autism and Behavioural Science Graduate Program at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario.
💥 What were the first indicators that caused concern?
💥 How did Giaci gain independence, and how effective was Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in Giaci's development?
💥 Rita's journey as a mother of four, navigating the early signs, delayed diagnosis, and emotional toll of parenting a child with autism.
💥 Rita opens up about the grieving process parents often go through, mourning the life they imagined for their child and the one they must now build together.
💥 What is the latest research connecting genetics to autism and the groundbreaking work from Toronto Sick Kids Hospital?
💥 What are some early interventions?
Her family's journey has been highlighted in The Drive Magazine, on CTV News, and CBC National News. Rita is the past president of Autism Ontario (Windsor/Essex Chapter) and has published works on multiple platforms related to special needs and autism, including "A Call to Action" (Autism Matters) and "Words that Connect Us" (Canadian Authors Association). Additionally, Rita's short story "Going to the Dance" has been featured on Spillwords Press.
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