Blog

Rita Miceli is opening up about her life as a mother, raising a child with autism. The Windsor, Ont. mom first started journaling her experiences 25 years ago. “To track Giaci's progress and see where he was at and how things were going and then I just started writing how it felt as a mother, what the experience was like,” she said. Miceli stopped journaling about five years ago. Then Giaci’s sisters got on TikTok in 2020 and his account took off. “I had mothers from all over the world reaching out,” Miceli said. “Parents that were like, ‘OK Rita you know it's nice, we're just starting the journey. It's nice for us to see what an adult lives like.’”

The Dan MacDonald Show is a call-in talk show that gives you a chance to give your opinion on local, national and international news happenings or get advice on a lifestyle or personal situation. Guest: Rita Miceli, author, Giaci and Me: A Mother's Journey of Loving and Raising an Autistic Child

In the wake of a group assault on an autistic teen at a bus stop in Windsor, advocates say work needs to be done to prevent incidents like this from happening.

Rita Miceli, an educator with St. Clair College's autism and behavioural science program, said she was heartbroken to learn of the incident.

More and more companies are recognizing the value of neurodiversity in the workplace and actively seeking autistic adults to join their teams. Society needs to recognize the value and capabilities of autistic adults and provide them with the same opportunities as everyone else. A neurodivergent may need certain accommodations to succeed, such as a quiet workspace, clear instructions, and understanding from coworkers. Everyone deserves the chance to pursue their passions and achieve their goals, regardless of the neurotype. The possibilities are endless when given the opportunity.

In a world where diversity is increasingly celebrated, few stand out as profoundly as Dr. Temple Grandin, a trailblazer in both the autism community and animal science. Her journey, eloquently depicted in her TED Talk, "The world needs all kinds of minds" (watch here), and in the critically acclaimed film about her life, exemplifies how distinct perspectives can reshape our understanding of both human and animal minds.

EVERY AUTISTIC CHILD IS DIFFERENT, and every autistic adult is different. There are no two cases the same, so their needs must be addressed individually with consultation from their loved ones. I know this firsthand because I am the mother of an autistic adult son.

One Windsor family is using social media to share their love with the world.

The Miceli’s are an exceptionally close family of six. There are the parents, John and Rita, the eldest Lauren, there’s Giaci and then the twins, Carolina and Maria.

Although, as Carolina points out, Giaci is clearly the star of the show.

“Our parents have helped us embody how Giaci is the centre of our family and our universe,” Carolina states. “We’ve always known, ever since we were little, that we had to protect and take care of him alongside our parents. That really helped us develop that close relationship that you see in our TikTok account.”

Carolina and Maria Miceli started a TikTok account back in April and posted a few videos of their brother, and now he’s gone viral. Giaci (pronounced JUDGE-EE or JAH-CHEE) is 24 years old and living with Autism. With over fifty videos posted, Giaci‘s sisters say they hope the videos can help people better understand autism.

Giaci Miceli has had to change a lot of his routines during the COVID-19 pandemic, but one thing his family was not expecting was for him to become an online sensation.

The 24-year-old Windsor man has autism and his twin sisters Carolina and Maria, who are very involved in his life and care, started creating videos with him early this spring.

They never could have predicted that more than eight-million people would like those videos, with nearly 500,000 people following them eager for more.

Raising a child with Autism was not what I imagined for myself when I walked down the aisle over 27 years ago. The thought had never crossed my mind that the children of two well-educated people would be anything other than above average. And, at first, it seemed as though it would be that way. We were blessed to have had four children, all within three and a half years of age; my oldest daughter, Lauren, my son, Giaci and then twin daughters, Carolina and Maria Rosa. For the first year and a half of my son’s life, everything seemed fine. He met all his developmental marks on time or before, but by the time he was two, it became apparent that something had gone horribly wrong.

Three Families – One Broad Spectrum: Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion. When their son Jack was 18 months old and still not speaking, Pam and Ryan began worrying he might be autistic. Sixteen-year-old Christopher is in a transitional period in his life. His mother, Ann, worries about where he fits into the mix of autism programming. It never entered Rita’s mind that she would have to mourn the child she thought she had, especially since Giaci was still physically there. She has grieved every milestone missed, such as prom or not getting his license.