Celebrating a Milestone: Our Book Wins Gold at the Nonfiction Book Awards
We are thrilled to announce that our book has been honoured with a Gold award at the prestigious Nonfiction Book Awards! This recognition is not just a testament to the hard work and dedication that went into creating this book, but also a confirmation of the impact it has had on its readers.
Challenges of Raising a Child with Autism
In "Giaci and Me," Rita Miceli shares the peaks and valleys of her family's journey raising and supporting their son and brother Giaci, who was diagnosed as autistic at the age of two. As a mother, Miceli worked hard to teach her son many skills while as an educator for over 31 years, she's advocated to bring awareness to autism. Her memoir won the Best New Canadian Manuscript award and it is about finding joy, acceptance, and love in the challenges of her perfect, imperfect life. This story tells parents, friends and professionals that they are not alone and that autism can be worked with.
A Beacon of Hope and Education on "Face to Face TV"
Rita Miceli, an ardent autism advocate, educator, and the author behind "Giaci and Me," recently graced the set of "Face to Face TV". Her engagement with organizations such as GIACI Canada Autism Services Inc. and Autism Ontario demonstrates her deep commitment to supporting individuals and families affected by autism in Windsor & Essex County.
A Riveting Radio Journey: "Giaci and Me" on CBC's Afternoon Drive with Matt Allen
Afternoon Drive reconnects people to their communities during that transition time of day. Hear the latest news and weather as well as the stories and music of southwestern Ontario. Rita had the opportunity to have an enlightening discussion on CBC Radio’s "Afternoon Drive" hosted by Matt Allen, where he featured "Giaci and Me," a profound narrative detailing a mother’s journey with an autistic son.
'We Have Learned So Much From Him': Mother Pens Open Book About Experience With Autism
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.’”
Advocates call for change following assault on teen with autism
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.
The Miceli Family Raise Autism Awareness Through TikTok
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.”
Giaci Miceli reacts to his family on Family Feud Canada
The Miceli family played Family Feud Canada and gave a shoutout to their son, Giaci, who is watching at home.
How Twin Sisters In Windsor Helped Their Autistic Brother Become A TikTok Sensation
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.
How a Windsor family is using TikTok to normalize 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.