Giaci and Me

  • Pages:280
  • Publisher:Pownal Street Press
  • Themes:Autism & Asperger's Syndrome in Children, Autism, Parenting, Biographies & Memoirs, Parenting & Families
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  • Available:03/26/2024
Paperback
9781998129003
$18.99

2024 GOLD NONFICTION BOOK AWARD by the Nonfiction Authors Association

In Giaci and Me, author and mother Rita Miceli shares the challenges and triumphs that came with her son Giaci’s autism diagnosis, from his early childhood to his late teen years and beyond. A narrative of Rita’s innermost thoughts, realizations, and fears, this memoir of fierce devotion and unwavering perseverance offers a much-needed resource to inspire, encourage and support parents of autistic children so they can continue their own journey knowing they are not alone. With more than a half-million global followers on TikTok, Giaci and his sisters are making a big impact as they share their delight in the joyful life he leads.

“An emotionally charged journey through the peaks and valleys of parenting a child with autism. This raw and authentic narrative captures the struggles, heartbreaks and victories; highlighting the profound power of family love, community and acceptance.”

– Lynn McLaughlin, Educator, entrepreneur, podcast host and award-winning author

“Rita’s eventual reconciliation with herself, and her acceptance of autism, while still ensuring her (now grown) son’s abilities are maximized, can serve as a guide and a balm for other mothers (in particular), currently struggling with a child’s recent autism diagnosis. With the benefit of hindsight Rita is able to provide both perspective and guidance for families, not in “overcoming” autism, but in being able to live “with” autism and find joy.”

– Elizabeth M. Starr, Ph.D. Professor Emerita, Faculty of Education, University of Windsor

“A devoted mother who has worked hard to teach her autistic son many skills, Rita Miceli’s autistic son now lives a full life with a job he really likes. Through her practice of tolerance and patience, Rita teaches us that autism cannot be cured, but it can be worked with.”

– Temple Grandin, Distinguished Professor and Author of Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism

“A mother always knows when something isn’t right with their child. It is like an alarm ringing loudly in the core of their being. Rita recounts her journey in perfect detail, in her page turning narrative with courage and perseverance. This book is a first of its kind and a MUST READ for all autism families dealing with acceptance, spirituality, cultural dynamics and love of family.”

– Karen Simmons, CEO Founder of Autism Today Foundation, Author and mother of 7, two on the spectrum

Giaci and Me is a beautiful book that narrates a family’s many challenges to obtain proper treatments for Autism in the 1990’s Ontario. It is a highly readable story that makes us drink in the book’s chapters like glasses of fresh rejuvenating and surprising waters. Their search for effective treatments reads like a detective story, starting with Bettelheim’s blaming of “ice mothers” and Rimland’s anti-vaccine “biomedical’ confabulations. It makes you literally cry of happiness for unexpected triumphs and grabs your heart with fears of personal setbacks or lost opportunities. You cannot put the book down, eagerly waiting for the next resolution, the next victory, or the next battle loss. Will the newest intervention be a fad or a crash? The book reviews some of the many tips, tricks and schemes developed and used by parents to disguise foods rejected by their children’s unsurmountable autistic selectivity. It documents the slow rise of behaviour treatments, like starting with miniscule presentations of rejected activities, specific foods, baths, haircuts, and the gradual acceptance of necessary changes. It also speaks of the Ontario government’s false moves, or falsehoods, e.g., cancelling treatments for children who became older than 5 yrs. of age. On the positive side, the provincial government’s acceptance, and support of behaviour- based treatment was arrived at after a multi-year battle with the parents of children diagnosed with Autism. Finally, the book addresses the importance of parental counselling, support, and assistance to accept that Autism is not something that our children have or get like a headache or a cold; it is something that they are. I highly recommend Giaci and Me, it is a wonderful read! Congratulations to its author Rita Miceli!"

– Dr Francisco J Barrera, C. Psych., BCBA-D

“[Miceli’s] story is a testament to the power of unwavering love and the fact that we have more strength than we realize at times. … Giaci and Me is not only about the journey of an autistic child but also about how a family learns to embrace difference with grace and courage. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of autism and the beauty of embracing life's unpredictability with faith, culture, and an open heart."

– Nonfiction Book Awards Reviewer
GOLD NONFICTION BOOK AWARD by the Nonfiction Authors Association   | 2024  |  Winner