Ep 151: Rita Miceli | Hope in the Hard: Autism, Advocacy and the Lessons Her Son Taught Her

Rita Miceli is a mother of four and a contributor to the international bestselling book "Ambitious Women Rise: The Amazing Stories of Women Overcoming Obstacles and Creating the Life of Their Dreams." Living in Windsor, Ontario, with the love of her life, John, Rita is the proud mother of three daughters and her autistic son. She was honoured with the Best New Canadian Manuscript award from the Word Guild for her manuscript, "Giaci and Me: Life Lessons on Raising an Autistic Child." Additionally, Rita's short story "Going to the Dance" has been featured on Spillwords Press.Key points:💥 What sparked a TikTok community that now has over 600,000 followers? What 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?💥 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?With over three decades of educational experience, Rita teaches in the Autism and Behavioural Science Graduate Program at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. 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). More about Rita: https://giaci.ca/Follow Giaci on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giacimiceli?Follow Giaci on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giacimiceli/The Primary Purpose of This Podcast Is To Educate, Which Does Not Constitute Professional Advice or Services. The Views and Opinions Expressed are Those of The Guests. Their Appearance on The Podcast Does Not Imply Any Endorsement of Them, Their Products, or Their Services. Connect with Lynn:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnmcla/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynnmclaughl...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkye...BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/lynnmclaughlin.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-mcla...Website: https://lynnmclaughlin.com/