Moving Pictures (a novel in progress)

As one of Hollywood’s top casting directors, Maggie Hirsh has a talent for finding the perfect person for each role. Even in real life. Her mother is the quintessential doting grandmother; her husband, a charming author of middle grade books; her daughter, a talented pre-tween with dreams of the spotlight; and her son, an adorable toddler — all right out of central casting.

But real life doesn’t always match the perfect version in Maggie’s mind. So she copes by swapping out the source of her stress for a more palatable replacement. When the owner of Henry’s daycare lists off the problems he’s causing, Maggie mentally transforms her into Mary Poppins. It’s part occupational hazard. Part escapist coping strategy. And wholly in her own head.

When her son is diagnosed with autism and her mother receives a diagnosis of her own, Maggie will have to make sacrifices to give them the help they need. She’ll learn that denial isn’t a good strategy for coping with life’s unexpected twists. And, she’ll have to make a difficult decision:  return to her previously scheduled life or learn to accept some revisions to the script.

I was accepted into Stanford University’s Online Novel Writing Program in 2015, during which time much of Moving Pictures was written. I was selected in 2017 to read an excerpt as part of Litquake, a literary festival in San Francisco.

Do you have concerns about your child’s speech or language development?

Is your pediatrician/spouse/mother telling you to wait and see?

Are you overwhelmed from trying to help your child, negotiating with their school for services and arguing with your insurance company?

Author Debbie Feit understands the challenges for parents and children when it comes to speech disorders. The mother of two kids who were diagnosed with apraxia and are now nonstop talkers, she spent years driving the therapy shuttle bus.  A veteran of the waiting room, she offers real-world advice for parents on:

--Where to find help

--Making sense of your child’s diagnosis

--Being your child’s best advocate

--How to evaluate therapies and therapists

--How to help your child face their challenges

--Helping you and your family cope

The Parent’s Guide to Speech and Language Problems was written to lift the burden of isolation many parents feel while facing the challenges of their child’s communication problems. It offers clinical research combined with real-world, hands-on parent-tested solutions.