I remember my first autism conference circa June 2000.  There were over 2,000 people in attendance, all looking for answers to help their child living with autism. It feels like it was just yesterday we went to this conference.  I came equipped with pens and notepads, ready to absorb all I could to help Jeff.... Continue Reading →

Where were you when….?  Pick any significant date in history. Where were you when the home run record was broken, when the Beatles played the Ed Sullivan show, when President Kennedy was shot, when the space shuttle exploded, when Japan was hit with a devastating earthquake, followed immediately by a tsunami?  Where were you when... Continue Reading →

Early in my autism journey I found a story – a bit of folklore that describes many TACA families.  I know that tribal folklore always has a message meant to inspire and active the human soul.  This is my favorite: Two tribes lived side by side.  They were separated by a mountain and a valley.... Continue Reading →

Sometimes while in the world of Autism it is hard to see outside our world.  We are so tasked day to day with survival helping a child (or two) affected by autism that looking outside autism can be next to impossible.  I gather so much strength from the families TACA serves.  Lately, I have found... Continue Reading →

Balance.  Family time.  Pedicure.  All things I write about and rarely accomplish (see Dear Lisa post in the archive below.)  Well for the next two weeks, I am doing it and I’m forcing my family to tag along.  We are unplugging and getting away from it all. By the time you read this we will... Continue Reading →

Lately, I have been having so much fun on my trip down TACA memory lane!  Not the autism challenges so much (understatement), but the unexpected gifts of friendship and community that TACA has brought into our life.  Looking back there have been hundreds of moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, step parents, siblings, extended family members and... Continue Reading →

Over a decade ago we invited some new friends from the autism community into our home, with no idea that TACA would be born from that single decision. Our world had been rocked by autism and we were starving for friends who understood our “deer in headlights” gaze.  We also wanted to share what little... Continue Reading →

[Gil has been complaining about his complicated life; Grandma wanders into the room] Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Gil: Oh? Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride! Gil: What a great story (dripping with sarcasm) Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know,... Continue Reading →

Autism is a tough thing to get warm and fuzzy about.  Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore all of our kids, especially the one named Jeff who calls me Mom.  It is the added challenges, medical issues, and struggles they face everyday that I have a hard time with.  I truly wish their... Continue Reading →

An important new study, "Genetic Heritability and Shared Environmental Factors among Twin Pairs with Autism” was released on July 4th in the Archives of General Psychiatry.  It reports findings that support what SO many TACA parents have long suspected – almost “known” in our guts.  In a nutshell, the findings suggest that autism is triggered... Continue Reading →