By Lisa Ackerman This is my favorite time of year and I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a wonderful reminder of all we have to be thankful for – family, friends, milestones met and of course the hope for a better tomorrow. The milestones for children affected by autism come after…
Category: Thoughts from Lisa
Important conversations, topics and information from one parent to another.
Autism and Mental Health
By Lisa Ackerman This month I just spent a weekend with hundreds of doctors and nurses at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) conference (1). This conference was about innovative treatments outside the standard prescription pad for mental health issues. Our goal for TACA families is to share the TACA mission in hopes…
The FDA wants input from families living with autism
By Lisa Ackerman The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to hear from families regarding input on autism treatments (1.) There are just over 600 references on the FDA website related to autism. For a lot of families you may be wondering what the FDA has done in regards to autism. Here are two…
17th #autism awareness month comes to a close
by Lisa Ackerman My 17th autism awareness month came to a conclusion yesterday. 17. I have experienced 17 of these months asking for the same efforts – awareness. With the numbers now 1 in 68 or the newer 1 in 45 parent survey (1.) I would love to meet someone that is not aware…
Calling all Family and Friends for #AutismActionApril
By Lisa Ackerman Yes, that means you! This is an “all hands on deck” to help families and you can help! It is time for the TACA Family & Friends campaign. It is hard to believe how far we have come in the past 17 years. Wow, 17 years! (You can’t call me…
#Autism Awareness NEEDS ACTION during April
By Lisa Ackerman Hi April! You’re back! My 17th autism awareness month is kicking off in hours. (Yes, I am tracking the hours!) Here we go again! This is a great opportunity to dig in, inspire and motivate our community to move awareness into action for this April. Many diseases and conditions have…
Updated insurance needs for families living with autism
By Lisa Ackerman The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is in the news (1.) Many will be affected by the changes to ACA including families living with autism. For many families like mine, insurance is our least favorite topic. There are many hats families wear to help their child and one of the most time consuming…
Thanks 2016 & Hello 2017
It’s the end of another year, 2016 is almost gone! TACA is growing every year. TACA is in a constant blur of activity; helping families, building relationships, and expanding our community. This could not have happened without the fantastic people dedicated to the TACA mission. Thank you all.
Season 1 Episode #8: Lisa Ackerman
Welcome back to another episode of the TACA podcast! We loved having the opportunity to sit with Lisa and hear the early stories about TACA when it was merely a dream in her heart, and maybe a last ditch effort to gather like-minded parents who were ready to fight for their kids. Lisa also shared with us some practical tools for when you are just getting started in your autism journey and some encouraging advice for when you think you might have hit your last wall.
Law Enforcement & Autism: Understanding is Needed
Headlines regarding autism and law enforcement over the past months have been disturbing. In the last week, two headlines, in particular, grabbed the attention of any parent of a child with autism.
IACC is requesting public comment for their strategic plan
By Lisa Ackerman Here we go for the third installment of Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Planning. Here is what the IACC is proposing: The IACC is requesting public comments to inform the development of the 2016 IACC Strategic Plan. The objectives in the IACC Strategic Plan were last revised in 2011, and the…
The new #autism prevalence rate is not a cause for celebration
By Lisa Ackerman On March 31, 2016 the CDC issued their new official rate of autism per their latest survey (1.) The rate is 1 in 68 US children has a diagnosis of autism. For this first time in over a decade the rate compared to their 2010 survey results is flat. It is important…
