By Lisa Ackerman Martin Luther King Jr. means something special to this generation as he did to the ones before us. He was a true inspiration that continues to inspire many today. In honor of his birthday children in school get a holiday in his honor. Adults should re-read some of his speeches and be... Continue Reading →
Study Links Oxidative Stress Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction to Autism
By Richard E Frye, M.D., Ph.D., Shannon Rose, Ph.D. and S. Jill James, Ph.D. The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is alarmingly high and appears to be continuing to rise. Despite decades of research, the cause of autism is still not clear. The majority of research into the causes of autism... Continue Reading →
If the IACC’s Strategic Plans were IEPs, would they be in non-compliance?
TACA Action Alert If the IACC's Strategic Plans were IEPs, would they be in non-compliance? By Guest blogger: Carolyn Gammicchia As the New Year approaches and many of us are spending time over the holidays with family and friends, we often think about the achievements our children have made over the past year and in... Continue Reading →
Goodbye 2013, HELLO 2014
By Lisa Ackerman It’s the end of another year (didn’t I just write this?), GOODBYE 2013! Hello 2014! As usual, TACA was a whirlwind of activity all year; helping families, educating about autism and treatments, and expanding our community. This could not have happened without the INCREDIBLE people dedicated to the TACA mission. Thank you... Continue Reading →
Autism in Minneapolis: 1 in 48
By Lisa Ackerman An important new study from the University of Minnesota has been published regarding the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) population in Minneapolis. The results: ASD overall rate: 1 in 48. Another major finding is in the Somali population autism rates are 1 in 32. Here is how the study got underway: In October... Continue Reading →
Autism research funding and redundancy in spending
By Lisa Ackerman A new analysis of government funding has revealed important findings showing there has been duplication of research funding. One report specifically addresses the spending of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC – 1.) I found this a bit ironic – isn’t that what a coordinating committee does, monitor spending of funds? Here... Continue Reading →
What am I thankful for?
By Lisa Ackerman During this time of the year you see a lot of people sharing what they are thankful for. I am no different. I like that this time of the year gives you an opportunity to say thank you to many important people in our lives: - Thank you to our TACA chapters,... Continue Reading →
TACA’s 14th Anniversary
By Lisa Ackerman This month, 14 years ago the first TACA meeting was held in my family’s living room. Wow, it’s been 14 years! Back then, I was scared and starved for information. Our son was 3 years old and diagnosed with autism. We did not know what to do. We were hoping that by... Continue Reading →
Disney Parks: update for families living with autism
By Lisa Ackerman In October 2013, Disneyland, Disney World and other Disney parks announced a major change in the Guest Assistance Card (GAC) that was available for individuals living with disabilities including those with autism. We wrote about the upcoming changes on this blog (1.) Since these changes, we have reached out to different Disney... Continue Reading →
United we stand, divided we fall
By guest blogger: Ali Hoffman – TACA Volunteer Maryland The autism community is the most divided community in the world. Some say it’s a disability, some say it’s an opportunity to celebrate diversity, and most say - that’s not my (child’s) autism. What one group does to support families is viewed as offensive to another... Continue Reading →
Moving Autism Forward by Team TACA 