Here is your update on the TACA (TALK ABOUT CURING AUTISM) Group for November 2003 #1. As always, email your thoughts and/or questions.
I want to make this e-newsletter informative for you. Let me know your thoughts on how I can improve it.
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IF this email is NEW to you and you don't recognize the name... WELCOME! These emails happen two to four times a month for the Southern California autism support group called TACA.
We focus on parent information and support, parent mentoring, gluten/casein-free diets, the latest in medical research, special education law, reviews of the latest treatments, and many other topics relating to Autism. Our main goal is to build our community so we can connect, share and support each other.
Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) provides general information of interest to the autism community. The information comes from a variety of sources and TACA does not independently verify any of it. The views expressed herein are not necessarily TACA’s.
TACA has an official web site at www.tacanow.com
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In this edition of TACA e-news:
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1) Next TACA COSTA MESA support group meeting:
Date: Saturday, November 8th, 2003 (always the 2nd Saturday of each month)
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 (NEW TIME!!!!!)
Note, old time slot was NOT available. This
will be our new time slot
from now on!
TOPIC: Mainstreaming
High Functioning ASD Kids
By Jessica Postil – Autism Spectrum Consultants
PLACE: VINEYARD NEWPORT CHURCH - 102 East Baker Avenue - Costa Mesa
(I am happy to report the church is back! With the new
time, consider it our new home!!)
(Please do not contact the church for meeting details. They have graciously offered use of their facility, but are not affiliated with TACA.)
Directions:
405 FWY South, Exit Bristol
Right on Bristol
Left on Baker
Go under FREEWAY.
The Vineyard Church is on the corner just after the freeway - turn left onto the freeway access road, make FIRST right into the Vineyard's parking lot.
And remember, we are still a non-faith based group!
CONTACT PHONE FOR DAYS OF THE MEETING ONLY: 949.678.9010
Please do NOT use the cell contact for days outside of the meetings. Thank you!
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2) UPCOMING TACA Costa Mesa Meeting Schedule:
All meetings at the Vineyard:
December 13, 2003 School District Roundtable -
The meeting will start with a general announcement about the state of local school districts. Then each school district or general area will break out into separate groups to discuss general information, share IEP’s and strategies.
Note: This meeting is for PARENTS ONLY!
January 10, 2004: Big Fun Gymnastics – Occupational Therapy for ASD Kids
Gene Hurwin
February 14, 2003: Speaker to be announced!
March 13, 2004: Speaker to be announced!
Much more is being planned for 2004! Stay tuned!
Note: How do topics get selected for TACA MEETINGS? Each location frequently does a formal or informal survey of attendees by the Meeting Coordinator. Based on the meeting attendees’ requests, topics are then selected and speakers are scheduled. Is there a topic you are interested in learning more about? Please forward a note to Lisa at contact us. We want to make sure the meetings are informative with topics based on the group’s needs. If you have a suggestion, we would like to hear from you!
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TACA has FIVE So. California meeting locations:
1) Costa Mesa: 2nd Saturday of each month (info in item #1 for meeting subjects and details.)
2) Mission Hills (the Valley man!): NEW the 1st Sunday of every month, 7-9 p.m. Location: Jay Nolan Community Services – 15501 San Fernando Mission Blvd., Suite 200, Mission Hills CA 91345... - Info: Contact Us
3) San Diego: 4th Tuesday evening – 6:30- 8:00 p.m. – Info: Contact Us
4) Corona: 3rd Saturday – 1:30–4:30 pm - NEW LOCATION!!!
EMAIL FOR MORE INFO AT: Contact us
Topics for the TACA Corona location are:
· Saturday,
November 15th (1:30 pm - 4:30 pm)
Lisa Ackerman - Interventions that worked
for my child. This will be the presentation given at the Great
Plains Conference for those who missed it.
5) Torrance: 3rd Monday of each month at Whole Foods Market on PCH in Torrance – 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Info: Contact Us
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3) General News:
(From the LD ADVOCATE) Late October 2003 –
Dear LD Advocate:
I'm writing to update you on legislative issues impacting people with learning
disabilities and also to announce our brand new LD Advocates Guide.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Reauthorization
Work continues on the reauthorization of the IDEA. The U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1350, its bill to reform IDEA, on 30 April 2003 by a 251-171 vote. The House bill generally is favored by education organizations that represent school administrators because they believe it will reduce paperwork and other administrative problems with the law. Conversely, all of the advocacy groups representing members of the disabled community have voiced opposition to H.R. 1350, believing that many of its provisions will erode protections for special education students and their parents.
The Senate legislation to reauthorize the IDEA program, S. 1248, was reported from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on 25 June 2003. The Senate and House bills have several key differences, creating the possibility of various provisions from the House bill being offered on the Senate floor as amendments. Full Senate action on S. 1248 may come in the fall, but is more likely to take place in the spring of 2004.
Of special importance to those interested in the identification of students with specific learning disabilities are the new provisions contained in both the House and Senate bills. These new provisions will eliminate the requirement that students exhibit a severe discrepancy between ability and achievement in order to be eligible to receive specialized services under the IDEA and encourage schools to use a variety of approaches to determine the presence of LD and the need for specialized services, including interventions and formal evaluations. (See NCLD's FAQ for answers to questions regarding the new provisions in both the House and Senate IDEA reauthorization bills concerning LD eligibility).
Higher Education Act Reauthorization
Although neither the House nor Senate has taken up the
reauthorization of the largest programs in the Higher Education Act (HEA),
which is scheduled to take place during this session of Congress, two bills
that amend that act were approved by the House of Representatives in July.
The Ready to Teach Act, H.R. 2211, amends Title II of the Higher
Education Act (HEA) to align that program's requirements for highly qualified
teachers with those under the No Child Left Behind Act. It also provides funds
for Partnership Grants that will assist school districts in developing
professional development activities that provide training in how to teach and
address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly
students with disabilities, limited English proficient students, and students
with special learning needs; and provide training in methods of identifying
early and appropriate interventions to help students learn.
The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act, H.R. 438, amends the Higher
Education Act to provide additional amounts of federal student loan forgiveness
for math or science teachers in secondary schools and special education or
reading teachers in elementary and secondary schools. The teachers must be
highly qualified and agree to teach for five consecutive years in schools where
40% of the students are from low-income families.
Additionally, a bill has just been approved by the House of Representatives to
amend Title VII of the HEA.
The Graduate Opportunities in Higher Education Act, H.R. 3076, establishes a priority for funding to prepare individuals who will train highly-qualified elementary and secondary school teachers of math, science, and special education. The bill also provides continuing funds for the "Demonstration Projects To Ensure Students With Disabilities Receive A Quality Higher Education".
NCLD provided comments and recommendations for the HEA reauthorization in its letter to the U.S. Dept. of Education earlier this year.
Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2004
Congress continues its work on FY04 Appropriations having passed only a handful of the required 13 bills. Since the ‘04 fiscal year began on October 1, 2003, the Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) in late September that funds the government at ‘03 levels until the ‘04 bills are passed.
Of particular interest are the FY04 Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education Appropriations (H.R. 2660/S. 1356) bills which provide
funds for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including
grants to states to provide special education services under Part B of the Act.
The Senate bill (S. 1356) provides for an additional $1.2 billion over and
above the House bill (H.R. 2660) for IDEA funding. The discrepancy between the
two bills will be worked out in conference.
Status on ‘04 Appropriations can be obtained here.
To learn more about any of these bills, visit the NCLD Legislative Action Center.
INTRODUCING THE LD ADVOCATES GUIDE
The
importance of advocacy for individuals with LD cannot be stressed enough. It
is critical that parents and others speak up and become involved in the
legislative process. Becoming an LD advocate is how we can work to create
better outcomes for individuals with LD. But exactly how do you become an
advocate? This month, NCLD has teamed with Schwab Learning to
produce the LD
Advocates Guide, a step-by-step resource for those wishing to advocate
for individuals with learning disabilities. Whether you are a beginning or
experienced advocate, you'll find invaluable information in this new featured
section of LD.org.
We hope this new resource will help further your advocacy efforts!
As always, thank you for your work on behalf of those with learning
disabilities.
Sincerely,
Laura Kaloi
Director of Public Policy
National Center for Learning Disabilities
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4) VACCINE NEWS
Study Clears Vaccines Containing Mercury
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO - Government researchers say they found little evidence of a link between vaccinations and developmental problems in a study of more than 140,000 U.S. children.
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The report didn't satisfy vaccine critics, who claimed the study's initial results showed a stronger connection but were watered down. They also noted that the study's lead author now works for a vaccine maker.
The study, published Monday in the December issue of Pediatrics, is one of the latest attempts to determine whether older vaccines with the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal led to nervous-system problems such as autism, as some vocal critics contend.
In one group of children studied, routine vaccines in infancy appeared to slightly increase the risk for tics. In another group, a slight association was seen with language delays but not tics. A third group showed no associations with any disorder.
In all, more than 140,000 children were studied and no link was found with any other disorders, including autism, said co-researcher Dr. Frank DeStefano of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites).
Many previous studies of vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal also failed to find strong evidence of any link.
The new results are reassuring, DeStefano said, and more definitive answers are expected from in-person examinations the CDC is giving some of the study participants.
But Dr. Mark Geier, a geneticist who has worked as a consultant on parents' lawsuits against vaccine makers, said the researchers' own earlier analysis of the study results found strong links between vaccines and such problems — and that the published results attempt to conceal those findings. He claimed the final analysis "is intentional fraud."
DeStefano acknowledged that the early results suggested stronger links with some disorders, though not autism, but denied that there had been pressure or a cover-up. He said the final data reflect a more thorough recent analysis.
The study's lead author, former CDC researcher Dr. Thomas Verstraeten, now works for vaccine maker GlaxoSmithKline in Belgium, and Geier said that connection may have influenced how the research was reported.
Verstraeten, who left the CDC in July 2001, did not respond to an e-mail request seeking a response, and company spokeswoman Nancy Pekarek said he did not wish to discuss the results. She provided a written statement in which Verstraeten indicated that since leaving the CDC he has worked only as an adviser as the study was finalized and prepared for publication.
The researchers analyzed data from three health maintenance organizations on children born between 1992 and 1999 and tracked for several years. Information was gathered on several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, attention deficit disorders, stammering and emotional disturbances.
While the researchers were beginning to examine their results, public health officials were beginning to publicly address concerns about the use of thimerosal in childhood vaccines.
Mercury in high doses has been linked with neurodevelopmental problems. Parents and others worried about potentially dangerous overexposure to thimerosal because of the increasing number of vaccines recommended in childhood.
Vaccine makers have since phased out use of thimerosal as a preservative in childhood vaccines used in the United States, though trace amounts remain in some vaccines.
It is still used as a preservative elsewhere, especially in developing countries, said Dr. Thomas Saari, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' infections diseases committee and a pediatrics professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Vaccine expert Dr. Neal Halsey of Johns Hopkins University said the study shows that if there is any association between older vaccines and mild disorders, "it must be relatively small."
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"A major health risk should have shown up in a consistent pattern in all three of the HMOs," Halsey said.
Still, he said the findings might have been different if the researchers had done a separate analysis by gender, since boys are much more susceptible to mercury exposure than girls.
On the Net:
Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org
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FDA (news
- web
sites): http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm
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JOINT STATEMENT ON USE OF
THE CDC'S
VACCINE SAFETY DATALINK FOR THIMEROSAL INVESTIGATIONS
Apraxia Kids
Autism Research Institute
Autism Society of America
Cherab Foundation
Cure Autism Now
Safe Minds
Speechville Express
Unlocking Autism
November 3, 2003
JOINT STATEMENT- Vaccine Safety is an important public health issue. The
Vaccine Safety Datalink database must be made available to all qualified
research scientists in a timely manner. The current practice of
restricting access to the database to a limited group of possibly biased
individuals is not acceptable.
BACKGROUND - Findings drawn from investigations by the CDC's National
Immunization program using the Vaccine Safety Datalink on thimerosal's role in
Neurodevelopmental Disorders, including the study by Verstraeten et al in
Pediatrics (November 2003), cannot be accepted as final. The Verstraeten
et al paper may have methodological and sampling problems which limit its
usefulness. The Vaccine Safety Datalink data must be opened immediately, with a
fair and expedited approval process, to qualified independent researchers, in
order to ensure transparency in scientific research and maintain public trust
in the childhood immunization program.
The November issue of Pediatrics contains an article by Thomas Verstraeten and
colleagues on the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines. The study relies on
the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) to examine the association between exposure
during infancy to the mercury preservative thimerosal and increased risk of
developing a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD). NDDs include autism,
speech/language delay, attention deficit disorder, and tics. The VSD was
established in 1991 to monitor possible adverse outcomes from vaccines on a
post-licensing basis. The VSD relies on partnering HMOs to provide computerized
health records of children enrolled in their organizations, through which
health outcomes can be linked to vaccine administration. Employees of the CDC
National Immunization Program (NIP), its consultants, and representatives of
the HMOs have periodically issued research papers on vaccine safety using the
VSD. The Verstraeten et al study is one of these papers.
The Verstraeten evaluation of thimerosal and NDDs began 4 years ago, in the Fall
of 1999. During this time, he and his colleagues completed but never
published three versions of the study plus several sub-analyses. The Pediatrics
paper represents the fourth version. Each study version has produced different
results, due to alterations in the study population or analytic methods used.
The reasons for alterations to the original study protocol have never been
fully explained. The initial version found statistically significant
associations between increased thimerosal exposure and risk of an NDD
diagnosis. It also found an increased relative risk of 2.48 for autism.
According to the original study protocol, a risk higher than 1.5 would be
considered a "plausible" association even if not statistically
significant. The second version found a relative risk for autism of 1.69, while
the third version did not address autism at all. While the second version
detected a significantly increased risk for speech/language delay, attention
deficit disorder, tics, and neurodevelopmental delays in general, the third and
fourth versions dismissed all associations between thimerosal and any
neurodevelopmental disorder.
With one recent exception, no other researchers have been allowed to access the
VSD data. Current rules established by NIP make the approval process for
access long and arduous. Moreover, researchers who gain access can only
utilize a limited portion of the VSD data set, and their examination of the
data is subject to constant monitoring by CDC staff. The single research
group outside of NIP who has gained access to the VSD data for thimerosal
investigation has found significant and large increases in relative risk for
autism and speech/language disorder from thimerosal exposure in DTaP vaccines
(study in press).
SITUATION -Many parents have linked their child's autism or other
neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) to thimerosal in childhood vaccines.
Scientific research examining such a link is being conducted. Public
maintenance of trust in vaccine safety is critical for continued high childhood
immunization rates. Credible research confirming or refuting an
association between thimerosal and NDDs is necessary to maintain public trust
in infant vaccines.
CONCERNS - The Autism and Speech/Language Disorder Organizations have
concerns about the manner in which the VSD has been used to investigate the
thimerosal issue. The National Immunization Program staff and its consultants
may be perceived as biased in their investigations of the issue. Lack of true
open access to the VSD data by independent researchers hampers investigation
and raises questions as to why such restrictions on the data are needed when
transparency in research is fundamental to maintaining scientific integrity.
Unless the NIP recognizes that the autism community and the public at large
will only accept as valid research that is not only unbiased but is perceived
to be unbiased, these constituencies will never trust health authorities
regarding vaccine safety. Lack of trust puts the US childhood immunization program at risk.
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
Apraxia Kids
Rhonda Jacobson Cherry
Co-Founder
www.apraxia-kids.org
Autism Research Institute
Bernard Rimland, PhD
Founder and President
www.autism.com/ari
Autism Society of America
Jeff Sell, Esq.
Board Member and Vice President
www.autism-society.org
Cherab Foundation
Lisa Geng
Founder and President
www.cherab.org
Cure Autism Now
Jonathan Shestack
Co-Founder and Board Member
www.cureautismnow.org
Safe Minds
Lyn Redwood, RN
President and Co-Founder
www.safeminds.org
Speechville Express
Gina Mikel
Co-Founder
www.speech-express.com
Unlocking Autism
Shelley Reynolds
President
www.unlockingautism.org
Contact:
Sallie Bernard, Executive Director, Safe Minds, 970 429-1460, sbernard@safeminds.org
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Mercury Laced Vaccines are A threat, according to a child’s group
By Cheryl Wetzstein
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
A vaccine safety study of more than 124,000 babies that appears today in the
journal Pediatrics concludes there are "no consistent significant
associations" between mercury-laced vaccines and maladies such as autism
or attention-deficit disorder.
However, an advocacy group is accusing federal researchers of finding such a
link in "earlier, secret studies" and "manipulating data"
to cover it up.
"They found the truth and then swept it under the rug," said Lyn
Redwood, the mother of an autistic child and president of Safe Minds, a Cranford, N.J., organization dedicated to
removing mercury from medical products.
Mercury is known to have toxic effects on the brain. Thimerosal, a
mercury-containing preservative, was used for decades to stabilize vaccines.
Vaccines today contain little or no thimerosal.
Rep. Dave Weldon, Florida Republican and a physician, sent a letter Friday to
Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), asking for a "thorough, open, timely and independent
review" of the study.
"I have reviewed the [Pediatrics] article and have serious reservations
about the four-year evaluation and conclusions of this study," Dr. Weldon
said.
"While most childhood vaccines now have only trace amounts of mercury from
thimerosal-containing vaccines, it is critical that we know with certainty if
children were injured in the 1990s," he wrote.
"I am a strong supporter of childhood vaccinations, and know that they
have saved us from considerable death and suffering," he added. However,
"[W]e must fully disclose adverse events" to preserve public
confidence in vaccines.
The CDC study, led by Dr. Thomas Verstraeten, was based on vaccine and health
data from 124,170 infants born between 1992 and 1999 at two health maintenance
organizations and 16,717 children born between 1991 and 1997 at another HMO.
The researchers found "conflicting results" about links between
vaccines and tics or language delays at different sites. However, they found no
evidence of significant increased risks for autism or attention-deficit
disorder.
Safe Minds leaders say that, according to materials obtained through the
Freedom of Information Act, Dr. Verstraeten said during the early stages of the
study that he thought he saw a "plausible" link between thimerosal-containing
vaccines and autism.
But, "once Dr. Verstraeten began working for vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline,
he altered the data, sampling and methodology of the study so that results
would point to enough inconsistencies to cast doubt" on the link, the
group said.
Specifically, they said, CDC researchers added data from a Massachusetts HMO
even though it had data-management problems and the state is believed to have
"severely underreported" its cases of autism. This data skewed the
findings, the Safe Minds leaders said.
Spokesmen for the CDC said Friday they were reviewing information about these
"serious allegations."
CDC materials say there are no proven links between autism and vaccines, and
American parents and health care workers should continue to immunize babies and
young children against disease.
A spokeswoman at GlaxoSmithKline referred questions about the study to the CDC,
since it was conducted when Dr. Verstraeten was in an agency fellowship
program.
GlaxoSmithKline is named as a defendant in lawsuits filed by persons with
autism.
A spokeswoman for the Pediatrics journal said that the CDC study was
"peer-reviewed by multiple experts." Also, Dr. Verstraeten declared
that he was a federal employee and had no conflict of interest when the study
was performed, the journal said
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5) Need more support? MORE COFFEE TALK !
Coffee talk is going to be your hour (or so) once the kids are away to school to chat with other families affected by Autism. This is an unstructured, casual meeting environment to chat and talk about what you want to talk about.
Note about our first installment: there were six of us! Not only did we have fun chatting, we solved all the world’s problems! This was a lot of fun! If you can join us – please do so! If the location/time is too inconvenient – start your own!
Date: Tuesday,
November 17th
Time: 9:00 a.m. –
10:30 a.m.
Location: Diedrich Coffee – Costa Mesa
1170 Baker Street (off the 405 freeway and Fairview Street)
NO need to RSVP, just join us for a little coffee, a little talk, no big whoop!
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6) CONFERENCES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:
Location: Lindberg – Schweitzer Elementary School 4133 Mt. Albertine Ave. (92111) SAN DIEGO
Corner of Mt. Albertine & Balboa
Registration at 8:30 A.M.
Instruction, information, materials, and resources to help you:
· Learn about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.)
· Individual Education Program (IEP); Participate more effectively in the process
· Understand more about how kids learn
· Know more information about ‘related services,’ ‘behavior intervention,’ “assistive technology’
For workshop
information, call: 1-800-281-8252
Please register by November 5th
NOTES: WALK-IN REGISTRATION WELCOMED
HOWEVER PRINTED MATERIALS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR WALK-IN-REGISTRATION
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Early Social Communication Intervention: Beginning programs
for your young child with Autism. |
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Jay Nolan – Journey to Solutions 2003
Friday November 14 – 16, 2003 – Pasadena Conference Center
Location: 300 East Green Street, Pasadena 91101
Hear about the most current information and research on autism spectrum disorder. Topics include: Floortime, Behavior, High School Academics, Super Sensory Workshop, Strategies for Successful Inclusion, Visual Strategies to Enhance Language and Promote Early Literacy, Communication Techniques & Therapies, Role of Medication for ASD and much more.
Speakers include: Sean Barron, Margaret Bauman MD, Teresa Bolick Ph.D., Brenda Bursch Ph.D., Cure Autism Now, Anne Donnellan Ph.D., Barbara Doyle M.S., Gail Gillingham M.S., Esther Hess Ph.D., Paula Kluth Ph.D., Lisa Lewis Ph.D., Rajarshi ‘Tito’ & Soma Mukhopadhay, Jerry Newport, Jamie Ruppmann, Jeffrey Sell Esq., Rosemary White O.T.R., Pamela Wolfeberg Ph.D..
Invited Organizations: California Institute of Technology, National Alliance for Autism Research, MIND Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center on Birth Defects & Developmental Disabilities. Hosted by the Jay Nolan Community Services, Inc.
For more information (818) 242-9108 or email conference@jaynolan.org
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Autism/Asperger's Conference - CEUs for ASHA/APA – Garden Grove
Dr.
Tony Attwood with an All New All Day Workshop on Anger Management, Teen
Challenges, and Making Special Interests a Positive. Nov 30 Garden Grove
Registration
7am - close 4:30pm See website for
prices. Anaheim Embassy Suites, Anaheim South 11767 Harbor Blvd. www.FutureHorizons-autism.com
or 800-489-0727
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Autism And Young Children With Visual Impairments – Los Angeles
Infant
Development Association of CA, co-sponsored by LAUSD Infant & Preschool
Support Services. This training will focus on strategies and interventions for
identifying and serving children with visual impairments and autism. Participants
will learn how to build communication skills for these young children. Fremont
Dec. 1, Los Angeles Dec. 2
Registration deadline: Nov 29 - Register online at www.idaofcal.org IDA
Member or Parent - $79.00
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Dramautism – Studio City
Drama
therapy for HFA/Aspie kids (ages 4 to 7). Taught by Debra Clark,
producer-writer and mother of two autistic sons; and Patsy Keating, a special
education teacher for LAUSD.
Now until Dec 28, Studio City - 4pm to 5pm, $30/session - CBS
Television Studios
Debra Clark, dclark0704@yahoo.com
or 818-360-7125
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Solving the Relationship Puzzle: Opening Doors to Friendship
for People on the Autistic Spectrum – Los Angeles |
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===== Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) 2-Day Workshop –
San Diego |
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MAJOR Autism Conference announced for Southern California by CASD.
Location: Santa Monica – February 20-22, 2004
Watch web site for speaker list: http://www.casdweb.org/index.htm
If you have questions or would like more information, please email the director at kazuko@grandecom.net.
______________________________________________________________________
7) Personal Note:
For those affected, I hope the firestorms have passed and you are back in your unharmed homes – safely. And for the rest, I hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween. We sure did!
On the fun side – Jeff was Superman and he was able to respond to people’s question, “What are you going to be for Halloween?” In addition, the answer of “Superman” was always followed up with “da..da…da! SUPERMAN!” followed up pretend flying around the room. This year was Jeff’s first year (last year was stopped due to a 102 temperature) for trick or treating and loving it. Jeff loved collecting all the candy, coveting the candy (he did not want to eat it!) which was followed with SLEEPING with the candy! What a great Halloween for Jeff!
As we move into the holidays we are working for family-oriented social events for our TACA friends. I will keep you posted as the information becomes available.
Hugs, thanks and be safe -
Lisa A Jeff's mom
Web Page for the TACA GROUP: www.tacanow.com - check it out/let me know your thoughts at contact us !
Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) provides general information of interest to the autism community. The information comes from a variety of sources and TACA does not independently verify any of it. The views expressed herein are not necessarily TACA’s.
TACA does not engage in lobbying or other political activities.
P.S. TACA e-news is now at 797 families