3)   San Diego:  4^th Tuesday evening – 6:30- 8:00 p.m. – Info: Contact Us

January 27:       Dr. Jennifer Oke:  “Getting an Appropriate Program for Your ASD Child and Incorporating Social and Emotional Development in That Program”

February 24:      Amy Langerman, Attorney - "Special Ed Law"

March 23:          Sharon Lerner, Ph.D. "Summer recreational opportunities for kids with ASD"

4)   Corona:  3rd Saturday – 1:30–4:30 pm  - Corona Library. For more info: Contact us

Saturday, Jan 17th 1:30pm-4:30pm – Speaker: to be announced

Saturday, Feb 21st 1:30pm-4:30pm

   Speaker: Carolyn Doherty – Rapid Prompting Method / Carousel Schools

Saturday, March 20th 1:30pm-4:30pm - Speaker: Dr. Kenneth Williams (DAN! Doctor)

5)  Torrance:  3^rd Monday of each month at Whole Foods Market on PCH in   Torrance – 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.  For more info: Contact us

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3)     General News:

a)  Autism RATES IN CALIFORNIA SOAR… AGAIN

According to information just released from the California Department of Developmental Services, during 2003 California added a record number 3,125 new cases of professionally diagnosed DSM IV autism (not including PDD, NOS, Asperger's, or any other autism spectrum disorders) to it's system.

For the first time in the 35 year history of California's developmental services system, over 3,000 new cases of full syndrome were added in one year, nearly all were young children.

During the past five years, from 1998-2003, California added 1700 new cases of full syndrome autism to its system.  Once the rarest of all of California's developmental services system disabilities, historically accounting for 3% of all intakes, autism today accounts for 41% of all new intakes and is the number one disability entering California's DD system, making it the fastest growing developmental disability.

Unlike any other of California's eligible disabilities (mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or conditions similar to mental retardation), the age distribution of those persons suffering with autism are disproportionately children....with 70% (or seven out of ten) of all persons with autism in California's system UNDER THE AGE OF 13 YEARS OLD.

b)  TWO Tax Planning Articles & Information for Special Needs Families:

Article 1 - Year 2003 Tax Benefits for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities is available at http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=773

Hope you or your accountant can benefit from it.

Gil Murillo at PROJECT SEA

Article 2:  Reprinted with permission from the Yahoo Group! AutismInterventionSOCAL list:

Noticing how much attention this topic has received, I thought I should step in here.  HOWEVER, NOTHING IN THIS POST IS TO BE CONSIDERERD TAX ADVICE FOR A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL.

I am a CPA, and do personal, corporate and other income tax returns. I will say that this is my livelihood. I am available to anyone on this list for consultation regarding his or her own personal situation. (Phone # 310-572-7750)

The general rules are as follows:

If your child has a medical condition that requires specific therapies (AIT & ABA co-pays), the cost of those therapies is deductible as medical expenses. These expenses are limited to the amount over 7.5% of AGI.

If your AGI is too high, you might be able to claim some of that expense as childcare for the childcare credit.

Vitamins, non-prescription supplements, books, toys, etc, which are available to the general public without a prescription are not normally deductible, even with a prescription. However they can be if one spouse has self-employment income, see note below on Section 105 plans.

Special diets - only the incremental cost is deductible and MUST be supported by receipts. Unless you are good with Quicken, this is usually a bookkeeping nightmare.  You cannot just guesstimate - my kid drinks 7 qts. of rice milk/week and the incremental cost is $.50 per quart, so the deduction is $182. Also ONLY the cost of the specific child's food would be deductible, if you put the family on a GFCF diet, you cannot include those who don't medically need the diet.

Travel for medical reasons is often overlooked as a medical deduction.

Attendance at conferences to learn about your child's condition can be deductible, but some specific conditions must be met and only some of the costs are deductible.

The best way to get these expenses covered is to use your employer's cafeteria plan if one is available.

Self-employed people –

Section 105 - Medical Reimbursement Plans - You DO NOT have to have a corporation to deduct medical expenses.  In fact, that is probably the most costly way to go.  Corporations in California are subject to a minimum tax of $800.

If you have a Schedule C business and you can legitimately employ your spouse, you can set up a medical reimbursement plan for about $400 per year (1/2 the cost of S-Corp taxes, not to mention lawyers incorporation fees). An example of this - one spouse runs a home business (say Pampered Chef rep.). She requires a computer. Her husband maintains and backs up her computer. It doesn't have to be full-time employment; it can be as little as 5 hours/month. Under this plan, you can deduct ALL vitamins, non-prescription supplements, and equipment necessary to treat your child's condition. The key is that they are used to treat a specific medical condition, not just for general health. This part of the IRS code was clarified just this year, not every accountant knows about it.

I hope I have cleared up any confusion. It is a complex area and each situation need to be looked at individually. I repeat, nothing in this post is to be construed as individual tax advice.

-Gina Levy

c) Federal Funds not being used for SCHOOLS??

Reprinted information from www.unlockingautism.org

Have you ever been in an IEP conference where they tell you that they can't do something with for your child because of a lack of funds?  You can't receive ABA services in your home because the money just isn't there?  Sorry, Mrs. Jones, but your child cannot have more than one session a week for speech therapy even though speech delay is one of your biggest concerns for him?

The total of unspent special education funds for the entire United States over the last couple of years is a whopping $1.7 BILLION.

According to the Department of Education, funding is coming from the Federal Government but when it reaches the states it is diverted and spent on other things.

WHAT OTHER THINGS...... PAVING POT HOLES? INTERSTATE EXPANSIONS?

So...how do you find out where the money is going?  Where does your state  rank on this list and how do you do something to stop these sorts of shenanigans?

This topic along with many others will be covered at the Power of 1.5 Conference in Washington, DC. Sign up today and learn what you can do to make a different in your state!!!  Visit our site at www.unlockingautism.org to register online.

http://www.unlockingautism.org/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=2003repreg

Alabama$18.7 million / 5.6%

Alaska$6.5 million / 10.2%

Arizona$22.9 million / 7.2%

Arkansas$2.2 million / 1.1%

California $258.6 million / 11.7%

Colorado$29 million / 10.9%

Connecticut$10.6 million / 4.2%

Delaware$6.4 million / 10.7%

District of Columbia$1.2 million / 3.9%

Florida$32,650 / 0.0%

Georgia$47.1 million / 8.6%

Hawaii$7.1 million / 9.8%

Idaho$3.8 million / 3.8%

Illinois$44 million / 4.6%

Indiana$23.1 million / 4.7%

Iowa$19.1 million / 8.2%

Kansas$1.8 million / 0.8%

Kentucky$17.7 million / 5.7%

Louisiana$33.7 million / 10%

Maine$680,359 / 0.6%

Maryland$12.1 million / 3.2%

Massachusetts$16.6 million / 3%

Michigan$38.1 million / 5.2%

Minnesota$56 million / 15.3%

Mississippi$16.1 million / 7.4%

Missouri$16.9 million / 3.9%

Montana$2.3 million / 3.5%

Nebraska$24.9 million / 17.6%

Nevada$5.1 million / 4.3%

New Hampshire$8 million / 8.8%

New Jersey$53.8 million / 7.8%

New Mexico$79.3 million / 19.5%

New York$61.7 million / 4.2%

North Carolina$13.8 million / 2.4%

North Dakota$7.2 million / 14.8%

Ohio$225.3 million / 28.2%

Oklahoma$28.7 million / 10.6%

Oregon$16.7 million / 6.9%

Pennsylvania$48.7 million / 6.2%

Rhode Island$2.7 million / 3.2%

South Carolina$51.9 million / 15.8%

South Dakota$1.4 million / 2.4%

Tennessee$30.7 million / 7.1%

Texas$189 million / 11.3%

Utah$11.7 million / 0.6%

Vermont$1.2 million / 2.6%

Virginia$59.6 million / 11.6%

Washington$7.5 million / 1.8%

West Virginia$2.7 million / 1.9%

Wisconsin$11.1 million / 2.8%

Wyoming$4 million / 7.9%

TERRITORIES

American Samoa$976,022 / 5.3%

Federated States of Micronesia$5.1 million / 45%

Guam$5.9 million /14.3%

Marshall Islands$2.1 million / 40.5%

Northern Mariana Islands$2.1 million / 17.7%

Palau$1.1 million / 38.8%

Puerto Rico$36.1 million / 18.4%

Virgin Islands$2.6 million / 9.1%

TOTAL$1.7 billion / 8.1%

4)    VACCINE NEWS !

Flu Shots Had Little Effect, Report Says
By Anita Manning, USA TODAY
Was It Worth It?

(Jan. 16) - This season's flu vaccine did little or nothing to prevent such flu symptoms as fever, cough or sore throat, says the first preliminary study of the vaccine's effectiveness.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say a survey of health care workers at The Children's Hospital of Denver revealed that the flu vaccine had "no or low effectiveness" against flu-like illnesses, which can be caused by a host of viruses.

The study reported Friday doesn't show whether the vaccine prevented flu, as confirmed by lab tests. Nor does it show whether the vaccine protected against serious illness caused by flu or how it worked in children and the elderly, who are at greatest risk, says infectious disease specialist William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. The study didn't include those who received the nasal spray flu vaccine.

The flu vaccine developed for use this season is not a perfect match for the strain of flu that is causing most of the illness, but laboratory tests indicated it would provide at least some protection.

Flu vaccine is never guaranteed to prevent all cases of flu. In 1998-99, when the vaccine matched strains in circulation, it was only 86% effective against lab-confirmed flu, and 34% effective against the more amorphous category of flu-like illness.

The CDC, which is doing more studies to gauge the vaccine's effectiveness, continues to recommend immunization for people at high risk of complications, their household members and health care workers. While the flu season seems to be on the wane, it's not over until March.

Flu was reported as widespread in 20 states last week, down from 38 states the week before, but the number of deaths due to flu and pneumonia, which is often a complication of flu, continues to increase, the CDC says.

Schaffner recommends getting an annual flu shot. Usually, the vaccine closely matches the strains that make people sick, but every few years, "the virus gets fancy on us and mutates. Even then, there will be partial protection. ... Influenza vaccine is not perfect, but it's pretty darned good."

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5) Announcing a new DAN! Practice in Orange County:

Dr. Ken Williams and the Orange Coast Family Medical Group are pleased to announce the opening of their Center for Biological and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CBND). The Center is dedicated to using approved and current DAN! protocols, and a comprehensive evidenced-based biological approach for the treatment of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other related medical diseases. We are currently taking appointments for consultations and appointments.

CBND provides comprehensive and preventative medical care to patients with ASDs and other biological and neurodevelopmental disorders. The center is staffed by physician's assistants and nurse practitioners and certified pediatric nurse infusionists for intravenous therapies requiring IVIG, Secretin, and other therapies for disorders such as heavy metal overload. The center provides the integration of traditional science and medicine with new evidence-based research on the etiology, treatment, and therapies of neurodevelopmental disorders and ASDs.  Visit our website at www.ocfamilymedicalgroup.com .

Contact our office in Orange at 714-972-8001

Address: 2881 E. Katella Ave #100  Orange, CA 92861

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Parent Editorial: As many of you are aware, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Williams as he got his DAN! practice started. We worked together to update the website and to determine how to coordinate the appointments so as to ensure a quality and comprehensive visit.  From the emails I received from the families who met with Dr. Williams, I can tell you they mentioned mostly his kindness, his professionalism and the confidence in knowing he would help them determine the best path for their child. Wow, with so few DAN! doctors available in Orange County I can tell you we are blessed to have one of Dr. Williams’ caliber in our area. You must know that I no longer work professionally with Dr. Williams, but continue to support his efforts to help the autism community. He is absolutely dedicated to helping the rest of us.

Mary Romaniec
Mom to Daniel
Member of the TACA family

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6) Need more support?  MORE COFFEE TALK !

Coffee Talk is going to be your hour (or so) once the kids are away at 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.

Date:               Tuesday, February 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!

7) Great Plains LA OUTREACH:

Outreach Clinic

For Children with Autism, PDD, ADD/HD, and Behavior Disorders

Coming to Los Angeles, CA. - February 7-8, 2004

Residence Inn – Los Angeles

1177 South Beverly Drive - Los Angeles, CA.  90035

Great Plains Laboratory will be having their Second Autism Outreach Clinic in Los Angeles, California on February 7-8^th, 2004.

Dr. Kurt Woeller (DAN! Physician) will be seeing patients on both Saturday and Sunday from 8:30-5:45.  

Our goal is to help children with Autism, Allergies, ADHD, and behavioral abnormalities to improve their health and well-being. 

Kurt N. Woeller, D.O. is the Medical Director for BioHealth Centers in San Diego.  He is an osteopathic physician specializing in natural and complementary medicine.  Since 1997, Dr. Woeller has been a referral doctor for DAN! (Defeat Autism Now), which is an organization of physicians dedicated to the biological causes of autistic-spectrum disorders. Much of his practice is dedicated to helping children suffering with an autistic-spectrum disorder optimize their potential and recover their health.

Kris Davis, LVN/Phlebotomist of Great Plains Laboratory, will perform all laboratory procedures for blood collection at the Outreach Clinic.  She encourages ALL parents to start increasing fluids on their child at least 24 hours prior to appointments.  All other specimens, including urine, hair, and stool will be collected at home.  The test kits will be given to parents to take home from the clinic.  All kits will have a prepaid Fed Ex envelope to send back to Great Plains upon completion of collection.  Results of testing will be sent to Dr. Woeller’s office within 4-5 weeks. Please see our website to obtain further information about Dr. Shaw, founder of Great Plains Laboratory, and the specialized testing that we offer at www.greatplainslaboratory.com

We will not be billing insurance for discount panels.  Super bills (medical receipt with diagnostic codes that can be submitted to your insurance company by you for reimbursement) will be available upon request after billing is completed.  Many insurance companies will reimburse for Great Plains Laboratory testing.  However, HMO's do not reimburse for out-of-network testing.

8) CONFERENCES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Date: 1/24/2004- Event: TASK Basic SPECIAL ED / LEGAL RIGHTS Course
Where: TASK, 100 West Cerritos Ave., Anaheim 
When: 8:30am - 1:00pm
Contact Info: 866-828-8275 -  Fees: $25 / half day, $35 / full day, $45 / two-day
Information provided by course provider: More information about this course can be found at  
http://www.taskca.org. This information is an abstract of the Task Flyer. This publication  is FREE to anyone on our mailing list. If you would like to get the entire Task Flyer you can contact TASK at (714) 533-8275.

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Scientific Meeting on Autism, Main Topic: Mirror Neurons, Psychoanalysis and Autism
Main Speaker: Gilbert Kliman, M.D., Medical Director San Francisco's Children's Psychological Health Center
Discussant: Pauline Filipek, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology, UC Irvine

Feb 21 Los Angeles 9:30 – 4:00,  $50, Los Angeles Psychoanalytic Institute 2014 Sawtelle Blvd., Phone: 310 478 6541 Fax: 310 477 5968 lapsi@aol.com

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Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) 2-Day Workshop – San Diego

March 15 & 16, 2004:  Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)2-Day Workshop Presented by Donna Banzhof, M.Ed. & Christine Cavarretta, BCBA

Holiday Inn Mission Bay Sea World $375 professional tuition, $235 parent/student tuition, Includes 2nd Edition PECS Manual and handout packet for note taking

Sara Moore at smoore@pecs.com or 302-368-2515.  Mention Sara Moore on your registration form and receive a $20 discount on the one-day workshops and a $30 discount on the two-day workshops

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Workshop 4: Teaching Verbal Behavior to Children with Autism and other Developmental Disabilities Hands-on workshop for Tutors and Therapists, March 22- 24, 2004 in Southern California (most likely Torrance or Redondo Beach)?  We will have only 21 openings. More details to come.

For more info:  Sabrina Y. Marasovich, M.A., Board Certified - Resources in Autism Education  -

Phone (310) 320-5856 – web: www.autismed.com

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MAJOR Autism Conference announced for Southern California by CASD.

Location:  Santa Monica – April 16-18, 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.

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9) TACA Web Site Enhancements

TACA is currently in phase 2 of the web site update. Much more is in store for you and your families. New enhancements include:

1. New FRONT PAGE
2. NEW Events
3. NEW GFCF Info
4. NEW What Does TACA Do
5. NEW Southern California Resources
   OVER 200 NEW RESOURCES ADDED!
6. NEW 10 Weeks to the GFCF Diet

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10) SOCIAL EVENT:  Aquarium of the Pacific LONG BEACH & “Festivals of Human Abilities”

On Saturday and Sunday, January 24-25th, there will be the first annual "Festival of Human Abilities; a celebration of the creative spirit of people with disabilities."  This celebration will feature music, storytelling, art
exhibits, and interactive displays for children and adults - All at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. This aquarium is home to more than 12,500 animals, including spectacular underwater viewing exhibits of sharks, as well as hands-on ray/shark lagoons and Lorikeet forests.

People with disabilities are being encouraged to attend, and I have been given 50 coupons which will allow one free admission for any age **(with one paid adult admission).  Wheelchairs are provided free of charge, and the typical adult rate is $18.95. If you are interested in receiving some coupons for your students/families, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can distribute them accordingly.
 
For further information on the aquarium, visit http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/index.html

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CALL 562-509-3100

11)       Personal Note:

Well, the TACA meeting coordinators just had their planning meeting for 2004.  In the next month, I will be scheduling a TACA Planning meeting open to the public for all members to attend.

This meeting will outline our efforts for 2004 and wish list items for years beyond. People who should attend this meeting would be anyone who wants to understand TACA’s goals, objectives and how we work.  It would also be a great time to provide input. Stay tuned on this meeting. How would you like to get involved? 

Hugs, thanks, and be SAFE,
Lisa A Jeff's mom