What is TACA? Families with Autism Helping Families with Autism

When your doctor is telling you there isn't much more you can do or that your child will have to spend the rest of their life on mood stabilizing medication who can you turn to? Where do you start looking?

TACA stands for Talking About Curing Autism and was founded by Lisa Ackerman, who like many parents received the diagnosis of autism and wasn't sure where to start. She knew that her son wasn't developing normally and she knew she wanted to help her child. In 2000 she and her husband decided to form the organization TACA and at the same time build a community of parents who were all looking for the same thing, a cure to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has now become a national organization with chapters all over the country. It is an invaluable resource to any parent whether you received your diagnosis two days or two years ago.

The key to making progress with ASD is early intervention. The earlier on your child is diagnosed the more likely you are to see a reversal in the symptoms. The scariest part about autism is no one really knows exactly what causes it or exactly how to prevent or fix it. The best part about TACA is that you have an almost endless supply of parents to talk to about methods they have tried and the successes they have had.

You can visit TACA's website to get a lot of the information any parent with an autistic child may need. You can also find a meeting near you where you can meet with your local chapter to talk with other parents and to take advantage of the valuable resources TACA offers. Often you are able to purchase or borrow the Journey Guide which outlines different approaches and solutions to use with your autistic child. TACA meetings also usually feature a free library where you can borrow books that may be valuable on your quest for information.

TACA is a strong advocate of the Gluten-free Casein- Free (GFCF) diet and recommends getting any child diagnosed with autism on it as soon as possible. One of the great things about TACA is that not only do they recommend it they also provide valuable resources in their Journey Guide and on their website that provide shopping lists as well as recipes to help you with the new, and somewhat restrictive, diet.

It can be easy to feel alone when you are told that your child has autism and it is often overwhelming to look at the vast amount of conflicting research on the subject. Luckily there are organizations like TACA that are there to provide support and offer assistance. What better way for you to learn what you can do then from other parents who are going through the same situation.