| Volume VII, Issue 3 | September, 2000 |
Annual Conference 2000After a lot of thought, and with much regret, the board has made the decision to postpone our Conference 2000 until February, 2001. Although a tremendous amount of work had gone into planning this conference, there was still a substantial amount of do, and simply not enough volunteers to do it. As mentioned in the accompanying article on chapter goals, we must have more people willing to give of their time and energy if, as a chapter, we are going to continue to provide the services that people are asking of us. Although we feel confident that with the conference postponed until February, we will be able to do the work necessary to make it a quality program, it is not too late to volunteer to help us with the multitude of tasks that go into planning this. We know that TS families often have a lot on their plates to deal with - we’re all TS families too! If the manpower is not there, the services won’t be either; it’s that simple. Please contact the editor if you would like to help see this conference become a reality. |
CHAPTER NEWS
Chapter GoalsThe Washington State TSA Board met in July to review the goals we set for our chapter last year and to set new ones for the coming year. Here is a recap of some of the things we accomplished this past year:
2000-2001 Goals
Organizational VitalityDiscrimination and TS
On June 13, Wilson Wong, a man with TS, was thrown out of the Kirkland restaurant T.G.I.Friday’s by police because of his coprolalia. Wong was at the restaurant with his co-workers when a patron who was sitting nearby them with her young child complained to the manager about Wong’s repeated swearing. Wong explained that he had TS and that his coprolalia was unintentional and uncontrollable. Despite his explanation, police were called and six officers escorted him from the restaurant. The restaurant insists it did not know Wong had TS and would have accommodated him if it had known. Wong is considering suing the restaurant for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).In Michigan, a man with TS who sued his employer under the ADA, received an unfavorable outcome. Karl Petzold also suffers from coprolalia, and was fired from his job as a bagger at a grocery store after some African American customers complained about his outbursts. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 that the employer acted legally when it fired him. It stated that the store’s uniform work rules which prohibit “abusive language to any employee, supervisor or customer” applied in this instance. In its opinion, the court wrote, “We find it ridiculous to expect a business . . . to tolerate this type of language in the presence of its customers, even though we understand that because of plaintiff’s condition, his utterance of obscenities and racial epithets is involuntary. We emphasize that there certainly are jobs that persons with TS and coprolalia could perform, however, plaintiff’s coprolalia renders him completely unqualified to perform this particular job, which required continual contact with the members of the general public.” Petzold vows to take the case to the Supreme Court.
Lending Library
Here are some recent additions to our lending library:United Way
As we head into fall, the United Way and Combined Federal Campaigns will get underway. Contributions to the Washington State Chapter of TSA through these programs is an important source of income for our chapter. Last fiscal year, we saw an increase in the amount of United Way and CFC contributions for which we are most grateful. We are hoping that trend will continue this year. Your pledge will enable us to achieve the goals listed on pages 1 and 2 in the coming year. So please remember all the TS families in our state and be generous when it’s time to make your pledge. And don’t forget, your contributions are tax-deductible.NEWS FROM NATIONAL
National Conference - The national Tourette Syndrome Association’s biennial conference is almost upon us. Don’t miss your opportunity to hear about the latest medical research, learn effective parenting strategies, find out what works in educating a TS child, and get tips on how to have a successful, fulfilling life as an adult with TS. The conference runs from November 2-5 and is held at the Hilton Alexandria Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. If you are not already a member of TSA, and wish to receive a registration form, check out their web site at http://tsa.mgh.harvard.edu/ or contact them at (718) 224-2999.Genetic Research - In our last issue of Connections, we reported on the $8.5 million grant which the TSA Genetic Consortium received from the National Institutes of Health to study the genetic causes of TS. In order to continue their research, scientists urgently need 200 additional families with TS siblings to contribute blood samples. Families appropriate for this study are those who:
TSA, Attention: Genetic Research
42-40 Bell Blvd.
Bayside, NY 11361-2820.
Newsletter for Kids - That Darn Tic, the new TSA children’s newsletter, is looking for articles and illustrations. They would like you to submit:
TSA, Attention: Zachary AshinoffTo subscribe to That Darn Tic, call Peggy Harford at (718) 224-2999 or e-mail at peggy.harford@tsa-usa.org. Include your name, age and mailing address.
Box 157
Eastchester, NY 10709
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE-by Jai Kelly
Americans with Disabilities Act
In July, President Clinton marked the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by directing the federal government to hire 100,000 disabled people over the next five years. He also announced these steps:
Another threat to the ADA is the House Republication leadership plans to pass H.R.3590, (The ADA Notification Act) under “suspension of rules.” This bill would create a 90-day notice requirement before a suit could be filed against a business which is not complying with the requirement to make buildings and services accessible to the disabled. This could have the effect of some businesses not bothering to comply with the ADA until they are given the 90 day notice of a lawsuit, at which time they would have 90 days to comply. The suspension of rules is a fast track legislative process whereby the bill does not need go through the normal committee process. This would prevent committee members having the opportunity to voice opinions, discuss, amend and vote on a bill. It is a way to pass an amendment without the scrutiny a bill would normally receive.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Although the Garrett case mentioned above will not have a direct effect on legislation enacted to provide equal access to public education for our children, (such as 504 plans and the IDEA) there is some concern that programs such as these may also be on the states’ rights agenda. One reason for many states’ reluctance to fully implement all the provisions of IDEA is that since its passage, the U.S. Congress has only funded approximately 13% of its costs, with the remainder being paid by the individual states. Two attempts to substantially increase funding for IDEA were defeated in the Senate. However, some increase in funding was approved by both houses of Congress as part of their respective education legislation. In the Senate, funding was increased by $1.3 billion to $7.34 billion. A House amendment to increase funding by $510 million to $6.55 billion was also passed. A committee consisting of members of both Houses will meet to iron out differences in the bills before submitting to the President for his approval or veto. (Note: As of July 31, 2000 the conferees reached agreement on spending for the Depts. Of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations. IDEA funding falls under these departments. The details of the amounts allocated for IDEA are not known at this point in time.) The usual amendments to weaken the IDEA’s rules governing the discipline of children with disabilities were also introduced, however as of this date, none have been adopted.
If these issues are of concern to you, it is important to contact your representatives in the federal government and express support not only for the ADA, but also for increased federal funding for IDEA.
Family Opportunity Act
There is a very good chance that the Family Opportunity Act which we reported on in our last issue will become federal law. Currently many working families have no or inadequate insurance, and are ineligible for Medicaid benefits because their incomes are too high. Additionally, many parents have been forced to remain in dead-end jobs to keep health insurance or to remain unemployed in order to access federal health benefits. These parents would be given the opportunity to buy into Medicaid and pay on a sliding scale based on their income. This would provide children with disabilities in these families access to the full range of Medicaid services. It will be up to the individual states to offer this program to its citizens. The Family Opportunity Act (H.R. 4825, S.2274) would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act. As of late July , there 64 were co-sponsors in the House, and 32 co-sponsors in the Senate. Senators Murray and Gorton of Washington have both signed on as co-sponsors. Contact your U.S. Representatives to ensure passage of this very important legislation, and let your state legislators know you would like it implemented in this state.
Work Incentives and Ticket to Work
The Work Incentives Improvement Act and Ticket To Work (first mentioned in our December 1999 Connections issue) were signed into law by the President on Dec 17, 1999. The purpose of the new law is to:
The President has ordered the Office of Personnel Management to enact rules which would ensure that individuals with psychiatric disabilities are provided with the same opportunities for employment in the federal sector as those with other severe physical disabilities or with mental retardation. The hiring rules for those with psychiatric disabilities will be the same as for those with other disabilities. The new rules allow those with psychiatric disorders to transfer to a job status that is competitive with their fellow employees after two years of satisfactory service. This was formerly prohibited.
President Clinton, in his address on June 4, 1999 at the White House Conference on Mental Health, directed the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to achieve parity for mental health and substance abuse coverage in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program by 2001. The President stated:
“I believe that OPM, in cooperation with these health plans, can demonstrate that mental health and substance abuse parity can be achieved at an affordable price,” said Clinton. “The goal is to make plan coverage for mental health and substance abuse care identical to traditional medical care with regard to deductibles, coinsurance, co-payments, and day and visit limitations.”OPM has made some progress in this area, with the removal of annual limitations which are different from medical coverage. They are currently working with participating health plans to fully implement this directive so that mental health coverage is the same as other medical coverage by 2001.
Unfortunately, progress toward insurance parity in the private sector is not as far along at either the federal or state level. Our state chapter of the TSA recently joined the Mental Health Parity Coalition, a group of organizations dedicated to passing state legislation requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage of mental health conditions at the same level as that of traditional medical care. The Coalition will be pushing to have parity legislation introduced in the next legislative session. It is important to let both your federal and state representatives know if this issue is important to you.
Talk to Your Legislator Directly
Planning a trip to Washington, DC? Here is another way you can be an advocate for yourself or a family member. If you have occasion to be in the nation’s capitol, contact Ilsa Bush, head of Governmental Relations at the national Tourette Syndrome Assoc. She would be happy to arrange a 15 minute interview with your state representative for you to talk about the issues you feel are important as a person with TS in your life. Her number is (202) 362-1011.
MEDICAL NEWS
The Environmental Impact on the Growing Nervous System - by Walter J. Crinnion ND
Each year approximately 4 million babies are born. Of those about 3-8%, or 3-8000 children are born with neurodevelopmental disabilities including dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, Tourette, etc. The numbers appear to be rising, but it is unclear if this is from increased awareness on the part of parents, educators and physicians, or because of environmental toxicity. More research is showing that there are several chemicals, commonly found in our environment, that can cause neurological abnormalities in children when the developing infant is exposed in the mother. Of the 80,000 chemicals registered today with the EPA, 3,000 are produced at the rate of 1 million pounds per year. Of those, only 23% have been tested to see if they have potential to cause developmental damage. In the words of pediatrician Herbert Needleman (the person who is primarily responsible for pointing out the dangers to children of lead), "We are conducting a vast toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our children's children are the experimental subjects." This begs the question of whether the pollution in our environment is a factor in the deteriorating health of our children.
The three main toxins being looked at today in relation to neurological problems in children are mercury, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Much of the neurotoxicity of mercury is documented from methylmercury exposure in children in the Amazon. Gold mining is responsible for putting mercury into the Amazon where fish take it up as methylmercury and carry it to humans when they eat the fish. These children, when tested showed poorer motor function, attention, and performance in their ability to see and perceive things in their environment. The major sources of mercury that we are typically exposed to comes primarily in the form of elemental mercury from our "silver amalgam" dental fillings. Studies have shown that these can release (with chewing, brushing teeth, grinding teeth, or drinking hot liquids) enormous amounts of mercury exceeding the standards currently in place for daily mercury exposure. The second major source of mercury comes from eating large predatory fish - shark, swordfish, halibut, whale and to a lesser extent tuna. Fortunately the recent FDA studies have found no detectable mercury levels in salmon, our northwest favorite. Mercury, as well as lead and PCBs can readily cross the placental barrier and adversely affect the growing child.
Lead has been associated with lower IQ, poorer learning ability, and decreased performance in school work and memory function. Recently Dr. Needleman has also shown that higher concentrations of lead is found in children with increased aggression, attention problems and delinquency. It has also been correlated with ADHD. Children can be exposed to lead from housedust (a good reason to have your furnace vents cleaned out on a regular basis), from soil (especially soil by busy roadways), old interior paints (not just from eating paint chips as the lead goes to a very fine dust), plastic mini-blinds and metal-wicked candles.
In children and parents (and parents-to-be) these heavy metals can be best detected by testing urine collected over a 24-hour period after taking an product that stimulates the clearing of heavy metals from the body. In some children a 24-hour urine test is not very feasible, so a stool or hair test can be done. The only draw-back to the hair test is that it is quite insensitive to mercury from dental fillings. These tests can all show long-term overload of heavy metals while blood tests (the standard medical approach to identify such a problem) is only good for identifying an acute poisoning episode. Once a heavy metal load is found, the compounds can be mobilized from the body by taking capsules or shots. In very young children this may also be accomplished by using specially made suppositories from a compounding pharmacist. My office and the offices of other physicians has been finding that heavy metal toxicity is being commonly found in autistic children and that the clearing of the heavy metals results in improvement in function.
In addition to these compounds the children are exposed to numerous other chemicals that have scant testing to determine their safety for children. These include food additives and coloring (clearly implicated in ADHD, including a recent study showing that tartrazine, the common yellow-food-dye, caused 150/200 children to have attention and activity difficulties) and medications. Medications that adults take have been found in the regular water supplies of most urban areas, while pesticides are found in the water supplies of most rural areas. Solvents are found in the groundwater sources in industrial areas. All of these compounds combine to cause a chemical overload in children whose livers are not up to handling the toxic load.
What can be done to help the children? Have the children and parents checked for heavy metal load and reduce the load if they are found. Have the children taking nutritional supplements that help to remove toxins from the body (vitamin C is one of the best) along with a multiple vitamin. Consume organic food whenever possible. You can visit the EWG.org website for the Environmental Working Group's shoppersguide. Their guide shows the twelve most toxic fruits and vegetables. If you consume any of those, then choose alternatives or use your "organic dollars" to purchase organic varieties of those items. Reduce your own use of pesticides and solvents so that there is less in the environment to affect the next child to be born.
Dr. Crinnion is a practicing Naturopathic physician in Kirkland Washington where he specializes in toxin-associated health problems. His office number is (425) 821-8118. You can hear him every Saturday from noon to1pm on AM 820 or see him Friday mornings on Northwest Cable News just prior to 8 and 10 am.
The TSA Medical Advisory Board has not reviewed this material. The author is solely responsible for its content.
NIH Warning Regarding PANDAS Treatment
The following is an official warning from the National Institutes of Mental Health web site (www.nimh.nih.gov/events/pandaalert.cfm) regarding certain experimental procedures which have been used to treat PANDAS and which are now being used to treat TS and OCD.
Publicity surrounding small experimental trials at NIMH has caused parents to seek unproven interventions in treating children with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). NIMH advises that these patients should not be treated outside of clinical research protocols.
NIMH is studying the effects of plasma exchange, also known as plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on clinical symptoms in PANDAS. NIMH views these interventions as experimental. But some parents are seeking plasma exchange or IVIG as treatment for children with PANDAS, Tourette's syndrome (TS) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
NIMH data provide no evidence of benefits for either plasmapheresis or IVIG in children who lack streptococcal-triggered symptoms. Even in children with streptococcal-triggered symptoms, the effectiveness of these interventions is not proven at this time. More importantly, both plasmapheresis and IVIG are considered to be serious medical interventions that carry a potential for significant adverse reactions that is not fully understood in children with either TS or OCD. Furthermore, the use of IVIG resources for non-approved indications such as TS or OCD can have significant adverse public health consequences.
Parents and clinicians are urged to be aware of the experimental nature of these interventions, the lack of evidence for their utility in the treatment of TS or OCD, and their potential for risks in children with these disorders. Caution dictates that these interventions should be used only in the setting of NIH-approved clinical research protocols. Parents of children with streptococcal-triggered neuropsychiatric symptoms who want to consider these experimental treatments are encouraged to enroll in ongoing NIMH or other clinical studies. Further information regarding those studies is available at: http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/research/pdn/web.htm.
New Drug for ADHD
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new form of methylphenidate (best known as Ritalin), called Concerta for the treatment of ADHD. Unlike Ritalin, which must be taken two to three times a day, Concerta may only need to be taken once daily. A dose lasts 12 hours, avoiding the inconvenience and stigma of having to administer doses to children at school. Concerta was developed by Crescendo Pharmaceuticals and should be comparable in price to other ADHD treatments. It comes in tablet form designed to be taken in the morning. The most common side effects listed were headaches, reported by 14% of patients. Less common were upper-respiratory-tract infection and stomachache.IRS and Medical Conventions
For those of you far from the Seattle area thinking of coming to our next conference, here’s an extra incentive! The IRS has recently declared that when parents travel to medical conferences relating to the chronic medical condition of a child, for the purpose of learning more about the medical condition in order to make decisions about the care of the child, then the expenses of travel and registration fees are deductible as medical expenses. Lodging and meals are not deductible.Health Insurance
A new pamphlet has been published by the state Insurance Commissioner’s office which may provide helpful information on choices available to disabled people and their families. It’s entitled Health Insurance Options for Disabled Consumers. Call 1-800-397-4422 or see www.insurance.wa.gov to request your copy.SCHOOL NEWS
Special Education Dispute Resolution
The 1997 reauthorization of IDEA endorsed the use of mediation as a way to resolve disputes between school districts and families of students with special needs. Mediation is an alternative to the formal due process hearing. In Washington, Sound Options is the organization which handles mediation between parents and the schools. The Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) recently studied how formal disputes are being handled, highlighting the ten states which have the most complete information, including Washington. These ten states have installed the most complete systems for tracking each dispute, including follow-up after the complaint is filed, the impact of those follow-up sessions and data on whether the disputes were ultimately resolved. Even though these ten states’ tracking systems are more thorough than other states, according to CADRE and NASDE, they still are lacking in their attention to the overall impact and effectiveness of their mediation efforts. None of these states integrates information about the three formal dispute resolution procedures -- complaint resolution, mediation and due process hearings.
Washington had the highest percentage of its formal complaints going through mediation in 1998 (39.9%). Washington was also among four states with the highest percentage of dispute cases which requested due process hearings. The study found that poverty levels may play a role in whether complainants request due process hearings or try mediation first, with states which have high poverty levels requesting due process hearings. This trend was not borne out in Washington, however, which has a relatively low poverty rate, but a high due process rate (41.2%). If you are interested in trying mediation as a way of resolving a dispute with your local school district, contact Sound Options at 1-800-692-2540
Positive Behavioral Support & Functional Behavioral Assessment
One of the topics we hope to discuss at our February conference is positive behavioral support, a method that’s gaining popularity in the schools as way of dealing with problem behaviors. A functional behavioral assessment which is conducted by the school, is often the first step in implementing positive behavioral support. This assessment is endorsed by the reauthorized IDEA, and school districts should be conducting such an assessment on children with IEP’s who have behavior problems. The following two articles describe in more detail positive behavioral support and functional behavioral assessments.Positive Behavioral Support -by Bernie Travnikar
Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is a new approach to behavioral intervention that offers the promise of being both humane and effective. Building upon a foundation of functional behavioral assessment (FBA), this new approach is intended to help students learn how to pursue their own legitimate needs and interests, without compromising the rights and privileges of others. PBS is about helping students learn to assume responsibility for themselves.
The paramount goal of PBS is improving quality of life for students. Qualitative improvement in behavior is typified by reduced dependence on caregivers and increased independence at home, at schools, and in the community.
PBS is an emerging change in practice based on problem-solving. PBS places great emphasis on learner participation. Some students display obvious difficulty in rule-governed situations. Learning “why” certain behaviors are essential is just as important as knowing “what” those behaviors are. Research demonstrates that intervention is critical for the large number of students who have difficulty doing what they know that they should do.
PBS incorporates a number of humanistic values into currently recognized elements of applied behavior analysis. This is especially true with regard to FBA. FBA is a means of determining how inappropriate behavior(s) actually function for the student displaying the behavior(s). In simplest terms, most behaviors, whether pro-social or problematic, occur because the individual wants something or doesn’t want something. Often, what someone wants or doesn’t want isn’t the problem; instead, the problem lies in the manner in which a student’s desires are pursued, or the way in which participation is avoided. Once the actual function of a behavior is ascertained, those concerned for the student have an opportunity to help the student attain his/her goal – learning how to pursue interests without compromising the rights of all involved and the integrity of the situation.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, well implemented PBS uses a “wraparound approach” and recognizes the value of collaboration. PBS values parental expertise as highly as professional expertise. It matches the expectations that the student will become increasingly responsible with shoulder-to-shoulder commitment of a number of important people in the student’s life. PBS is essential because children need to learn how to take charge of their own lives.
Proponents of PBS appreciate the necessity of ensuring that our schools are safe and orderly environments. However, they contend that what we’ve been doing to bring about a change in undesirable students’ behavior hasn’t been working and a change of practice is essential.
Reprinted from NEWSLINE, June 1999. A publication of Center for Educational Networking.
Functional Behavioral Assessment: What, Why, When, Where and Who? -by Stephen Starin, Ph.D.
The recent amendments to IDEA are final. School districts are now required to conduct functional behavioral analyses of problem behaviors, under certain circumstances. Unfortunately, IDEA does not provide specific guidelines regarding the conduct of a functional behavioral assessment. Each school district is left to its own devices when interpreting the guidelines and may opt for lower quality standards. Below are my comments on conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA). These comments are based upon my formal training as a behavior analyst and over 20 years experience working with children, adolescents and adults with serious problem behaviors. I’ve tried to avoid technical jargon for ease of discussion.
What is a “Functional Behavioral Assessment?
The term “Functional Behavioral Assessment” comes from what is called a “Functional Assessment” or “Functional Analysis” in the field of applied behavior analysis. This is the process of determining the cause (or “function”) of behavior before developing an intervention. The intervention must be based on the hypothesized cause (function) of the behavior.
Why Do Functional Behavioral Assessments?
Failure to base the intervention on the specific cause (function) very often results in ineffective and unnecessary restrictive procedures. For example, consider the case of a young child who has learned that screaming is an effective way of avoiding or escaping unpleasant tasks. Using timeout in this situation would provide the child with exactly what he wants (avoiding the task) and is likely to make the problem worse, not better. Without an adequate functional behavioral assessment, we would not know the true function of the young child’s screaming and therefore may select an inappropriate intervention.
How Do You Determine the Cause of Function of Behavior?
There are three ways of getting at the function (cause of the behavior):
Observe and Analyze Behavior in Natural Environment
A more reliable method involves directly observing the person’s behavior in his or her natural environment and analyzing the behavior’s antecedents (environmental events that immediately precede the problem behavior) and consequences (environmental events that immediately follow the problem behavior).
Types of Problem Behavior
Problem behavior typically falls into one or more of three general categories:
Systematic Manipulation of Environment
In some cases, however, direct observation does not give a clear picture of the behavior’s functions, and systematically manipulating various environmental events becomes necessary. The most common way of systematically manipulating the environment is to put the person in several different situations and carefully observe how the behavior changes. For example, to determine the function of screaming, we could arrange for attention to be given to the child each time she screams and measure how frequently screaming occurs. We could also make demands on the child, terminating them each time she screams and measure how frequently it occurs. In addition, we could leave the child alone and measure how often screaming occurs. If screaming is more frequent when attention is given, we hypothesize that it occurs to get attention. If screaming is more frequent when demands are made, we can assume that screaming has served to let the person escape or avoid demands. Finally, if screaming is more frequent when left alone, we can assume that it is occurring because of its sensory consequences. The third method should be reserved only for situations in which the functions of behavior are not clear through systematic and direct observation.
What About Qualifications and Training?
An important question is “Who should be involved in the functional behavioral assessment?” The interview is important in gathering preliminary information that will guide later direct observation. As such, it is important to talk tot he people who know the child the best: parents, teachers and significant others.
Don’t Waste Valuable Time
Time is precious. Time should not be wasted on interventions (behavioral or otherwise) when there is no evidence that this particular intervention is likely to work, for this particular child, in this particular situation.
Dr. Stephen Starin is the Executive Director and Senior behavior Analyst for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Inc. He is the former Director of Behavior Analysis for the State of Florida and is a Past President of the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis. This article is reprinted from the web site of special education lawyers Pete and Pam Wright, http://www.wrightslaw.com. © 1999, Peter W.D. Wright. All rights reserved. The resources at this web site are copyrights by the authors and/or publisher. They may be used for non-commercial purposes only. They may not be redistributed for commercial purposes without the express written consent of Peter W.D. Wright. Appropriate credit should be given to these resources if they are reproduced in any form.
Upcoming Conference
You are the Expert 2000 ConferenceSponsored by PAVE for parents, advocates, educators, professionals and others who have or work with children with disabilities. October 13-15, 2000 at the Heritage Cultural Center, Toppenish. Contact PAVE at 1-800-5-PARENT or wapave9@washingtonpave.com for more information.
Chapter Directory
Have you ever been in a crisis with your TS child or as an adult with TS and wished you had someone you could talk to right now? Or maybe you would just like a friendly ear, one who knows all too well what you’re going through. When you need to reach out but you find the next support group meeting isn’t for three weeks or you don’t even have a support group in your area, what do you do? More and more TSA chapters have instituted chapter directories for just this purpose. A chapter directory is a voluntary listing of people in our chapter who wouldn’t mind being contacted by other chapter members who either live nearby or share similar circumstances. If you would like to have your name listed in our new directory, please fill out the information below and mail it in (or you could call or e-mail if you’d rather). Once we get a collection of names, we will publish them on a regular basis in the newsletter so that you can feel free to reach out to someone you know will understand.Name:
Phone:
Address:
E-Mail Address:
Person(s) with TS (name, age, sex and relationship to you):
Do you home school?:E-mail your information to TSAWASH@aol.com
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