| Volume VIII, Issue 1 | March, 2001 |
Our long-awaited educational conference was held February 24. One hundred fifty people attended including 40 kids and 30 educators. Our three presenters, Dr. Larry Burd, Dr. Diane Findley and Susan Fake were well-received.
Dr. Burd of the University of North Dakota gave an excellent overview of TS and associated disorders explaining the course TS typically takes over a person's lifetime and how it might manifest itself in the classroom and at home. Dr. Diane Findley of the Yale Child Study Center spoke more directly about how TS and associated disorders cause difficulties in school. She included a number of helpful handouts with various strategies for making the child more successful in school. Susan Fake, a trainer in Positive Behavioral Support (PBS), spoke about how this method of dealing with behavior problems was successful in regard to her extremely violent and disruptive autistic daughter. She discussed the key features of PBS which include a functional behavioral assessment, comprehensive intervention and lifestyle enhancements.
Concurrent with the adult program was a kids' program organized by Meg Howard-Petosa which included a Mad Science workshop, storytelling, games, large motor activities and a rap session with Certified Mental Health Counselor George Lynn (see his article under Medical News). The kids were obviously having a wonderful time. Many thanks to Meg and her group of volunteers, Ann Denzinger, Ellen, Merle, Daniel & Nathan Broyles, Kate Grossman and Maria Stobie.
Organizing this conference took a great deal of volunteer help. Besides Meg and her crew, we are thankful for our conference planner Janice Boden, Carole Jones for designing our brochure, Ken Clogston and PDQ Printing for printing the brochures, Fon Schrup for working at the registration desk, and all of the board members for the amount of time they have spent working on planning for this day for the last 18 months. We are also grateful to Pacific Northwest Genetics Group for helping to underwrite the cost of the conference.
The conference was videotaped and we are currently investigating the costs involved in making tapes available for sale. If you are interested in possibly purchasing these tapes, contact the editor.
To try to expand our list, the board is currently pursuing obtaining mailing lists of various practice groups and sending a mailing to them which includes our questionnaire. We will also be sending a mailing to professionals who are on referral lists from other organizations who have a similar constituency to ours. However, the best way to expand our list with knowledgeable professionals is to have them recommended by our chapter members. Don't assume that the physician or counselor you are using is on our list. Please take the time to send us the name, address & phone and area of expertise for each physician(s) you would recommend. Sharing this information is so important to newly diagnosed patients. Thank you for your help.
Audiotapes of Ross Greene's presentation on "Behavior Management" at the TSA National Conference, Nov. 2000. Ross Greene is the author of the highly successful book The Explosive Child on how to deal with behavior issues surrounding chronically inflexible children. His session at the national conference was the most popular as many parents deal with "rage" or oppositional behavior in their TS kids. He works from the philosophy that "children will do better if they can." Bad behavior in these circumstances is not willful, but the result of frustration in not being able to handle a situation because they lack the necessary skills. The emphasis is on helping the child learn to handle his frustration by providing him with the necessary skills as he is experiencing the emotion.
"You've Got a Friend" videotape produced by the Greater Washington DC TSA Chapter. This ten minute video is meant to be shown to elementary age children to give them greater awareness of TS and empathy toward TS classmates. It's accompanied by a booklet with suggested activities for the children, background information on TS and a Q&A section.
Contact our lending librarian Sue Bream at (206) 283-0575 for information on checking out materials from the library.
Teens and Tourette Syndrome discusses such issues as self esteem; friends and dating; to tell or not to tell; using drugs; dealing with stress, anxiety and depression; academic and vocational planning; and sibling relationships.
The Genetics of Tourette Syndrome - Who It Affects and How It Occurs in Families discusses how TS is inherited, the odds of passing TS on to the next generation, and the associated disorders that are often present with TS.
Getting into College - Strategies for the Student with TS discusses matching the school to the student, taking SAT's, handling the admissions procedures, requesting accommodations and special considerations, and documenting your disability.
What School Bus Drivers Need to Know About Students with Tourette Syndrome briefly explains what TS and related disorders are and discusses ways the bus driver can make the bus ride successful.
Pamphlets can be ordered directly from national by contacting them at (718) 224-2999 or ts@tsa-usa.org. TSA members receive a 25% discount on publications.
As we did last year, our chapter had an informational booth at the conference to help the educators raise their awareness of TS. We had four volunteers staffing the booth this year, Noreene Bailey, Laura Hainsworth, Tonja Faraca and Brian Britton. We are very grateful to them for spending two days answering questions and handing out materials to the conference attendees. We would not have been able to have a presence at this conference if it weren't for our volunteers. As one of them put it, "It was exciting to be a part in helping someone with TS. I am looking forward to staying involved in anyway I can." These resource fairs happen on a smaller scale all around our state (see mention of two under Upcoming Programs section). If you know of one going on in your area and would be willing to sit at a table representing TSA, please contact the editor. It's a great way to help the community become more aware of TS.
We have also been invited to join the newly formed Neurological Disorders Network by a representative of the Huntington's Disorder group. Meg Howard-Petosa will attend an organizational meeting to discuss common interests, share information about services and resources and discuss ways to support caregivers.
Distribute our informational brochure to physician's offices - this would include targeting which physicians to mail to based on mailing lists of Washington physicians; packaging the brochures with a cover letter; addressing and mailing. This person should live in the greater Seattle area which is where our inventory of brochures is currently located.
Organize our annual bowl-a-thon fundraiser - make arrangements with bowling allies; solicit prizes; publicize event; handle pre-registration; work at event. Some of these tasks should be done in the greater Seattle area. Others can be done in any part of the state. This is our major fund raiser of the year, and without volunteer help, we will not have a bowl-a-thon this year.
Help solicit new board members in the outside community - We are looking for professionals to be part of an advisory board for our chapter. See the "Your Board at Work" article to the left We also need chapter members to volunteer to be board members. We meet the 2nd Tuesday of each month (not in the summer) from 7-9pm, generally in Renton.
Give us your e-mail address.....
E-mail saves your board members money (we pay for long distance out of our own pockets), and allows us to quickly alert you about upcoming programs or events which don't make it into the newsletter. E-mail TSAWASH@aol.com with your address. Thanks!
If you meet a school's admission requirements, the school cannot refuse to admit you because you need accommodations for your disability. Not everyone with TS needs them in college but if you do, you must document your specific condition in order to receive disability-related services.
A person is considered disabled when their illness or condition substantially limits one or more "major life activity." In the case of TS it may mean that learning, interacting with others, speaking or concentrating are affected. You will need written documentation from a licensed professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, etc.) who is familiar with your situation.
The documentation must include:
Your documentation is confidential medical information and access to this information should be limited to the disability services personnel.
Academic Adjustments
The accommodations that will have the biggest impact on students with TS are academic adjustments. There are many possible academic adjustments, including:
Ask Your School for an Assistive Technology Evaluation
We all know that people with severe physical impairments can benefit from assistive technology (AT). AT devices may include any item or system which is used to maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Wheelchairs for those who can't walk or computers which speak for those who can't see are such examples. AT can also help people with non-physical disabilities such as TS. Seven areas of instruction have been identified where AT can help students with mild disabilities. These areas are: organization, note-taking, writing assistance, productivity, access to reference materials, cognitive assistance and materials modification. Examples of low-tech AT are note-taking cassette recorders, pencil grips or fat pens and pencils, hand-held calculators, NCR paper or the use of copy machines, picture boards, taped instructions and workbooks. Some high-tech devices could include specialized computer chips, Optical Character Recognition calculators and talking clocks. In the computer realm, word processing software with spelling and grammar checks, word prediction and voice recognition, as well as instructional software or alternative keyboards might also be used. If your child is suffering because of organizational problems or difficulties with writing, ask the special ed. personnel at the school to consider whether AT could be of benefit.
Accommodations on Statewide Tests
A settlement was recently reached in a federal lawsuit against the Oregon State Education Board which had been filed in 1999 by parents of students with learning disabilities. The parents claimed that Oregon's standardized tests violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ninety-five percent of disabled students failed the standardized tests versus a failure rate of 70% among students without disabilities. Under the settlement, a number of accommodations will be allowed for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities such as the use of computerized spell-checks and calculators, the ability to recite answers into a machine and the ability to have the test questions read aloud to the students. Experts say that the recommendations made in the settlement have national importance as they may provide a guideline for other states to follow in administering their own standardized tests.
Author's note: This is a revision of an article with the same title that first appeared in the Online Psych forum on AOL.com in 1998. This version was published by the Tourette Syndrome Association of New York in December of 1999.
The brain chemistry of many children predisposes them to be hot tempered, irritable, and given to frequent rage attacks. Though there is no clear diagnostic category yet available for this population, many physicians consider this behavior to be a manifestation of depression which is usually diagnosed as an "atypical" form of Bipolar Disorder. The problem is inherited and is not caused by abusive parenting.
Problems with rage for a child may emerge very early in life usually around age four or five. The child may also show attention deficits and be diagnosed ADHD or Oppositional Defiant. He may have other issues to include night terrors, obsessions with gory thoughts, such as hurting the family pet or doing horrible things to his parents, and "black out" spells or loss of awareness when a rage emerges. These children can be extremely oppositional and often do not accept their parents' authority in their lives. There is a wildness to them that presents a huge challenge to parents and caregivers.
Since publication of my book Survival Strategies For Parenting Your ADD Child in 1996, I have received hundreds of letters, calls, and emails from parents of children with the range of neuropsychological issues which I address in the book ADD, Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder. By far the largest percentage of mail has come from parents of children with rage issues.
It is important to note that these children do not plan or deliberately initiate violence toward people around them. They are not psychopathic. Though they may have gory nightmares and be tortured by obsessional thoughts about harming others, theirs is a private hell that is rarely expressed as premeditated violence toward others. They usually take out their rage on their own precious toys or comfort objects, slashing a cherished teddy bear or trashing some object in their room. The volume of their verbal delivery can be terrifying but it is not directed with intentionality, as is the attack of a child or adult with a psychopathology. Parents tell me that they have been scratched, spit at, punched, and kicked during rage attacks. This kind of violence puts the child in danger of having to be removed from the home. But there is rarely follow-through in the attack as is the case when a child deliberately hurts another person. Children who rage are not "bad seed." They are responding to what is sensed as an unbearable pressure in the brain which they will describe as intense heat and pressure.
Medical diagnosis of early onset Bipolar Disorder may be a godsend for kids with rage issues because this opens the door for treatment. But diagnosis is a double-edged sword. There is a cultural myth that persons with the Bipolar Disorder diagnosis are amoral, cold, born evil. This myth is reinforced by media ignorance of the condition such as the depiction of serial killers in several episodes of the popular TV series "The X Files" as being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. This misconception shames children who need our help.
In the past year, I have received inquiries from media people who theorize that it is children with the Bipolar diagnosis who are responsible for the horrible massacres that have been in the news at schools around the country in Greensboro, Arkansas, Springfield, Oregon, Spokane, Washington, and Littleton, Colorado. It does children with neurologically caused rage issues a grave injustice to compare them with the children who have committed these atrocities. This latter group of juvenile perpetrators often show the presence of personality disorders or psychotic states in their histories. They plan the events they perpetrate in great detail. They are pitifully lost in a toxic fantasy life.
Children with a rage problem need professional help by way of appropriate medication and counseling. And creative parenting approaches are also in order to help the child learn self-management and to help parents preserve their own sanity and relationship in the process of bringing up a "wild child."
Writing this I am remembering a drawing by a bright 12-year-old girl by the name of Shawna when she appeared with me on the Maury Povich Show on an episode on rage in 1998. The show was about children with rage problems titled "Little Terrors." Shawna was such a child. Povich asked her to draw a picture of what she felt before a rage occurred. She drew herself with a devil on one shoulder saying "Go ahead, explode!" and an angel on the other saying "No. Don't. Be kind to your mom and don't put her through this again." Flipping over the poster board, Shawna drew a computer topped with a Menorah, the Jewish nine-candle icon that represents peace and miraculous redemption. Shawna knew that her road to this place was through her work in the world of computers where she had extraordinary gifts. To Maury Povich's credit, he realized this also and gave her a brand new computer setup on the show. This was not in the script he was simply moved by the power of her story.
Shawna's drawing was a beautiful statement of what children with the predilection for rage are looking for this one outcome peace of mind. Amid the fire and turbulence on the surface, Shawna knew that there was a place of peace inside her that she could get to when worse came to worse. But she needed the help of adults around her to teach her how to manage her own wildness so that she could have a successful life.
About the author: George Lynn, M.A., C.M.H.C., is a psychotherapist practicing in Kirkland, Washington who has pioneered the use of counseling interventions to help children and adults with attention differences such as ADD, Tourette Syndrome, Asperger's Syndrome, and the mood disorders. He is author of the popular guide for raising children with extreme behavior issues, Survival Strategies for Parenting Your ADD Child: Dealing With Obsessions, Compulsions, Depression, Explosive Behavior, and Rage (Underwood Books, 1996) and the recently published book through Jessica Kingsley Publishers entitled Survival Strategies for Parenting Children with Bipolar Disorder, which devotes two chapters to kids with TS. He may be contacted by calling (425) 454-1874 or e-mailing GeorgeLynn@aol.com or through his website www.childspirit.com.
The TSA Medical Advisory Board has not reviewed this material. The author is solely responsible for its content.
Special Needs Resource Fair
Sponsored by Seattle School District Special Education Department
March 24, 2001 9am-12pm
Meany Middle School, 301 21st Ave. E, Seattle
Susan Lundh - (206) 285-7679 or susanlundh@yahoo.com
ADD Conference, "Getting on the Right Track: Life with ADD"
Sponsored by National Attention Deficit Disorder Assoc.
May 4-6, 2001
West Coast Grand Hotel, Seattle
www.add.org
Positive Behavior Support Training
Sponsored by Division of Developmental Disabilities
Six week training session for parents of children between ages of 3 and 10 focusing on understanding and solving behavior problems through the principles of positive behavior support.
Every Wednesday for six weeks starting March 7, 2001
12-2pm
ARC of King County Offices, 10550 Lake City Way NE #A, Seattle
(206) 568-5718
Bullying in School - Kids with TS can often be the victims of bullies on the playground and in the classroom. A good article on preventing bullying with a long list of resources including videos and books for children can be found at http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/social_skills/preventing_bullying.html. And a great website that was put together as a sharing circle for kids who get teased at school is http://www.bullying.org/
Positive Behavioral Support - Looking for more information on this method of dealing with behavior problems in school? Look on this web site http://www.pbis.org/english/index.html for the pamphlet "Technical Assistance Guide: Applying Positive Behavioral Support & Functional Behavioral Assessment in Schools."
BEACONS
- The BEACONS project (Behavioral & Emotional Assessment & Curriculum for the Ongoing Needs of Students With or at Risk of Developing Emotional Disturbance) is establishing demonstration sites at elementary schools in the Shoreline, Highline, West Valley and Evergreen School Districts. These schools are establishing and modeling structures and strategies which help students with challenging behavior and those identified as emotionally/behaviorally disabled. The project is an outgrowth of recommendations from the statewide Task Force on Behavioral Disabilities. For more information, contact Bridget Walker at Bawalker@u.washington.edu or (206) 543-1827.
Summer Camps - Planning ahead for summertime? You can receive a directory of summer camps and programs in our state for children with special needs by looking on this web site: http://www.seattlechildrens.org/4_browsers/parents/special or call Children's Hospital at (206) 527-5709.
Calling All TS Writers - A writer with TS named Andrew Stone has created the Tourette Syndrome Writer's Page on the Internet. This site is for anyone with TS, regardless of age or experience, to have a community forum in which to post their work. People can write in any genre, and on any subject matter. Check it out at http://www.sotherebooks.com/tsa.html. You can correspond with Stone at info@sotherebooks.com with questions.
Mental Health Court - There are now three mental health courts in Washington state: King County, Vancouver and Seattle. Only seven more exist in the rest of the country. A January report by the University of Washington praised this type of court which serves seriously mentally ill offenders, most of them diagnosed as being psychotic or bipolar. A high percentage of them are also homeless or have substance abuse problems. Candidates for mental health court are chosen by either jail staff or a mental health clinician. Participation is voluntary and open to those who have committed misdemeanors only. Once in the court, defendants are connected with mental health services and, if necessary, with drug and alcohol treatment. They are closely monitored by the court for compliance with an agreed upon plan of treatment. Those who don't comply risk being sent to a regular court or to jail. The emphasis in mental health court is on all parties working together to provide "wrap-around services" to help the defendant return as a functioning member of society.
Supreme Court Rules on ADA
On February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled by a 5-4 margin that states should be shielded from lawsuits by individuals seeking monetary damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote the majority opinion. Two disabled Alabama women had sued that state for monetary damages alleging discrimination in their workplace. The state had replied that the 11th Amendment to the Constitution protected states against being sued against their will. Congress, however, can override that Amendment with the 14th Amendment which guarantees equal protection under the law. They did so in 1990 by passing the ADA when they decided there was a pattern of discrimination against the disabled. The Supreme Court in its ruling decided that Congress had failed in showing this pattern of discrimination. This ruling is the most recent in a string of rulings by a conservative majority which has restricted the power of Congress to adopt laws over the states. This is a severe blow to the strength of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While it is still possible to sue a state for workplace accommodations, the states will no longer have the threat of monetary damages as an inducement to end workplace discrimination. Most certainly, other states will follow Alabama's lead in resisting lawsuits made against them by disabled employees.
Federal News
Will President Bush be an advocate for people with disabilities? Decide for yourself as you see decisions he has already made which impact our chapter members.
Stem Cell Research
An issue that has been hotly debated has arisen with the election of the new president. President Bush is an opponent of the use, in medical research, of stem cells from aborted fetuses and embryos left over from fertility clinics. Recently, scientists have also learned to multiply stem cells of embryos without killing additional embryos. Researchers believe that the use of these stem cells, or master cells that are the building blocks for all other tissues in the body could lead to revolutionary treatments for a variety of conditions, possibly including Tourette Syndrome. At the time of this writing, President Bush has not said he would move to block federal research funding on stem cells. However, the president's aides indicated that the President's statement on this issue on January 26 was a signal that he was preparing to move in this direction. If he does, it could stop promising research in the area. Opponents of stem cell research on embryonic and fetal tissue believe the use of stem cells culled from some adult tissues can be used instead. Scientists say the fetal and embryonic stem cells are the most flexible and the most usable, however progress on the use of stem cells from adult tissues is advancing rapidly. This issue is sure to be a controversial one during this Administration.
SSI
The Bush administration published a memorandum in the Federal Register which called for a review of regulations and notices of proposed rulemaking that have not become effective yet. As a result, some already published regulations will be delayed by 60 days and others slated to be published may be delayed indefinitely. Fortunately, the Administration has just announced it will now allow the new regulations regarding the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level to go into effect as originally planned. The new regulations apply to work beginning January 1, 2001. The final rule establishes a formula for automatically adjusting the SGA level each year when other Social Security amounts are automatically increased. The new SGA level for 2001 is $740. This regulation also increases the level of monthly earnings that trigger use of a trial work period (TWP) month in the Title II disability programs. The new level for counting a TWP month is $530 and the level will be annually indexed for inflation.
IDEA & Discipline
There have been calls for increasing disciplinary measures for students covered by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by some politicians, including Attorney General Ashcroft. However, a newly released study by the General Accounting Office found that IDEA does not give students with disabilities who violate school rules undue protection from appropriate discipline. Hopefully, this finding will take the steam out of calls for weakening the disciplinary provisions of IDEA. The president did propose an increase in funding for IDEA "in order to reduce the burden that states and local districts bear in meeting the special needs of their disabled students."
Family Opportunity Act
Unfortunately, in other federal legislative news, many of the bills we had hoped would be passed by the 106th Congress are still in limbo. The Family Opportunity Act (S.2274/H.R.4825) would allow middle income parents of disabled children to buy into Medicaid when their private insurance is insufficient. Although it has strong bipartisan support and was endorsed by President Clinton, it ultimately failed to pass because of opposition from a few Republican leaders. However, because of its strong support, there is still a lot of hope that the FOA will pass this session.
Mental Health Parity
Federal mental health parity bills were stalled in committee as was expected. Although we can hope for federal mental health coverage parity legislation in the new Congress, it may be sometime in the future before this becomes a reality. At the state level, things are also looking grim for this type of legislation. See below.
WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATION
The Washington State Legislative session began on January 8th. There are many bills than can have a positive effect on the lives of those with disabilities. However, because of budget cuts, it will take as much support as we can gather to get the legislation passed.
Mental Health Parity
HB 1080, sponsored by Representative Ruderman and companion SB 5211, sponsored by Senator Thibaudeau are bills which would require comparable mental health coverage for children and catastrophic mental health coverage for adults. Presently, many insurance plans offer only very limited coverage for mental health therapies. Advocates have been pushing for parity in health insurance coverage so that mental health is covered at the same level as other conditions. Unfortunately, again this year these bills are not likely to pass as written. Rather than watering down the language of the bills in such a way as to make them useless to people who need this type of insurance coverage, the Mental Health Parity Coalition (of which our state chapter of TSA is a member) is proposing that the bills be changed to ask for mental health parity for children only at this time with the caveat that the ultimate intent is to provide this type of insurance coverage for all citizens. They are also proposing that a new study with Coalition representatives be conducted to determine the actual cost of parity. Currently we are forced to use insurance industry estimates which are not considered trustworthy. We need you to contact your state legislators regarding this issue. Until they realize how important parity is to so many people, the law will not be changed.
Insurance Coverage for Mental Illness
Senator Thibaudeau has also introduced SB 5271 which has similarities to the mental health parity bill. Mental health parity requires that if insurance companies currently provide mental health coverage, it must be at the same level of coverage with other medical coverage. This bill requires all health carriers to cover, pay for, contract for, or reimburse for diagnosis and treatment of these mental disorders defined in the DSM-IV: Schizophrenia; Schizoaffective Disorder; Major Depressive Disorder; Bipolar Disorder; Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal Disorders; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; and Panic Disorder. It also requires health carriers to cover a minor's mental condition not listed above if the minor has accessed care from a licensed or certified mental health practitioner more than once, has been recommended for a mental health evaluation by the juvenile justice system or has been admitted to an emergency room for care relating to the mental condition.
Neurodevelopmental Therapy
There is also legislation which deals specifically with coverage of neurodevelopmental therapies for children 18 and under. Neurodevelopmental therapies include speech, occupational and physical therapies and are already mandated for children under the age of 6. HB 3153 would simply require state regulated health plans to provide mandatory coverage for children up to age 18. The Department of Health conducted a formal public hearing and a literature review on HB 3153 in the fall of 2000 which showed that such coverage was cost effective. In addition, evidence of the medical and financial benefits of behavioral therapy was included late in the process. It is hoped that further review of behavioral therapy will be included in future hearings and legislation.
Ticket to Work
Senator Fairley and Representative Cody are sponsoring SB 5423 and HB 1390, which would implement the federal "Ticket To Work" program in Washington State. This program was mentioned in our previous newsletter and would provide continuing health care coverage and supports for individuals with disabilities who are hoping to enter the workforce.
School Bullies
SB 5528 and companion bill HB 1444, sponsored by Senator McAuliffe and Representative Murray, is aimed at "Preventing harassment, intimidation or bullying in schools."
Prescription Drug Program
Senator Franklin is sponsoring HB 5026 which would create a purchasing prescription drug discount program. By maximizing its purchasing power and taking better advantage of its position as a major buyer of prescription drugs, the state would be able to reduce the price it pays for such drugs across all state programs, and offer some relief to others in need who lack prescription drug coverage.
CONTACTING YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
Contact by Phone
All legislators have office phone numbers in Olympia, and some freely publish their home phone numbers in local directories. Even if the legislator is not in his office, you can (and should) speak to their Legislative Assistant. The Legislative Assistant will pass along any message you have. You can also reach your legislators through the Legislative Hot-Line. The toll free number is 1-800-562-6000. There is also a TDD line for the hearing impaired at 1-800-635-9993.
Contact by Mail
There is a standard mailing address which works for all legislators in Olympia. Send any correspondence you have to:
The Honorable (Your Legislator's title and name)
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Contact by E-mail
Many legislators have established Internet addresses. Those that are on line have e-mail addresses which all follow the same format: (the first eight letters of the member's last name, the first two letters of the first name)@leg.wa.gov . For example, Representative Mary Lou Dickerson's e-mail address would be: dickerso_ma@leg.wa.gov
United States Senators
Senator Maria Cantwell:
State Offices 1-888-648-7328
Washington, DC Office
464 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3441
202-228-0514 -FAX
Senator Patty Murray
Washington, D.C. Office
173 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
Seattle Office
Jackson Federal Building
915 2nd Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98174
Phone: (206) 553-5545
Fax: (206) 553-0891
The ARC of Washington State provides information on legislative issues relevant to TSA. They also have Legislative Information hotline which contains daily updates on relevant legislation: 1-800-205-0045
Return to TSA - Washington State Chapter Home Page