TACA Leadership Conference 2024
To all our TACA Leaders,
We are thrilled to extend an invitation to our amazing TACA Leaders! Your dedication and commitment to families living with autism are truly inspiring. Thanks to you, families know that once they find TACA, they are never alone.
We are excited to invite you to the 2024 TACA Leadership Conference on October 17, 2024, at the Hilton Costa Mesa/Orange County Hotel. This event is an incredible opportunity to connect with leaders from across the country, enhance our support to families through engaging training sessions, and enjoy fun activities planned throughout the weekend.
Join us for an unforgettable weekend where you can:
- Strengthen your skills and knowledge with our comprehensive training sessions.
- Connect with fellow TACA leaders and staff, sharing experiences and building lasting relationships.
- Enjoy a variety of fun and engaging activities designed to celebrate and appreciate all that you do.
Don’t forget to bookmark this page! It will be your go-to resource for everything you need to know from now until you head back home.
Can’t wait to see you!
Rhyan
Invitation Form
Let us know you’re coming! Fill out this form and then return to this page to view the Travel Guidelines and start the Travel Submission Process.
Invitation FormTravel Guidelines
Travel Guidelines for your trip to California! Please be sure to read ALL guidelines and follow the travel process for reimbursements by September 1st.
Read GuidelinesClick here for the full schedule for Leaders Wednesday through Monday!
Leadership & Conference Itinerary
Coming Soon!Leadership Conference Agenda
The full agenda for the Leadership Conference can be found here. Please wear your 24/25 Volunteer Year shirt to this event.
Coming Soon!Leadership Expenses
Expense Report2024 National Conference Schedule
Friday, October 18
| 11:30AM – 12:30PM | Registration and Vendor Viewing | |||
| HOPE ROOM 1 | BELIEVE ROOM 2 | ACHIEVE ROOM 3 | SUCCEED ROOM 4 | |
| 12:30PM – 1:25PM | Balancing GABA and Glutamate to help OCD and Anxiety with Anju Usman Singh, MD, FAAFP, FMAPS | Managing Complex Cases with Homeopathy and Other Modalities with Jennifer Bahr, ND, DHANP | Maximizing the Autism Journey: Tips for Parents to Save Time, Money and Sanity for Optimal Results with Lisa Ackerman | Living Your Best Life: Teaching Meaningful Skills for Harmony and Happiness at Home with Adrienne Kessler, Ed D, BCBA |
| 1:30PM – 2:30PM | Autism & Healing: A Mother and Daughter’s Experience with Marley and Kelly Steffens | Candida, Yeast, Mold, and Parasites? Your Gut is SUS! with Erica Smith and Jared Skowron, ND | Stress and Toxicity: How They Correlate and Practical Solutions to Improve Your Child’s Health with Lindsey Wells, ND | Building a Community with Communication Differences with Darlene Hanson, MA-SLP |
| 2:30PM – 3:00PM | Break and Vendor Viewing | |||
| 3:00PM – 3:55PM | Review of Biomedical Treatments in ASD with Up-to-Date New Research. with Lanier Rossignol, FNP-C | Optimizing Health for Children with Autism: Essential Dietary Insights and Functional Medicine Lab Assessments with Erica Peirson, ND | Microbiota Dysbiosis in Autism and Microbiota Transplant Therapy with James B. Adams, PhD | Life After High School: Autism, Special Education & Transition Planning with Tim Adams, Esq |
| 4:00PM – 5:00PM | Restorative Neurology in Autism and Rare Childhood Diseases using Advanced Brain Nutrition with Dayan Goodenowe, PhD | Conservatorship and Alternatives for Persons with Autism with Elizabeth McCoy, Esq | How To Be A Self-Advocate: One Autistic Individual’s Story with James Williams | Our Families Employment Success Story: Building Seesaw Coffee & Beans with Soa Kang and Evan |
| 6:30PM – 8:00PM | Friday Night Welcome Event Building Hope and Community: An Inspiring Evening for Parents to Connect |
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Saturday, October 19
| 7:00AM – 8:30AM | Registration and Vendor Viewing | |||
| HOPE ROOM 1 | BELIEVE ROOM 2 | ACHIEVE ROOM 3 | SUCCEED ROOM 4 | |
8:30AM – 9:30AM | Brain Tools for Teens: Executive Function Strategies that Work with Sarah Kesty, MA, BCASE | Autism Research Review with Dan Rossignol, MD, FAAFP | Visual Problems Prevalent in Autism and Treatments Available with Susan Daniel, OD | Puberty with Lindsey Wells, ND |
| 9:30AM – 10:00AM | Break and Vendor Viewing | |||
10:00AM – 10:55AM | Bad behaviors? Pulling hair, scratching arms, screaming lungs, living room jungle gyms? We got this! with Jared Skowron, ND | Increasing Dopamine for Positive Behavior Outcomes with Rebecca Jackson, DC | College Prep for Autistic Students with Eric Endlich, PhD | Neuroinflammation in Autism: The Role of Superoxide and S-Nitrosylation with Robert Miller, BCTN |
11:00AM – 12:00PM | PANS/PANDAS with Lindsey Wells, ND | Speech & Communication Specialists Panel with Darlene Hanson, MA , SLP and Katie Anawalt, MS, CCC-SLP, ATS | Using Assessment to Drive your IEP Goals with Damian Fragoso, Esq | Changing the Course of Autism Through Genetics Guidance with Richard G. Boles, MD |
| 12:00PM – 1:30PM | Break and Vendor Viewing | |||
| 1:30PM – 2:30PM | Understanding Profound Autism with Judith Ursitti, CPA | MMP-9 Enzyme and Its Role in Brain Connectivity in Autism with Theoharis C. Theoharides, BA, MS, MPhil, PhD, MD, FAAAAI | Empowering Connection and Communication: Supporting Gestalt Language Processors from Scripted to Self-Generated Language with Jasmine Bacon, MS, CCC-SLP | Understanding and Securing Essential Services and Supports for your Child’s IEP with Mark Woodsmall, Esq |
| 2:30PM – 3:00PM | Break and Vendor Viewing | |||
| 3:00PM – 4:00PM | KEYNOTE – Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum Panel featuring David Isaacman, Dani Bowman, and Steve Spitz, moderated by Elaine Hall. |
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| 4:00PM – 5:00PM | Love on The Spectrum Meet and Greet/ Vendor Viewing | |||
| 6:30PM – 8:00PM | Physicians Panel with Dan Rossignol, MD, FAAFP, Julie Logan, DC, Anju Usman Singh, MD, FAAFP, FMAPS, Richard Frye, MD and Erica Pierson, ND |
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Sunday, October 20
| 7:30AM – 8:30AM | Registration and Vendor Viewing | |||
| HOPE ROOM 1 | BELIEVE ROOM 2 | ACHIEVE ROOM 3 | SUCCEED ROOM 4 | |
8:30AM – 9:25AM | Use Your Words! Focused Biomedical Interventions to Help Children Regain Speech with Julie Logan, DC | Mom Matters, Too with Desiree Probolsky | Research Updates and the CDR with Robert K. Naviaux, PhD | Spellers Mini Series: Efficacy Of Spellers Method for Patients Diagnosed with Intellectual Disability, Down Syndrome, and Autism with Dawnmarie Gaivin, AT ACP, Spellers Method |
| 9:30AM – 10:30AM | Seizures and Case Studies of Common Biomedical Problems in Autism with Brian Hauser, MD and Desiree Mills, BA, MSN, FNP-C | The Gut Microbiome: What We Know So Far with Sabine Hazan, MD | Unlocking Sensory Success: Effective Strategies Beyond Sensory Diets with Erin Clarelli, MS, OTR/L | Spellers Mini Series: Blending Motor Planning with Neurodevelopmental Optometry to access spelled communication with Dana Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L |
| 10:30AM – 11:00AM | Break and Vendor Viewing | |||
| 11:00AM – 12:00PM | Nourishing Autism: Food Matters with Christa Robaina | Mito/CFD with Richard Frye, MD | Changing How Autism is Diagnosed with John Jay Gargus, Md,PhD | Spellers Mini Series: The Path Is Never Linear – Personal Stories of Triumph Plus a Vision for Your Nonspeaker’s Future with A Panel of 5 Fluent Spellers |
| 12:00PM – 1:30PM | Cash/Carry Lunch is offered at a discounted rate for conference attendees at the Hilton Orange County Hotel – Vendor Viewing | |||
| 12:30PM – 1:00PM | Lunch and Learn Detoxification With Terri Hirning from Ioncleanse by AMD |
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| 1:30PM – 2:25PM | Managing Histamine and MCAS with Low Dose Allergy Therapy with Darin Ingels, ND, FAAEM, FMAPS | Why Won’t My Child Eat? Exploring the Intersection of Picky Eating, Constipation, Mouth Breathing, and Parasympathetic Nervous System Dysfunction with Bri Kurcsak, MS, OTR/L | Transition to Adulthood – The SPED Adult Transition Process with Scarlett K. vonThenen | Canine Companions Service Dogs with Kate Incremona |
| 2:30PM – 3:30PM | Integrative Approaches to Managing Comorbid Conditions in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Interdisciplinary Perspective with Michael J. Cameron, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA | Rhythm and Regulation: The Organizing Impact of Music on our Lives with Michelle Welde Hardy, MM, MT-BC | Affordable Housing Options for Persons with Disabilities in Orange County, CA with Scarlett K. vonThenen | Experiential Life Skills with Erin Schirm |
| 3:30PM – 4:00PM | TACA’s Take-Home Tips: Inspiring Hope for Your Journey Ahead | |||