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Meet Our Experts
Lisa Ackerman
A native of California, Lisa has worked in the retail and real estate site selection for almost 20 years. Lisa was a co-founder of Integration Technologies and AnySite Software which was sold to MapInfo Corporation in 2003. Working with customers like Wal-Mart, Burger King and Shell Oil, Lisa has consulted and sold large solutions for planning and managing the site selection process.
In 1999, Lisa and her husband Glen received the news that their 2 ½ year old son had been diagnosed with autism. At the time it was the recommendation from multiple physicians that the family find “institutional placement” for their son. Refusing to even consider this, they began their research to find answers for their son. One year later they launched a parent support group in their home with 10 families who were living with autism. As a result of this dedicated group, TACA was founded.
In March 2004, Lisa retired from her real estate career to assume a full-time volunteer role as Executive Director for TACA. She transitioned from volunteer to a full time professional capacity in July 2008 managing a national non-profit organization headquartered in Irvine, Calif. From a grass roots beginning in Southern California, under Lisa’s leadership approximately $16MM has been raised to help fund TACA’s mission and over 55,000 families across the nation have been served.
Lisa Ackerman
James Adams, PhD
James Adams, PhD
Tim Adams, Esq
Tim is the President and CEO of Adams & Associates APLC, a disability rights law firm. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine and Juris Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is admitted to practice as an attorney in California, in the United States District Courts—Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California, as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has served as an adjunct professor and Associate Director of the Special Education Advocacy Clinic, Pepperdine University School of Law.
He has served as a Board member for the University of California, Irvine Child Development School and The Children’s School, and is an Ambassador for The Autism Community in Action (TACA). He has also served on the Board of Advisors for an education data startup called Schoolie, Inc., (acquired by Great Schools) an online tool which helps families across the nation make informed choices on K-12 education.
In 2017, he co-founded Walls that Unite, a non-profit that provides educational experiences in low-income communities in the United States and Mexico.
Tim is also a member of Gen Next, an invitation-only organization of successful individuals dedicated to learning about and becoming engaged with the most pressing challenges facing future generations — including global security, education reform, and economic opportunity. The collective influence of its national network of civic-minded leaders empowers bold and innovative solutions to these challenges.
Tim Adams, Esq
Yvonne Beck
Yvonne is very proud that she and her husband John were among the first members of TACA. Back then, it wasn’t even TACA yet; we were just parents grappling for answers in “The Goddess” Lisa Ackerman’s living room. Yvonne is a School Counselor for Los Angeles Unified School District and is entering her 32nd year in education. But most important, she is Mom to Matt, who started us on this journey with TACA at age 3 and just graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a degree in Business Administration at age 23. She’s also Mom to Stephen (17), now entering his Senior year of high school.
Yvonne Beck
David Berger, MD, FAAP
Dr. David Berger (“Dr. David”), a Board Certified Pediatrician with over 20 years of experience as a clinician, has developed a national reputation in wholistic pediatric primary care; nutritional and detoxification therapies for autism, ADHD, and related disorders; and immune dysregulation such as allergies, asthma, and autoimmune disorders; and also treats adults with these medical conditions. Dr. David also works with women and men who wish to do preconception and prenatal counseling, testing, and treatments to try to optimize the health of the pregnancy and the baby. Additionally, he oversees nurse practitioners who provide both adult and pediatric wholistic care. Dr. David genuinely cares about his patients and goes above and beyond to make sure each one of them knows this.
Born and raised in South Florida, Dr. David decided to become a pediatrician at age four! He proudly announced this to his pediatrician, Dr. Arnold Tanis, Co-Founder of Pediatric Associates, whose warm and friendly style inspired Dr. David to be the kind of pediatrician he is today. In high school, David focused on taking the classes he would need to get into medical school, and before graduating high school was accepted to an early admission medical school program.
Dr. David graduated from The Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1994 and did his Pediatric Residency at the University of South Florida/Tampa General Hospital where he started using wholistic therapies. He served as the team doctor for Tampa Catholic High School, as well as the Medical Director for a summer camp run by the Tampa AIDS Network, and was also the Medical Liaison for the Palm Beach County Breastfeeding Task Force.
Dr. David has been in private practice since 1997 and an advanced practitioner of biomedical therapies, advocating for the Autism Research Institute philosophy since 1999. In 2005, Dr. David opened Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care (formerly Wholistic Pediatrics), his medical practice in Tampa, Florida. In 2010, Dr. David was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida College of Nursing. In 2012, he helped develop and lead the Preconception to Infancy Portland Think Tank, from which the national P2i initiative was developed. In 2016, he launched the Wholistic ReLeaf (formerly named Family Medical Cannabis Clinic) to help qualified patients use medical cannabis as a treatment option.
David Berger, MD, FAAP
Kenneth Bock, MD
As a leader in integrative medicine, Dr. Kenneth Bock has accumulated over 35 years of experience diagnosing the root cause of chronic illnesses and restoring balance to his patients’ immune systems. He founded Bock Integrative Medicine in response to the increasing need for board-certified medical providers who take a unique “whole body” approach to diagnose and treat chronic illness. Dr. Bock is a well-respected integrative medicine doctor and autism expert who focuses on the treatment of autism and co-occurring conditions, PANS/PANDAS,ITABI, tick-borne illnesses, and adult conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and heart disease. He integrates alternative modalities with conventional medicine into a comprehensive integrative medicine practice. His natural curiosity and expertise at tackling medical problems that have been difficult to diagnose and treat make him sought after by patients throughout the world as an expert at tackling complex medical problems.
Kenneth Bock, MD
Richard Boles, MD
Richard Boles, MD
Julie Buckley, MD, IFMCP
Julie Buckley, MD, IFMCP
Arturo Cazares
Arturo Cazares is the Associate Director of Employment Services at the Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC). RCOC is one of 21 regional centers contracted through the state of California to provide services and supports to persons diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Arturo has been employed by RCOC for over 16 years, and has also held the positions of Service Coordinator, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Area Supervisor, and Employment and Day Services Manager prior to his current position. Arturo is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of adult day services, including employment services, providing community integration, vocational training, and employment skills development. This includes ensuring that services and supports provided comply with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home and Community-Based Services Final Rule, and that employment services provided are consistent with the State of California’s Employment First Policy. He has also been an instrumental steering committee member for the Orange County Local Partnership Agreement, the first in the state, developed in response to the California CIE Blueprint for Change. Under Arturo’s leadership, multiple Project SEARCH programs have been developed in Orange County, providing young adults with unique employment training opportunities leading to competitive integrated employment. Arturo received a BA in Psychology from CSU, Long Beach, where he is currently a candidate for a Masters of Public Administration.
Arturo Cazares
Eric Chessen, MS
Eric Chessen, M.S., is the Founder of Autism Fitness™. An exercise physiologist with an extensive background in behavior support, Eric has spent almost 20 years developing successful fitness and adapted PE programs for the ASD and Neurodiverse population. Eric is the creator of the PAC Profile™ Method, The Autism Fitness™ Certification, and is the Director of Neuroadaptive Programming for Inclusive Fitness. He consults with schools, organizations, and parents worldwide. A near lifelong New Yorker, Eric now resides and works in Charlotte, NC where he lifts heavy things and practices Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
Eric Chessen, MS
Dana Crucil, MA, BCBA
Over the past 11 years Dana has worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. She is currently a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, residing in Southern California and has worked in various settings including: school districts, nonpublic agencies and insurance companies. During her time working for various funders she worked as a Senior Care Manager, coordinating care for members receiving ABA services across nationwide. Dana has extensive experience presenting at national conferences such as CAL ABA discussing insurance-based services and medical necessity criteria within the ABA industry. She is personally connected to the special need’s community by her life experiences with her Autistic younger sister. She strives to connect these experiences that have encouraged her to advocate for insurance-based services for her into adulthood, as well as, job skills training, and regional center-based services. Demonstrating her commitment to give back, she has worked on innovative ways to assist families with ASD as well as providing education to them on what additional services they should be seeking under various funding avenues. She believes that families, providers, and all funding sources should be able to work collaboratively together to obtain best outcomes for individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities. Dana’s goal is to continue to bridge the gap between families, ABA providers, and funders by education and research driven decisions. It is her belief that all providers and funders should be held to higher standards so that all individuals on the spectrum can achieve best outcomes. Dana is committed to helping families acquire appropriate services for their children while raising awareness and understanding for the autism community.
Dana Crucil, MA, BCBA
Katie Dahlgren, ND
Dr. Katie Dahlgren is a board-certified Naturopathic Physician. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology/pre-med with a minor in psychology at Gonzaga University in 2003. She then completed the vigorous 4-year doctorate program in naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University, graduating in 2007. Dr. Dahlgren completed a 3-year residency with Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, Ph.D. and Nazanin Kimiai, ND, L.Ac. at Comprehensive Medical Center. She then worked alongside Dr. Klinghardt as an associate and senior clinician at Sophia Health Institute for an additional 4 years. Dr. Dahlgren recently worked with Dr. Amy Derksen at Holistic Healing Arts from 2015 through May of 2021. She currently works at Comprehensive Medical Center in Kirkland, WA.
Dr. Dahlgren specializes in the treatment of chronic infections and neurological disorders in patients of all ages. She has 14 years of experience providing highly individualized care to patients with complex chronic illness. Her protocols include drainage therapies, detoxification support, herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutritional support, dietary interventions, energy medicine, pharmaceutical medications and lifestyle recommendations. She has extensive experience with a variety of injection techniques and IV therapies.
She loves collaborating with her colleagues to design protocols that are tailored to the patient’s health goals and lifestyle. She strives to create and maintain a therapeutic relationship of mutual respect where patients can feel heard and valued. She is committed to lifelong learning and makes it a priority to frequently attend conferences and lectures that benefit her patients through exposure to experts in the rapidly growing and evolving field of integrative medicine.
Katie Dahlgren, ND
Michelle Del Rosario
Michelle Del Rosario has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton. She and her husband have three children, ages 27, 25 and 21. Her youngest son has autism and is non-speaking. Michelle has a passion for seeking parent education and learning more about how to help her son use multi-modal communication methods while presuming competence. She has been able to pay it forward by volunteering as a parent mentor and TACA Chapter Co-Coordinator. In sharing her experiences about their journey to communication, she and her son continue to demonstrate that non-speaking doesn’t mean non-thinking. Michelle joined our TACA staff three years ago and this year began serving families as our dedicated Adult Programs Coordinator. She is dedicated to helping families take action to find hope and answers that will lead to the brightest futures for their loved ones.
Michelle Del Rosario
Richard Frye, MD, PhD
Dr Frye is a well-recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of ASD and other developmental disorders. Dr. Frye has a broad background including specific training in neurodevelopmental disorders, physiology, psychology and biostatistics. He is fellowship trained in Behavioral Neurology and Psychology and has clinical expertise in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children with ASD.
While at the University of Texas he developed a medically based autism clinic, which was specifically designed to diagnose and treat neurological and metabolic abnormalities associated with ASD in order to improve quality of life and promote recovery. Over the past two years he have completed three clinical studies related to ASD, including an open-label trial examining the metabolic and behavioral effects of tetrahydrobiopterin, a clinical study of the metabolic and genetic characteristics of children with ASD and mitochondrial disease, and a clinical study on the prevalence of the folate receptor alpha autoantibody in children with ASD as well as the response to leucovorin treatment in ASD children with the folate receptor alpha autoantibody.
Richard Frye, MD, PhD
Dawnmarie Gaivin, RN, AT-ACP, S2C Practitioner
Dawnmarie is a DIR/Floortime® provider, a registered S2C Practitioner, as well as an Assistive Technology Specialist (AT-ACP). In 2019-2020 she served on the inaugural leadership cadre of I-ASC (The International Association for Spelling as Communication) and this past March 2021, Jamison Handley and his dad JB wrote a book entitled “Underestimated" about their journey learning S2C with her.
Dawnmarie's children inspired her specific passion to support all nonspeakers in the development of purposeful motor skills and a reliable form of communication. You can learn more about her & them at www.transcendingapraxia.com.
Dawnmarie Gaivin, RN, AT-ACP, S2C Practitioner
Sean Gorgie, MA, BCBA
Sean Gorgie, MEd., BCBA is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for over 19 years with Autism Spectrum Consultants (ASC). Sean is the director of program development at ASC and has provided 1:1 therapy, parent training, supervision to individuals with Autism and related disorders throughout Orange County and the Inland Empire. In 2014, Sean received his Masters degree Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University. He has spoken at several conferences regarding his experience with running teenage social skills groups and managing challenging behaviors.
Sean Gorgie, MA, BCBA
Darlene Hanson
Darlene Hanson has her Masters of Arts in Communication Disorders from Whittier College in California. She is currently the Director of Communication Services with the non-profit REACH, in Southern California. Darlene works with individuals, their support teams, and their families to build communication. Her professional experiences have included work in the public schools and private practice. As a speech and language pathologist Darlene conducts assessments in the areas of speech, language, and augmentative communication. She has been working with individuals with severe communication impairments since her under graduate program at Chapman College (1980). Darlene has included Facilitated Communication Training in her assessments and practice since 1991. Over the course of the years she has taught at Chapman University, presented at local, state and national conferences, and conducted trainings on Autism, Augmentative Communication strategies, and Facilitated Communication Training throughout the United States. Through REACH, formerly known as WAPADH, Darlene has been instrumental in organizing multiple national conferences on Facilitated Communication known as the “West Coast Symposium...”. She is also one of a group of Master Trainers for Facilitated Communication Training, and assisted with the writing of the Best Practice Standards for Facilitated Communication Training distributed through the Institute for Communication and Inclusion of Syracuse University. Darlene has co-authored research and articles on communication for those with severe communication impairments, and is a co-author of Investigation of Authorship in Facilitated Communication, (Journal of Mental Retardation, Aug. 1996).
Darlene Hanson
Chelsea Henson, PsyD, BCBA-D
In 2003, Dr. Chelsea Henson joined the Autism Spectrum Consultants Orange County team. She provided 1:1 in home ABA therapy, parent consultation, school shadowing, social skills group facilitation, parent group facilitation, and program supervision. Dr. Henson became the Assistant Clinical Director at ASC, Orange County in 2008 and helped establish the ASC Inland Empire office as Clinical Director in April 2016. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2002, graduating with Psi Chi honors. As an undergraduate, she was trained in Pivotal Response Treatment at the Koegel Autism Center. In 2009, Dr. Henson received her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Child and Adolescent Development. As part of her training, Dr. Henson worked with various community centers treating a range of diagnoses including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and ASD in children and adolescents. Her clinical research entitled, “Early Intervention for the Underserved Autism Spectrum Disorder Population,” focused on methods to better identify and treat those children who may be falling through the cracks. Dr. Henson is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst- Doctoral level.
Chelsea Henson, PsyD, BCBA-D
Darin Ingles, ND, FMAPS
Dr. Ingels is a respected leader in natural medicine with numerous publications, international lectures and almost 30 years experience in the healthcare field. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Ingels completed a residency program at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Ingels worked as a clinical microbiologist/immunologist at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. He is a Fellow in good standing with the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and a Fellow with the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs.
Dr. Ingels has been published extensively and is a former medical journalist and contributing author to Healthnotes Newswire, a medical report of the latest journal articles on nutritional and botanical medicine. He has also written a chapter on allergy desensitization for autistic children in “Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism” (Skyhorse, 2014). Dr. Ingels is the author of The Lyme Solution: A 5-Part Plan to Fight the Inflammatory Auto-Immune Response and Beat Lyme Disease (Avery, 2018), which covers an integrative, natural approach to the treatment and management of Lyme disease.
Dr. Ingels’ practice focuses on environmental medicine with special emphasis on chronic immune dysfunction, including autism, Lyme disease, allergies, asthma, PANDAS, recurrent or persistent infections and other genetic or acquired immune problems. His practice is comprised of both children and adults. He uses diet, nutrients, herbs, homeopathy and immunotherapy to help his patients achieve better health.
Darin Ingles, ND, FMAPS
Shellie King, MS, CCC-SLP
Shellie King M.S. CCC-SLP, completed her undergraduate work at Purdue University and her graduate degree from Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland in Speech Pathology. During her graduate coursework, she became interested in working with feeding disorders within the pediatric population. Her early career focused on acute care in an inpatient setting in a variety of medical facilities in the Indianapolis and Chicago area. Post graduate degree, she worked and trained in acute care as well as broadened her dysphagia training. In 2007, she started and co-owned a feeding clinic that grew expansively over the years. Again in 2019, she opened another private practice, Kids Innovative Developmental Services, Inc in Fishers, Indiana that focused on family involvement as well as her community involvement. Her vision for “KIDS Inc” incorporated free family resources individually and for the community to gain knowledge to better their day to day lives.
Shellie King, MS, CCC-SLP
Arthur Krigsman, MD
Dr. Krigsman is a pediatrician and board certified pediatric gastroenterologist with internationally recognized expertise in the evaluation and treatment of autism associated gastrointestinal problems. His interest in this unique patient population began in 2001 and during the ensuing 20 years he has treated over 2000 children from across the globe suffering from autism and a variety of comorbid gastrointestinal problems. His research interest lies in the characterization of the unique cellular, molecular, and clinical features of ASD-associated inflammatory bowel disease and his original findings appear in numerous peer-reviewed journals. In addition to serving as an invited reviewer for peer-reviewed medical journal author submissions in his area of expertise, Dr. Krigsman has served as a guest lecturer on the topic of gastrointestinal disease and autism at national and international scientific meetings, hospital Grand Rounds both here and abroad, Nurse Association meetings, philanthropic organizations, and at numerous lay medical conferences. He has also presented his findings before the U.S. Congress. His greatest satisfaction though derives from the clinical care he provides his patients and in the improved quality of life that results from diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal disease in this vulnerable population. He maintains offices in Pleasanton, California and Austin, Texas.
Arthur Krigsman, MD
Brad Levy
Brad had no medical experience, prior to his daughter’s sudden onset seizures and then epilepsy diagnosis in March 2005. Soon after, Brad and his family began their journey, enduring several long-term stays in the hospital for EEG monitoring. A few years later, after successful epilepsy surgery at Matell UCLA, Brad took a contract to launch a start-up neurology clinic and EEG lab. In 2015, Brad worked with Lifelines Neurodiagnostics and Dr. David Millett to refine and create the ideal equipment and protocol to handle our niche business. “I love my Autism community, and my system needs to withstand ANY and ALL circumstances that may pop up, in order for me to get the EEG done. That’s all that matters.” Today, EEG to go operates 12 of these state-of-the-art , In-Home monitoring devices and services families across the US. Currently, EEG to go has Full-Time offices and staff in Irvine, CA. as well as Melbourne, Fla. The company also sets up shop frequently in San Jose, and will soon have an office near Dallas, Tx.
Brad, his wife Candy, and daughter Sofie are also the founders of Epilepsy Awareness Day at Disneyland. 2021 will be the 9th annual, which has grown into a 3-day event:
http://www.epilepsyawarenessday.org/
For a hobby, Brad “collects Epileptologists and Neurosurgeons”, meaning that he is always on the search for well-trained Epilepsy specialists to add to both , our referral network as well as the speaking roster at the EAD Expo each November.
Prior to Epilepsy changing his life, Brad was in specialty retail in the Los Angeles and OC area for over 25 years. “I know people, and I KNOW people. Now I get to use that to help people.”
Brad Levy
Lauren Lloyd, MA, BCBA
Lauren Lloyd, M.S., BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for over 14 years with Autism Spectrum Consultants (ASC). ABA trained since she was 17 years old, Lauren has extensive experience working with Autism both as a family member and as a professional. Lauren has provided 1:1 therapy, parent training, workshop supervision, and supervision to adults and children with Autism and related disorders throughout Orange County and the Inland Empire during her time with ASC. Lauren received her Masters degree in Counseling with an Emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2011 from Nova Southeastern University and her teaching credential from University of California, Irvine in 2006. She has spoken at several conferences regarding her experience integrating iPads and technology with ABA, managing challenging behaviors, and also as a sibling of a child with Autism.
Lauren Lloyd, MA, BCBA
Julie Logan, DC
Dr. Julie Logan, DC practices with Dr. Anju Usman at True Health Medical Center in Naperville, IL. She is a fully MAPS trained and certified physician and specializes in working with children with the symptoms of Autism, ADD/HD, PANDAS/PANS, food sensitivities, thyroid problems, methylation defects, GI issues, allergies, and environmental illnesses. She applies both biomedical as well as chiropractic principles of restoring optimal health to her patients. She has successfully battled some of these conditions and problems in her own health as well as resolving the symptoms of autism in one of her own children. This has given her a heart to help others who are suffering from the same.
Julie Logan, DC
Elizabeth McCoy, Esq
Elizabeth McCoy has been a licensed Attorney in California since 1997, practicing primarily in the area of special needs trusts, conservatorship, and estate planning for families who have a child with Autism or other special needs. Mrs. McCoy earned her Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law. During law school, she was the Jan Adam Zuckerman scholarship recipient, and a staff member for the Washington University Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law. Since 1988, Mrs. McCoy has also been a licensed Landscape Architect. Prior to practicing law, she produced landscape architectural plans for Disney theme parks and 5-star Ritz Carlton and Marriott hotels throughout the world. Mrs. McCoy has been a proud supporter of TACA since 2006.She lives in North San Diego County with her husband Mike and two sons Atticus and August.
Elizabeth McCoy, Esq
David Millett, MD
Dr. Millett is a board-certified neurologist specializing in seizures, epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG). He received his BA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and obtained both his MD and PhD in 2001 from the University of Chicago. Dr. Millett returned to his native Southern California for his medical internship, neurology residency and 2-year subspecialty training fellowship in Epilepsy and EEG at UCLA. Dr. Millett relocated to the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in 2014 where he is the director of the epilepsy program, and maintains an active role in research and education through his position as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology in the Keck School of Medicine at USC.
David Millett, MD
Nancy Hofreuter O'Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP
Dr. Nancy O’Hara is a board certified Pediatrician. Prior to her medical career, Dr. O’Hara taught children with autism. She graduated with highest honors from Bryn Mawr College and as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh. After residency, chief residency and general pediatric fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. O’ Hara entered general private practice in 1993, and in 1998 began her consultative, integrative practice solely for children with special needs. Since 1999 she has dedicated her functional medicine practice to the integrative and holistic care of children with chronic illness and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, PANDAS/PANS, OCD, Lyme and ASD. She is also a leader in the training of clinicians, both in the United States and abroad.
Nancy Hofreuter O'Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP
Erica Peirson, ND
Dr. Peirson is a Naturopathic physician who has been practicing for 15 years. She specializes in using a functional medical approach to optimize the health and development of children with Down syndrome as well as other genetic and neurodevelopmental conditions. She is the mother of a healthy, thriving 13 year old boy who happens to have mosaic Down syndrome and has benefitted from her expertise. She has lectured globally to share with others the many ways she helps her patients thrive, in addition to helping patients privately all over the world through telehealth consults.
Erica Peirson, ND
Dan Rossignol, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Dan Rossignol received his Doctorate of Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Virginia. Coming from an academic background, Dr. Rossignol searched the medical literature looking for a solution after both of his children were diagnosed with autism. He has made it his mission to research and publish in autism. Since 2006, he has 53 papers, abstracts, editorials, and book chapters concerning autism and related conditions. Dr. Rossignol is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and a Fellow of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (FMAPS).
Dan Rossignol, MD, FAAFP
Lanier Rossignol, BSN FNP-C
Lanier Rossignol, BSN FNP-C received her graduate training as a Family Nurse Practitioner and her Master’s in Nursing from the University of Virginia. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Neurobiochemistry and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia. After her two sons were diagnosed with autism, she sought information from a number of sources including researchers, specialists, the medical literature, and she attended 6-8 autism medical conferences per year to help nd answers for her sons. As biomedically-based treatments helped her sons begin speaking, she became more involved in research including 3 studies examining the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in autism. After years of focusing on both her sons and her own medical issues, she has now joined her husband, Dr. Rossignol, and his medical practice as a Nurse Practitioner to try to help families struggling with the underlying medical issues of autism. Lanier has a special interest in autism spectrum disorders, PANS/ PANDAS, chronic fatigue, and health and wellness through diet, supplements and exercise.
Lanier Rossignol, BSN FNP-C
Rahil Roussos, BCBA
Rahil received her Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Pepperdine, and her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Rahil has close to 20 years of experience working with children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Rahil’s passion is improving the quality of life for families and ensuring that programs result in long term success. In her free time, Rahil enjoys spending time in the South Bay community with her husband and three boys.“Helping reach more families in need of our services and becoming a part of their community is something I am grateful in being a part of. Rahil drives growth through supporting new De Novo launches as well as supporting the integration of new acquisitions into ongoing operations.
Rahil Roussos, BCBA
Jared Skowron, ND
Jared Skowron, ND
Theoharis C. Theoharides, BA, MS, MPhil, PhD, MD, FAAAAI
Dr. Theoharides is Professor of Pharmacology and Internal Medicine, as well as Director of Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery, in the Department of Immunology at Tufts University School of Medicine. .He first showed that mast cells, known for causing allergic reactions, are critical for inflammation, especially in the brain, and are involved in a number of inflammatory conditions that worsen with stress such as allergies, asthma, autism spectrum disorder, eczema, fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome, migraines, multiple sclerosis, myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome and psoriasis. Dr. Theoharides is also the Scientific Director of Algonot, LLC
Theoharis C. Theoharides, BA, MS, MPhil, PhD, MD, FAAAAI
Anju Usman Singh, MD, FAAFP, ABIHM, FMAPS
Anju Usman Singh, MD, FAAFP, ABIHM, FMAPS
E. Nicole Saylor, PsyD, LCP
E. Nicole Saylor holds a Doctorate in Psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She is a professor of social and behavioral sciences at a private university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her clinical practice focuses on trauma, adoption, and parenting in disrupted and fragile families. Dr. Saylor and her husband Kevin are parents to three children who joined their family via adoption, and all of whom have varying diagnoses and special needs.
E. Nicole Saylor, PsyD, LCP
Johna Sommer
Johna Sommer, raised in Chicago, is the mother of 3, and her 19yo daughter is affected by Autism and Neurofibromatosis. Her daughter is a non-vocal communicator, spells to communicate, and her family is currently focusing to make sure she has employment opportunities that are supportive of her communication needs. She has been an advocate for over 15 years in helping lead families to resources, both through private and government resources. Johna has volunteered for TACA since 2008, and continues to mentor families and is Co-Coordinator for TACA's Illinois Chapter.
Johna Sommer
Kelly Steffens
Kelly Steffens has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the State University of Geneseo in NY but her real experience came with her kids. She is a mother to 3 kids, ages 15, 12 and 8, all with varying degrees of special needs. All three of her kids are on special diets. Kelly’s oldest daughter has autism and was once severe, non-verbal and detached. She is now 15 years old, completely mainstreamed in high school and has been in the school play for the past 2 years. Kelly has been an admin for the Recovering Kids Facebook group for over 5 years and she now runs the national TACA Facebook group.
Kelly Steffens
Vanessa Surprise
Vanessa is a proud mom of 3. Two Daughters who are 21 and 18 and a 14 year old son with autism. He is still emerging verbally at age 14 and has found his voice with 26 letters. She has co- coordinated our TACA San Diego Chapter since 2013 and feels blessed to be able to find families find hope through TACA.
Vanessa Surprise
Cindy Underwood, MA, BCBA
After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University in 1999, Cindy Underwood began her journey working with children on the Autism Spectrum. In 2000, she joined Autism Spectrum Consultants in the San Diego office as a behavior therapist providing school shadowing services, 1:1 in-home behavior therapy, parent consultation, and social skills group facilitation. Ms. Underwood obtained her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at National University before she relocated to Orange County in 2004. She continued her education by completing her post-graduate coursework in Behavior Analysis followed by her certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2006. As a Clinical Supervisor and Assistant Clinical Director, Ms. Underwood designed and implemented numerous programs for a diverse population of children and adults on the spectrum. In 2007, Ms. Underwood was promoted to the role of Clinical Director for the Orange County clinic where she is responsible for overseeing ABA program development and implementation in addition to mentoring BCBAs and trainees within the Orange County region. She has presented at conferences to parents and professionals on several autism related topics including, Social Skills, Executive Functioning, and Adolescent Development. With two decades of experience, Ms. Underwood has refined her skills in conducting Functional Behavior Assessments and enjoys creating unique and effective behavior programs for children with challenging behaviors.
Cindy Underwood, MA, BCBA
Scarlett K. vonThenen
Scarlett K. vonThenen
Terry Wahls, MD
Dr. Terry Wahls is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials. In addition, she has secondary appointments in the departments of neurology and epidemiology. In 2018 she was awarded the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Linus Pauling Award for her contributions in research, clinical care and patient advocacy. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles (paperback), and the cookbook The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions.
She conducts clinical trials that test the effect of nutrition and lifestyle interventions to treat MS and other progressive health problems. Her company, Dr. Terry Wahls LLC has an online course, The Autoimmune Mastery Course that teaches the public how to restore their health and vitality using the concepts she uses in her clinical trials and private practice. Dr. Wahls also has a certification program for physicians, nutrition professionals, movement professionals and health coaches, teaching them how to use these concepts in their clinical practices. Follow her on Instagram @drterrywahls, and on Facebook/Twitter at @TerryWahls. Learn more about her MS clinical trials https://wahls.lab.uiowa.edu/join-study. Pick up a one-page handout for the Wahls™ Diet at https://terrywahls.com/diet/
Terry Wahls, MD
Lindsey Wells, ND
Dr. Lindsey Wells is a naturopathic physician in Wilton, CT. She has focused her practice on pediatric consultative care for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), PANS/PANDAS, other neurodevelopmental disorders, and various chronic illnesses. Dr. Wells is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University where she teaches anatomy and physiology undergraduate nursing students. Also, Dr. Wells is the President of the Connecticut Naturopathic Physicians Association (CNPA). In 2016, Dr. Wells was recognized as “Young Influencer in Naturopathic Medicine” by the AANMC.
Lindsey Wells, ND
Catherine Whitcher, MEd
Catherine Whitcher, M.Ed, founder of the Master IEP Coach® Mentorship + Network, experienced the struggles of the Special Education system both as a certified teacher and special needs sibling. For the past 24 years she has been creating impact nationwide developing what we now know as the Master IEP Coach® Methods. Catherine currently leads the largest independent organization nationwide of parents and teachers working together to build better special education outcomes for the real world. She holds nothing back as she shows you how she has changed IEPs for decades with a focus on preparing every child for further education, employment, and independent living. www.catherinewhitcher.com
Catherine Whitcher, MEd
Glenn Wilhelm
Glenn Wilhelm has been the V.P. of Business Development with the IonCleanse by A Major Difference since 2011. Glenn provides training for practitioners on how to integrate the IonCleanse into their practice to help them improve clients outcomes. Glenn has also worked with over a thousand customers within the ASD community on how to maximize the benefits of the IonCleanse by AMD system for their child.
