Dinners
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Thursday, May 27, 6:00 – 9:30 pm TACA - FAMILIES NEW TO THE DIAGNOSIS INTRODUCTORY MIXER Conferences have a tendency to talk at parents. That’s not good enough. Get ready to talk because we’re ready to listen. The mixer will help you understand the treatments and therapies as they apply to your child. Parents will receive TACA’s Autism Journey Guide and get an opportunity to meet the TACA Mentor Parents as well as other new parents. Each parent/caregiver will be assigned a mentor to guide them through the conference. Mentors are parents with a wealth of knowledge, many with a recovered child or with a child well on the road to recovery. You will have the opportunity to leisurely talk with your mentor about your needs and discuss your child’s future. More information about the Mentor Program is HERE. Menu – coming soon Sign up for the Families New to the Diagnosis when you register here or at the door. +++ Saturday Night, May 29, 7:30 pm – 11:30 pm YOU DESERVE IT! Dinner & Dance Saturday night is a time to enjoy yourself. Bask in the glow of a night meant for you. You deserve it! Dinner Menu Of course GFCF, soy and corn-free: Fresh Garden Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Eat all you want Gluten Free Rolls Scrumptious Cuban Spiced Grilled Chicken Breast with Tropical Salsa and Black Beans and Rice over Sautéed Spinach Big Key Lime Pie Pieces (made with coconut milk) Dig In! You Deserve It! Dinner and Dance Featured Speaker Shonda Schilling, author of The Best Kind of Different: Our Family's Journey with Asperger's Syndrome In The Best Kind of Different, Shonda Schilling, the wife of Major League Baseball All Star, former Boston Red Sox, and World Series championship pitcher Curt Schilling, shares the story of their son’s Asperger’s Syndrome, how it changed their lives, and what other parents can learn about this increasingly common diagnosis. Candid and compelling, The Best Kind of Different traces their family’s struggle with Asperger’s, following Curt and Shonda as they come to understand their son’s differences and in the process relearn everything they thought they knew about parenting. Until the summer of 2007, the word Asperger's, was not a part of Shonda Schilling's vocabulary, but that summer changed everything. By then, her household was in chaos as her son Grant spiraled out of control. His acting out and refusal to listen had grown to epic proportions, but even worse was his apparent inability to relate to the people around him. None of the Schillings' other three kids ever acted like Grant; his behavior wasn't just unruly, it was irrational. Complicating matters was the fact that Shonda's husband, Curt, was constantly on the road pitching for the Boston Red Sox, so he wasn't always around to see Grant's behavior firsthand. Seemingly everyone Shonda encountered had an opinion—"he's too spoiled," "he needs a good spanking," "he needs more discipline"—but it was a disastrous first attempt at summer camp that told Shonda something was definitely wrong. It was then that a neurologist diagnosed Grant with Asperger's syndrome—a form of high-functioning autism that, in recent years, has been found in children who at first glance appear disruptive and difficult. Now in The Best Kind of Different, Shonda details every step of her family's journey with Asperger's, offering a parent's perspective on this complicated and increasingly common condition. Looking back on Grant's early years, she describes the signals she missed in his behavior and confronts the guilt that engulfed her after she came to understand just how misguided her parenting had been before the diagnosis. In addition, she talks about the harsh judgment she's faced from people who don't buy into the diagnosis and how she's used passion and information to fight the ignorance of others. Celebrating Grant's successes and learning from his setbacks, Shonda demonstrates how Asperger's forced her and her husband to reconsider everything they thought they knew about their son and each other, but in the end, it has made their marriage and their family stronger and happier. A tribute to Grant's strength and a candid glimpse into a family coming to terms with its differences, The Best Kind of Different is an intimate portrait of two parents struggling to understand the complex beauty of their son. ********** Shonda Schilling and her husband, Curt, have been married for 17 years. Shonda is a survivor of melanoma, an experience that led her to create the Shade Foundation of America. Curt is a former All-Star pitcher who has won three World Series titles with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. He is also the founder of the video game development company, 38 Studios. Shonda and Curt are also spokespeople for the ALS Association, raising millions of dollars and significant awareness for Lou Gehrig's disease. They live with their four children, Gehrig, Gabriella, Grant, and Garrison, in Medfield, Massachusetts. ********** Featuring  Sam Debold, talented young musician Meet this extraordinary young man, son to Dr. Vicky Debold. Sam will be providing the music for the entire evening. Click to hear one of them. Sam Debold is 12 years old and loves to play piano! He was a healthy, happy, normally developing baby until 15 months of age when he experienced a significant physical and social regression following receipt of seven vaccines at his well-baby visit; eventually, he was diagnosed with autism. One of his favorite ways of learning is through music therapy. It did not take long for his parents, Vicky and David, to see that Sam understood things much more quickly and effortlessly when taught through music. This form of therapy also revealed a special musical talent hiding inside Sam. He has an amazing ability to hear a song a few times and then sit down and play it on the piano - without sheet music. He has performed piano solos at his school and church, a nursing home, and even on a cruise ship. He is finishing the 5th grade in a regular education classroom with supports. In addition to enjoying piano, he plays ice hockey for his team, the NOVA Cool Cats, a Special Hockey International team near Washington, DC. Sam lives in Oakton, Virginia, with his mom and dad and two collie dogs, Bunni and Violet. Price: $75 per person/$85 at the door. Sign up when you register here or at the door. |
