April is Autism Awareness Month, so we are asking our family and friends to make a donation to TACA in honor of Ben.  TACA provides education, support and hope to families living with autism so they may have the most meaningful lives possible.  We know this to be true because we are one of the families helped by TACA. 

What #TeamBen Has Been Up To

Ben reached a huge milestone this year… he became a TEENAGER!!  In addition to huge gains in his physical stature, we have seen some huge gains in Ben’s skillset! 

Some of the progress Ben has made this past year:

• Ben went on vacation. That might not seem like a big deal to many, but to Ben, it was a HUGE accomplishment! For the past three years, Ben suffered from severe bouts of anxiety that made it impossible to be away from home (except for occasional trips to Austin for a couple of days to visit family).  This past year, he went on not one, not two, but three vacations, where he was away from home for at least a week!  He handled all of the vacations well, and is already helping plan our next one!
• Ben is learning to cook. Even better, he enjoys it!!  So far, he is learning to prepare and heat up simple meals.  He even started Ben’s Café – a little café he runs out of our kitchen, complete with menus that he designed, with a few items that family members are allowed to order from.  We call our home phone from our cell phones to place an order. Sometimes the food isn’t cooked all the way, but the delivery boy sure is polite (and cute)! Our only complaint is that Ben from Ben’s Café still answers the phone even when they’re closed – it’s a real bummer to hear, “Sorry, we aren’t taking any orders at this time because we’re closed”, when you have a hankering for some chips late at night. ;)
• Ben has been in two plays.  Each play came with their own unique challenges (memorizing, being organized, and overcoming anxiety).  In one, he had a speaking role and ROCKED IT in front of three different audiences!  In the other, he was in charge of the sound system.  He loved performing and helping out backstage – he can’t decide which role he likes best.
• Ben has an amazing Case Manager at school who is helping him rock his reading goals.  We’re really hoping that before too long he’ll be reading on grade level!!
• Ben passed his Math STAAR exam at the end of the last year despite having a very rough year.
• He is participating in Student Council as the Class Treasurer.
• Ben is a great HELPER! Each day, he helps out the athletic directors at his school with whatever they need.  He LOVES his job and takes it very seriously.  He refers to the boys who are in athletics as “his athletes”, and they seem to enjoy having him around too as – they even call him Coach Ben.
• And, last, but certainly not least, HE HAS BEEN SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! Well, for the most part anyway.  To be honest, we're almost afraid to list this as an accomplishment because it might jinx us. However, to say that we are grateful for a full night of rest most nights of the week is the biggest understatement ever!!

These accomplishments may not seem like much, but they are a HUGE deal to us!  Each one has come with a tremendous amount of practice and coaching. Ben is still the hardest worker we know – we couldn’t be more proud of him! 

We didn’t begin this autism journey with any knowledge or experience.  We had to go out and search for answers and help.  Thankfully, we found answers, guidance, support, and hope through TACA.  Without a doubt, Ben would not be the amazing little man that he is today or have the skills that he has without the programs and services that TACA offers to families. We raise money each year for TACA because we want all families with autism to have the same opportunities - the same reason to hope - that we have.

During this time of Autism Awareness, we hope you'll consider a donation to TACA in honor of our family.  Your donation helps TACA reach and help more families, like ours. :)

More About TACA

TACA provides education, support and hope in a variety of ways.  Webinars, conferences, seminars, family events, coffee talks, journey guides, website, parent facebook group, mentor program, scholarships, and more.  

Check out the impact your donations had last year:

We need your help. Although TACA was able to help a lot of families in 2018, there are more families that need help!  Please make a donation to Ben's Family & Friends page and help make positive change for families living with autism.  And, don't forget, because TACA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, your donation can be deducted on your taxes.