Website update announcement....

[Guest guest]

Message from M. Guppy

Texas Autism Advocacy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wanted to share with those of you who have visited and contributed information to the Texas Autism Advocacy website over the years --- the news that I have finally found a person to be the webmaster-extraordinaire; - and I am so excited about what we can finally do to make it better and more useful for parents and professionals in Texas!

I don't actually think it was mere chance in finding Catie -- I know it was God connecting two people for the same purpose -- to better serve others....

But anyway - God's sense of humor once again has given me a chuckle - in that the person He sent to help me -- is another fish! Guppy has found MacKrell (Mackrel) -- and now together we are going to make Texas Autism Advocacy the one stop website for information about Autism in Texas.

We're going to use the novel approach of not reinventing the wheel -- we are going to work hard to link on our website -- those websites that have the information and resources you need.

To that extent -- we are featuring Autism Source as the main resource. We encourage everyone who has an Autism resource -- school, clinic, organization -- to add your information to Autism Source -- and we will feature that link on our website.

We are excited about the blog feature as well. We want to provide a forum for parents and professionals to send their editorials/opinion pieces to us about Autism Issues in Texas -- so we can post them and others can comment on that --- so that Politicians and Policymakers can read them to know the "heartbeat" of Autism in Texas.

So if you have something to share about Autism in Texas, Media alerts, Legislation, Editorial, -- submit it to me at:MGuppy@...

Only I can post the blog at this time; - but everyone can add comments!

The calendar is another feature that is being updated - so submit your autism events, and check the website for events coming up near you!

Also - on a personal note, another reason I am thrilled to have found someone with the skill and desire to work with me -- is to bring life to some of the Inspirational things I have written on behalf of my son who has Autism...

Catie has put wings to my words - with your children's pictures. I am so grateful for her willingness to freely share that talent!

If you look on www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org -- you will see the first project, the "God's Beautiful Butterfly" poem.

For the next one, we are requesting pictures of Mom's and their son's or daughter's with autism. Again, close up or outdoor only please. No others in background, no inside background. Just close-up or action shots of Mom and the child who has autism.... We want playful, funny, serious, strong, and tender pictures...

Submit them to: Butterflies@...

This is a Texas website - so we only want to feature Texans please!

Thank you Catie for resurrecting my website!

(For those who would like to meet Catie - she and her son are featured on the 2008 Autism Awareness Calendar for Texas -- the month of October)

Ya'll give input as to what needs to be on the website to make it the best resource for Texas.

www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

Sincerely,

M. Guppy

M. GuppyMy autism journey isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.... Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

"There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must."