National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association, Inc. (NTSAD)

National association dedicated to the treatment and prevention of Tay-Sachs, Canavan, and related diseases, and to providing information and support services to individuals and families affected by these diseases. The association focuses on public and professional education, research, genetic screening, family services, and advocacy.

The association was founded in 1956 by a small group of concerned parents with children affected by TAY-SACHS DISEASE or a related genetic disorder. Dedicated to the defeat of Tay-Sachs and several allied diseases, the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association (NTSAD) was an early pioneer in the development of community education about Tay-Sachs disease, carrier screening programs, and laboratory quality control programs. Today more than one million people have been tested for the Tay-Sachs gene, thousands of Tay-Sachs carriers identified, and hundreds of healthy children born to high-risk couples.

Over the past four decades the organization has grown in size, scope, and stature. NTSAD services now encompass 48 genetic diagnoses and, as science yields discoveries in the arena of the allied diseases, NTSAD is committed to a leadership role in the application of this knowledge to the betterment of children, adults, and families.