The Pacific Northwest recently welcomed Bob Doman as a keynote speaker for the annual conference of the Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted (WAETAG) held October 19-21 at the new Kitsap Conference Center in the city of Bremerton, WA. Three hundred teachers and parents from across Washington State attended the WAETAG conference to learn new ways of improving educational opportunities for highly capable students in kindergarten through high school.
Bob Doman’s keynote address Friday morning focused on The Millennium Mind: Breakthrough Discoveries in How to Increase Intelligence, Creativity, and Empathy. While explaining how vital auditory and visual sequential processing skills are to developing innate intelligence, Bob enlightened the WAETAG members on their own sequential processing skills by conducting a surprise digit span test with the entire audience. The room full of teachers and parents participated with intense concentration, laughter and some heavy sighs as participants discovered the current limits of their auditory sequential processing skills. As Bob further explained how sequential processing skills can be increased, and how relatively easy it is to do with targeted activities delivered with adequate intensity, frequency and duration, heads began to nod and smile with recognition of the opportunities this knowledge provides teachers and schools.
Bob introduced NACD’s new Simply Smarter software specifically designed to increase auditory and visual sequential processing. He also invited teachers to participate in a special on-line Simply Smarter program designed for schoolteachers to use with their classrooms. The on-line program, which costs only $10.00 per student per year, provides baseline testing and Simply Smarter activities along with free data analysis for participating schools. Bob also encouraged all participants to learn about and get involved with the international humanitarian Simply Smarter Project 9 +/- 2 by visiting www.nacdtheproject.org.
After his keynote, Bob lead a packed break out session where he answered questions and taught techniques teachers can use to increase learning capacity, short-term memory and working memory. Laptop computers were provided at the NACD table in the lobby for conference participants to try out the Simply Smarter software and the baseline testing for the Simply Smarter Project 9 +/- 2.
On Saturday, Bob delivered a second keynote address entitled Beyond Labels: How Neurological Organization Affects Every Student’s Learning Style, Behavior and Interpersonal Relationships. In this lecture Bob placed the gifted child in the context of neurological development. He explained how “giftedness” often occurs in one area of development as a compensation for neurological inefficiencies in another. He talked of the importance of helping children achieve their full potential in all areas of development, and how the neurological system must be assessed and inefficiencies addressed in order to achieve that goal. Immediately following the keynote, Bob lead the final break out session of the conference in which he answered specific questions regarding twice exceptional students who have highly capable abilities along with various learning problems and disorders.
Throughout the conference cameramen captured Bob Doman on film for a documentary about his work with the National Association for Child Development. In between speeches and break out sessions, Bob conducted consultations and interviews on film with parents and teachers, including a fascinating interview with WAETAG President Stephen Martin discussing a new paradigm in education for all children.
November 7th, 2006
The National Association for Child Development leads the rest in assisting children in reaching their innate potential. Families from the Midwest joined together to attend a presentation and informational meeting preceding the opening of the newest Chapter of NACD.
Port Washington, Wisconsin March 15, 2006 – Robert J. Doman Founder and President of NACD headed to Port Washington today to attend a gathering of families from all over the Midwest. The National Association for Child Development, based in Ogden Utah was established in 1979 and assists families from around the globe. From newborns to geriatrics, brain injured to accelerated; individuals are fortunate to have the knowledge and direction provided by this organization. The gathering consisted of an informal potluck meal followed by a much anticipated presentation and informational meeting for members and newcomers alike.
Mr. Doman’s presentation focused on NACD’s neurodevelopmental approach as well as his research and work involving the importance and development of sequential processing. The week continued with evaluations of the children of the chapter’s founding families.
The presentation also included a brief synopsis of Bob’s most recent project, Project 9 +/- 2. The Project is designed to discover where individuals are in digit span/processing skills and to raise their processing level. NACD is gathering data from children and adults from all over the world so that they can determine where the processing abilities are for any given segment of the population. Robert Doman firmly believes that this data is going to open the eyes of the world. He shared the preliminary data suggesting that as many as 50% of the world’s children and adults lack the necessary processing skills to function (think, understand, learn and communicate) well. Mr. Doman has developed software and programs to work on and strengthen processing skills. This software is a great tool to increase processing skills.
Sue Mayer, the proud mother of Sam an NACD child, dreamt of a chapter in Wisconsin and has worked very hard to make it a reality. Her hard work has paid off. Not only were the current families pleased to see the formation of the newest chapter, but others just learning of NACD were happy to receive their evaluations and begin their programs.
Later in the week Sue arranged a meeting with professionals in Special Education from the local school district to meet for dinner at one of the local restaurants. In attendance were Robert Doman and Alison Wimmer a developmentalist with NACD, Sue Meyer, Gary Myrah Director of Special Services for the Port Washington-Saukville School District. Mardy McGarry a Special Education teacher and LuAnn Kopiness a speech and language teacher with the Lincoln School District. The dinner provided an opportunity for Mr. Doman to share his experience and progress within the field of Special Education and child development.
None of the events would have been possible without the efforts of Sue and her desire to bring NACD to the Port Washington area. Sue is anxious to help the children and families within the region and help the local schools incorporate NACD methodologies.
For additional information regarding the Wisconsin chapter or any of the other national or international sites contact the National Association for Child Development headquarters or visit www.nacd.org.
April 7th, 2006
NACD Opens Chapter in Guatemala
On February 21, 2006, we performed NACD evaluations for the first time in our new chapter in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Thanks to the efforts of Perla Calderon, NACD Guatemala is off and running.
Alison Wimmer and I arrived in Guatemala on February 19th after taking a redeye flight from Utah to Atlanta then on to Guatemala. After the flight, we relaxed at the beautiful lakeside home of Perla’s parents and enjoyed our first experience of Guatemalan hospitality from Perla’s lovely mother. We spent the following day acclimating to the area and learning about life in Guatemala with Victor Calderon as tour guide extraordinaire. We visited Victor’s coffee plantation where I was surprised to see how similar the mountains of Guatemala are to those in Utah, and to discover Victor and I share many interests in common. Highlights of Alison’s day included spectacular tortillas prepared by one of the families working on the plantation, and encountering the largest beehive and the largest carrot she’d ever seen. Later in the day, we enjoyed visiting Victor’s parents in their home, which is framed with bamboo, and learned of Mr. Calderon’s passion for developing products using bamboo.
We spent the morning of the 21st on history and shopping. Perla took us to a local University museum to learn about the Mayan civilization, then on to a market offering local crafts. All in all, Victor and Perla provided a great introduction to Guatemala prior to our starting evaluations on the afternoon of the 21st.
Evaluating NACD Guatemala’s founding families was a pleasure. We found the children well mannered, motivated and very cute, and the parents friendly, caring and anxious to help their children. They made an excellent impression on us, and we expect all of the children will do very well.
Interestingly, the evaluations revealed a high incidence of congestion (and, therefore, probable middle ear fluid) with associated cases of strabismus and auditory sequential processing problems. Based on our observations of not only the children whom we evaluated but also other children we saw throughout our stay, we suspect the incidence of auditory processing problems must be huge among the population of this region. We intend to address this problem in the near future with the introduction of NACD’s Project 9+/-2.
We look forward to working together with the founding families of NACD Guatemala to develop this new chapter. With the ultimate goal of helping improve the lives of children throughout all of Central America, we are delighted NACD Guatemala is off to a great start.
March 15th, 2006
Robert J. Doman Jr. The Founder and Director of The National Association for Child Development today lectured to leaders of India’s medical community at the Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research. Amongst those attending were renowned neurologists, pediatricians and psychiatrists.
The Siktaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research today hosted a lecture presented by Robert J. Doman Jr. the Director of the National Association for Child Development which is based in Ogden, Utah USA. NACD, the National Association for Child Development was established in 1979 and has assisted parents with developmentally challenged children from around the world.
Mr. Doman’s presentation focused on NACD’s neurodevelopmental approach to the amelioration of handicapping conditions in the full range of children suffering from issues ranging from brain injury to autism, Down syndrome, ADD and learning disabilities.
Questions and discussion explored Mr. Doman’s and NACD’s role during the past thirty five years in developing the foundation for the understanding of such major issues as the significance of sensory dysfunction and the importance of specific targeted sensory stimulation to the Debilitating Sensory Addictive Behaviors of children within the Autism spectrum.
Of particular interest was Mr. Doman’s explanation of his research and work involving the imporance and development of auditory and visual sequential processing. Mr. Doman’s work has demonstrated that it is possible to identify an individual’s global neurodevelopmental function and change that function through the application of procedures, which accelerate the development of sequential processing skills. Mr. Doman also introduced NACD’s Project 9 +/- 2 to India during this presentation.
NACD’s Project 9 +/-2 is an international research study, which potentially could be the largest study of its kind ever, attempted. The goal of the study is to identify the processing skills of a significant segment of the world’s population. NACD’s research has indicated that huge segments of the world’s population do not have the processing skills to function at acceptable levels. But, their research and work has demonstrated that these vital processing skills can be substantially changed with specific intervention.
The Project: 9+/- 2 is designed to not only gather sufficient data to clearly demonstrate the need for the development of sequential processing skills but also provide the expertise and tools to raise this vital function.
Mr. Doman announced that NACD has already established an international website at which anyone can ascertain their or their children’s processing skills and participate in the study. www.nacd.org.
The presentation concluded with encouragement from the attendees for Mr. Doman and NACD to continue and expand their participation in India and for joint efforts to bring about greater opportunities for the child of India.
October 1st, 2005
It was a dream come true to NACD mom Shalini Gupta. Ever since her 3 year old daughter Gayathri started on our program and made incredible progress, mom Shalini was determined to bring NACD to India. She wanted other children in India to have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential through our program. It took over a year of planning, marketing and fund-raising by Shalini and her family and friends for this dream to materialize.
Our hosts, the Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research (SBISR), provided us with our evaluation site and made all arrangements for two seminars by Mr Robert Doman Jr., founder and President of NACD. The first seminar, “Understanding education from a neurodevelopmental perspective” was held on Sept 26th for parents, teachers and therapists. This seminar was well attended and raised a lot of interest in our approach. The second seminar, on Oct 1st, was attended by prominent doctors from the SBISR and nearby hospitals. The audience included leading pediatricians, neonatologists and other medical specialists. This seminar focused on auditory sequential processing and global neurologic function and was very well received.
During the week, Mr Doman evaluated and designed individualized programs for over 25 clients, from infants to young adults, with a range of symptoms and diagnoses such as Downs Syndrome, Autism, Brain Injury, ADD and Normal. The families came to Delhi from different parts of India and Nepal. We worked with the most wonderful children, and their loving parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. Many of them came with supportive teachers and aides wanting to help implement the NACD program. We provided hands on training for each family on how to implement program for their child.
India was a wonderful heartwarming experience for us. We had the opportunity to share our passion and expertise with families and professionals who were of like minds and hearts. The hospitality in India was incomparable, with utmost pains taken to ensure our comfort and well being. But most of all, it was the chance to help the lovely children strive for a better future. Of course, the food was delicious and the traffic exhilarating!
We would like to thank all the hardworking people who made the India chapter possible: Shalini and Shalendra Gupta for their passion and perseverance, Mr Abishek Bhartia, Director of Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, and his entire staff for their impeccable arrangements and warm hospitality, Mr and Mrs Ramachandran, President of the Downs Syndrome Association of India, for their sponsorship and support, Mr Sushil Gupta of the Qutub Hotel and his staff for their hospitality and sponsorship, Ambika and Prabath Aggarwal for their ongoing support and sponsorship, and all the volunteers that made this trip possible.
We look forward to a continued fellowship and collaboration with our associates in India and a bright future for NACD India. For further press coverage of NACD in India , click on
October 1st, 2005