On March 16th Bob Doman gave three lectures to groups of professionals and parents in Sofia, Bulgaria. The topics of the lectures were Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Brain Injury/Cerebral Palsy. The lectures were organized by Gabriela Trichkova, one of our super NACD moms, and the Bulgarian Down syndrome Parents’ Organization. Gabriela was anxious…
by Bob Doman In an effort to help our NACD families and others maximize their efforts and make the most out of the time they have to work with their children, it is incredibly important to keep reminding everyone about the significance of intensity. The foundation of what we do at NACD is designing very…
Years ago, I saw a TV show on Discovery with an organization from England that transformed “typical” children into geniuses using programs close to what NACD is using. I was fascinated but frustrated because I believed that I would never have an opportunity to follow this type of program in Romania. After I registered my…
Our daughter, Jennifer, was born on December 6, 1980, in San Diego, California at 12:45 a.m., with complications. She had swallowed her meconium while she was inside the birth canal, cutting off her oxygen. She, therefore, had an Apgar score of 1 (10 is perfect), and had to be placed in an “isolette” and taken…
by Sunette Payne, as told to Iliana Clift Elliot was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), which means that the left side of his heart, the side that receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the body, was severely underdeveloped. In addition to this very severe heart defect, he also…
by Carol Johnson, as told to Iliana Clift When I last wrote about Justin, he was thirteen and going into seventh grade in middle school. (*See link below.) He still mostly used a wheelchair, required a one-on-one aide at school, his vision was quite limited, and unless I used a huge marker board to help…
by Natani Jones, as told to Iliana Clift Now what? After a month in ICU and three months in a rehab facility, my son was finally home. Not having another option, my husband, riddled with guilt, went to work; I stayed home to care for Trevor—all alone, young, and inexperienced. I longed for my own…
by Jeannie Cummings When Michael and Mark were born 3 1/2 months prematurely, no one expected they would live through the day*. But they were fighters, and despite several setbacks they came home from the hospital at 3 months old, which was 3 weeks before their due date. Yet, I soon began noticing developmental delays;…
by Lyn Waldeck At our recent staff training/brainstorming session last October, it was time to talk about articles for upcoming newsletters. I personally like to contribute in January because it fits right in to New Year’s resolutions, setting priorities, and making plans. Over the years I have actually written articles that touch on some of…
My husband and I felt like deer in the headlights as we walked into Bob’s office for the first time. Just a few months before, on her first birthday, our little daughter had been diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy. Bob was quite matter of fact, confident, firm in a loving sort of way, and completely…