by Vidya Guhan As parents, we are responsible for getting program done with our child. But we certainly don’t have to do it all ourselves. We should think of ourselves as the managers or supervisors of our child’s program. To be successful, especially in the long term, it is helpful to get a team of…
by Sara Erling Ah, summer! It’s the time that most of us spend outside—at the pool, relaxing in the sun, and just having fun. We often look at our NACD programs as a separate part of our day, but that doesn’t have to be the case. You can make your program a part of your…
by Ellen Doman As the days get longer and warmer, we are all finding ourselves looking forward to summer. As evaluators, we look forward to summer as well. This is a most wonderful opportunity to make truly exceptional gains with your child. So as you are trying to figure out how to arrange your summer,…
by Cori Longfellow NACD mom and coach At 2 ½ our son Evan rarely gave us any eye-contact, and did not communicate outside of dragging one of us to the kitchen when he was hungry, repeating phrases he heard on TV, or echoing what we said to him. He could play by himself beautifully for…
by Sara Erling “T was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was 4. Before we started with NACD 2 years ago, he had a high-pitched tone in his speech and he was afraid of loud noises. He could not take the regular school bus because it was too loud. He was in a mainstream…
KIDS CORNER by Lavanya Guhan A challenge, even though very tough Is a kind of opponent That eats you up in an instant very greedily And spits you out as fire bolts And although this omnipotent creature Never has an owner It still can do whatever it wants To strike you right away So do…
by Lori Riggs MA, CCC/SLP Director, Center for Speech and Sound If you are an NACD family already, you know that NACD is a very dynamic organization. Nothing is status quo-we’re always looking for and thinking of ideas to make what we do better. One of the best “better” things we have done, in my…
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…
by Ellen Doman How many times have family members, neighbors, church members, and friends asked you why you are doing program with your child? It happens a lot, doesn’t it? Sometimes you even wonder why you are making such a big effort. You are certainly surrounded by parents that are going along with the status…
John was talking at 9 months old, saying “stop” at each stop sign we passed on the road, and saying “clock” as we passed his favorite large clock on a building near our home. He waved goodbye to his favorite babysitter at 8 months old. He walked at 12 months old. Then he began his…