PHOTO: parent and child working together at a kitchen table
Family participating in an NACD home-based program
NACD, The National Association for Child Development
The Original Neurodevelopmental Approach

a program as unique as your child

NACD evaluates your child, designs an individualized program just for them, and coaches you to run it at home. For every child, from special needs to gifted, anywhere in the world.

Start Your Free Get Started Program
Free application and interview. No obligation.
47+Years
50,000+Families
40+Countries
1,000+Techniques
What We Do

A program built for your child, run by you

No two children are alike, so no two NACD programs are alike. Our evaluators look at the whole child: hearing, vision, sensory, motor, speech and language, cognition, behavior, health, and education. Then we design a program from a toolbox of over 1,000 methods and techniques, targeted to your child and your family.

Parents implement the program at home, once or twice a day instead of once or twice a week. You are trained, coached, and supported the entire way, and the program is updated as your child progresses. Read about the NACD approach

Why NACD Works Differently
development happens every day. so should the program.

An office model gets one hour a week: 52 hours a year. Your child’s waking year is roughly 4,400 hours. Watch.

Your child’s waking year 0waking hours

home, with you · the other 99%

That dark sliver is the weekly office model: 52 hours, about 1% of your child’s year.

NACD puts a plan inside the 99%: an individualized program, run by you, woven through every day.

Who We Help

NACD works with every kind of child

No two of these children are alike, and no two of their programs are alike either. Find where your family fits.

Children sitting together outdoors with their hands raised
Families

What NACD families say

Over 50,000 families, and no two programs alike.

Our life can truly be measured in BEFORE and AFTER NACD. All the behind the scenes staff are incredible too, and I can honestly say that I feel like they are family, a group who has always been there for us, giving us the answers and support we need to live our best lives.

The Martin Family · Read More →

It’s been incredible to watch him grow in confidence and see his self-esteem improve. NACD not only provides educational support but also empowers me as a parent to help my son reach his full potential.

The Smith Family · Read More →

With NACD, a diagnosis is not the end, rather it is the beginning of targeted, individualised support that allows children and adults to fulfill their true potential.

The Simmons Family · Read More →
How It Works

Three steps to get going

1

Apply and interview

Fill out our free application. Every family gets a free interview so you can make sure the program is a good fit before anything else happens.

2

Evaluation and program

Our evaluator assesses your child to determine their specific needs, then you receive a full evaluation and a program built specifically for your child. No two NACD programs are alike.

3

Coach and grow

Your coach is available any time you need help. We meet with you three times a year to review progress and adjust the program as your child grows.

New · 2-Minute Quiz

Not sure if NACD is right for your child?

Answer a few quick questions and we’ll show you how NACD would approach your child’s specific situation. No signup to start.

Take the Fit Check
PHOTO: parent and child, warm candid moment
A mother and daughter reading together during a learning activity at home
Free Course

Learn the NACD Approach

Want to understand how NACD thinks before you apply? The NACD Approach is a free interactive course from founder Bob Doman covering how children develop and why targeted daily input at home changes outcomes.

32 lessons Free English · Español · Română
Explore The NACD Approach
PHOTO: parent reading with child on a couch
A mother and son reading a book together on the living room floor
Ask NACD

Have a question right now? Ask our NACD Help Assistant.

Our NACD Help Assistant is a friendly guide, built on more than 47 years of NACD articles, lessons, and real answers from our staff. Ask anything about how NACD works, any time of day, in plain language.

The assistant is upfront about being an AI. For anything personal about your child, our human team is one step away: join our free Get Started program.

Ask your question using the chat window!

Bob Doman, founder of NACD
“

You must understand all of the little pieces to change the big ones.

Bob Doman
Founder, NACD
Our Founder

Bob Doman built NACD around a simple conviction

Bob Doman founded NACD in 1979 after years of directing clinical and educational programs, where he saw the same thing again and again: children doing more than anyone expected once they were given the right input. So he built NACD around the people best positioned to deliver that input every day, not clinics, but parents. Over 47+ years and 50,000+ families, Bob and his staff have designed and supervised more than fifteen million hours of individualized programs for children and adults. All of those hours have taught him that development is never fixed, and that with the right plan, run at home by the people who know them best, children keep surprising everyone.

Read Bob’s story

Questions

Common questions from parents

It is a program built around how your child’s brain develops. Instead of treating one symptom at a time, NACD looks at the whole child and designs daily activities that target the root areas holding them back, from processing and attention to movement and speech.
No. NACD works with families across the world. Evaluations happen at evaluation site locations and remotely, and your coaching and program support are available wherever you live.
It depends on your child and your family. Programs are designed around what your family can realistically do, and your evaluator works with you to build a daily routine that fits your life.
No. NACD does not sell a one size fits all curriculum. We design individualized programs for each child, whether they are homeschooled, in a traditional school, or somewhere in between.
No, every individual that comes in for an assessment is treated as a unique individual with their own specific needs. Our program is not a “one size fits all” approach like most others.
We have many evaluation sites around the world where we meet with families in person. If you are not able to travel to one of the physical evaluation sites, we can work with you anywhere in the world via teleconference (Zoom).
We require parents to make a significant commitment to their child’s program in order to get the best results possible. How much time depends on the needs of the specific child or individual.
Pricing depends on your location, your family’s situation, and the program designed for your child. We share the full pricing structure during your free Get Started application, typically within the first conversation. There’s no cost to apply or to find out if NACD is a fit.
Yes. We have helped many hundreds of adults, regardless of the situation, whether they have special needs or just want to get back on track with their goals.
ready to see what your child can do?

No two children are alike, and neither is any NACD program. Join our free Get Started program: free application, free interview, no obligation.

Start Your Free Get Started Program