By Bob Doman My colleagues and I have a fantastic job. We spend our days helping families help their children develop and improve their lives. We do this without actually working hands-on with any children beyond doing evaluations and then designing the children’s comprehensive home programs. As an organization, NACD has proudly been changing lives…
Picking up the pieces after ABA By Carolyn Takos Intro by Lyn Waldeck In many of our recent newsletters, NACD has been focusing on creating and changing behavior for the better by the feedback the child is given. Carolyn Takos is a very dedicated NACD mom who first came to us in desperation to reverse…
New research disputes a previous study involving the efficacy of EIBI/ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) and investigates whether it actually produces adverse effects and can even be harmful. A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics involving 9,038 young autistic children has confirmed what we have known for decades. The research disputes the “study” from the ‘80s that had…
How to Provide Your Child with Effective Feedback by Bob Doman Rewards and consequences are the tools we have as parents, or, for that matter, as a society, to provide feedback, guidance, encouragement, and instruction, and to maintain order. Lack of consistent quality feedback leads to ambiguity, confusion, poor outcomes, and potentially chaos. We need…
by Lyn Waldeck Recently I ran across a study from 2006 that presented what was labeled as “new” and exciting findings. Let me start by explaining why I placed the word “new” in quotations. I began as a parent on program and quickly moved into being a volunteer and then on to being a staff…
Understanding the Relevance and Significance of Cognitive Function by Bob Doman The key to understanding and improving global function in children and adults with Down syndrome is determining and developing their cognitive function. Whether we are looking at a two-year-old or an adult with Down syndrome, their level of function, their ability to learn, think,…
by Melody DeLuca Bread for Life. It has a catchy tune, doesn’t it? This was the name of the bread business where I was co-owner and partner with my older sister, Jennifer. We started this business when I was ten years old, and she was twelve. Little did we know we would spend the next…
by Bob Doman What do you remember from last month, last year, a decade ago, or five decades ago? I still have some vivid memories from college over fifty years ago, and none of them have anything to do with what occurred in a classroom. I take every chance I get to speak with young…
I have been working with the Allman family for several years now. As NACD staff, we often talk amongst ourselves about how fortunate we are to work with what we consider to be the cream of the crop parents. Ken and Julie Allman are fine examples as to the level of dedication that we see every day in…
by Melody DeLuca Quite a few of you know my story and journey with NACD, but for those of you who do not here it is in brief: We started our journey with NACD in December 2008. At the time my son Grant, who was five years old, was completely non-verbal, developmentally delayed, a flight…