And Why Trying to Use It for One Could Set You Back by Laird Doman At NACD, we love innovation. We’ve embraced cutting-edge neuroscience, data, and technology for decades. But one place we’re drawing a very firm line? Trying to use Artificial Intelligence—especially tools like ChatGPT—to generate or guess what an NACD program might look…
By Bob Doman What is the medical/biological disease model? The medical/biological model is a framework for understanding and addressing illnesses and diseases. Biological Foundation Illnesses and diseases are essentially caused by biological factors, including physiological problems, infections, and genetic disorders. Diagnosis and Treatment Focus is on diagnosing and labeling the disease or illness, with associated…
by Lyn Waldeck Those of us who have passed that 60-year-old mile marker will often ponder the things of our past. What would we do differently? How do we mend past transgressions? What could have been avoided had a different fork in the road been followed? I am no exception. On a personal level, after…
Did you know that one of the world’s leading organizations for child development and education is based right here in Utah? The National Association for Child Development (NACD) has been headquartered in Northern Utah for over 40 years, helping tens of thousands of families in over 90 countries. While NACD has gained global recognition for…
by Sara Erling Are you a vision board person? A New Year’s Resolution person? A “word” for the year person? I am. There is always something about new beginnings, fresh starts, etc., that gets me excited! My word for the year 2024 was “discipline”. At the time, I felt the need to be more disciplined…
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…
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…
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 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…
by Bob Doman Many parents and professionals are confused about unusual behaviors, generally referred to as “stims,” which are usually associated with autism. These “stims,” in fact, exist to varying degrees with many children and adults, some of whom have various developmental issues and some of whom are considered “typical.” During the past year, many…