Bob Doman The following story about Ross exemplifies the potential strengths of children who have been labeled as being within the spectrum and also the potential danger of labeling and classifying individuals. I proudly identify many of my good friends as “nerds,” a classification that I have often wished to be able to share, regardless of the fact…
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…
In yet another study in the area of working memory and reading comprehension, evidence has been found to support the key role working memory plays in an individual’s ability to understand what they read. This study, completed by Hannah Pimperton and Kate Nation and published in 2010 in the “Journal of Memory and Language,” found…
by Ellen Doman It’s January, a rough time of year for parents as teachers, as well as for the kids. The holidays are over, and everyone is frequently stuck indoors for longer periods of time. It is, in fact, the most common time to hear about “burn out.” It’s a funny thing about parenting, there…
by Fatima Shaikh I am the mother of a lovely 12-year old boy, Usaid. He was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 1/2 years old. We went through all the regular denials, nightmares, helplessness, and frustrations that all parents of newly diagnosed ASD children go through. As his language started developing with speech therapy,…
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…
Do you have a child who wants to be a pirate? Or maybe an Egyptian princess? Maybe they are too old for that but are really into learning about the Revolutionary War or ancient Greece? The National Geographic series “How To Be” contains books with factual information about various time periods and places, and…
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 Ellen Doman With Christmas right around the corner, we are all trying to figure how to get gifts that are really worth getting for our children. When it comes to larger ticket items, it is hard to beat an iPad for usefulness and continued relevance. This is not a gadget that will get…
by Bob Doman How long is a day? How long is a minute? How long does it take to make a bed, take out the trash, make a sandwich, or eat a meal? I’m sure you can all answer the first two questions, or at least you think you can; and I suppose that you…