by Sue McFerren, as told to Iliana Clift I knew the risks of having a child in my 40s, and I intended to love and care for every child God blessed us with, no matter what. Still, when Sonya was born with Down syndrome I was stunned. Recognizing that having a special needs child in our family would dramatically change … Read More
by Kristina Houser & Lyn Waldeck In the years I have been associated with NACD, I have worked with a many wonderful families. Since I have been around long enough now (20 years + in one capacity of another), I have gotten the pleasure of watching many children become wonderful adults. At a recent evaluation I asked one of the … Read More
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, we discovered he was advanced … Read More
by Julie Macchabee It is not how you start but how you finish the race; and by the way, this race you have begun will be a marathon. Do not feel defeated Gather your strength For if you glance to the right The sun is shining bright. Glance to your left and see that you are not alone. Other families … Read More
My husband and I felt like deer in the headlights as we walked into Bob’s office for the first time. Just a few months before, on her first birthday, our little daughter had been diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy. Bob was quite matter of fact, confident, firm in a loving sort of way, and completely open and hopeful about the … Read More
By Sara Erling Stephany is a beautiful and talented dancer who is 13 and from a rural area in Montana. She started with NACD in April of 2009. She had a rough start to her life, being diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis, and it was only after heavy supplementation that she recovered. Due to this slow start, she was behind developmentally and … Read More
By Ellen Doman Abby is a bright and chatty young lady. She recently turned seven and attends first grade at her local elementary school. Abby has been with NACD since she was almost three. By age four she was on age level for her auditory processing. She was reading high interest words and speaking in short sentences. She enjoyed talking … Read More
By Ellen Doman This is not so much a brag as it is an acknowledgement of how far this girl has come. My friend, Sarah, is an eighth grader. She sequences nines and tens with ease. She loves sports and has a passion for playing golf. She’s a great student and has scored very high on our testing and the … Read More
It is such a pleasure when, as staff, we get to watch kids really take off with their NACD programs. One of our superstars who deserves recognition this month is Grant DeLuca. It was only nine months ago that this five year old came in for his first NACD evaluation. At that time Grant could only speak a small number … Read More
ALLY MAE has been on an NACD program since she was 10 months old after suffering a traumatic brain injury while in the supervision of a caregiver at 4 1/2 months of age. Ally also suffered retinal hemorrhaging in her eyes, two broken legs and a broken arm. Due to the trauma she began having infantile spasms (seizures with … Read More