Kaitlyn was eleven years old when she stumbled upon a book I was reading. She brought it to me and, as if she had just discovered a brand new planet, she exclaimed with a sparkle in her voice, “Mom, these kids are like me!” My heart skipped a beat— she was obviously ready to learn that the children in the … Read More
April 8th, 2014 The National Association for Child Development and the NACD Foundation Announce the Appointment of Kaitlyn and Lisa Law as NACD’s Ambassadors for Down Syndrome. We are happy to announce that Kaitlyn Law, a 23-year old young lady with Down syndrome, and her mother, advocate, and cheerleader, Lisa, have been appointed as the Foundation’s Ambassadors for Down Syndrome. … Read More
by Joanna May, as told to Iliana Clift Existing in survival mode—day… after… day… after… day—is downright exhausting. This was my reality. My son screamed incessantly, hid under the kitchen table, refusing to come out for an inordinate amount of time; played for hours with spinning wheels, or stared dreamily as “Dora the Explorer” and “Thomas the Tank Engine” flickered … Read More
by Christi Petrucka Isaac had been struggling with reading and expressing himself for so long, that by the time I heard about the NACD in May 2012, when he was 16, I knew that I was quickly running out of time to help him. It’s not that I hadn’t done anything up to this point. His difficulties were obvious early … Read More
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 classroom but got pulled out … Read More
John was talking at 9 months old, saying “stop” at each stop sign we passed on the road, and saying “clock” as we passed his favorite large clock on a building near our home. He waved goodbye to his favorite babysitter at 8 months old. He walked at 12 months old. Then he began his fall into the world of … Read More
Wasatch Peak Academy Davis County School District, Utah 2007/2008 School Year (Appendices featuring additional information and statistics available as PDF Download HERE.) Wasatch Peak Academy is a public charter school in North Salt Lake, Utah. At the request of the principal and special education teacher, the National Association for Child Development (NACD) created a school model program for Wasatch Peak … Read More
by Roxane S. Mila, our little girl with Williams Syndrome, a genetic disorder, has been discharged from special education this morning…because she’s obviously too bright. Mila is three years old and has been with NACD for two years on program. When she was younger, we were told by other experts (not NACD), “Your child may never button her own shirt.” … Read More
by Lisa Jamieson, Co-author of Finding Glory in the Thorns As a mom, I wear many hats. As an NACD mom, I’ve worn even more. And just like our ever-changing Minnesota weather seasons require different kinds of hats, my life’s seasons often require that I take on different roles and wear different “hats” to make sure my daughter Carly’s program … Read More
by Debbie Frederickson When Ammon was born he had oxygen problems that weren’t detected until he was six weeks old. When he was three, the Sparks Clinic in Birmingham evaluated him and they said he was “mentally retarded.” When he was about five, we discovered that he had a hearing loss. We were told that he would never learn to … Read More