Laird Doman represents the third generation of his family devoted to the well-being of children and the advancement of neurodevelopment. He works collaboratively with his father, Bob Doman, the founder and director of NACD, building upon the groundbreaking work initiated by his grandfather, Dr. Robert J. Doman M.D. Laird’s grandfather was one of the very first…
“Saying that you can cure dyslexia is like saying that you can cure blue eyes. You either have it or you don’t,” said a recent college graduate with a degree in learning disabilities. My son Brian is living proof that, through God’s grace and the help of NACD, this is not true. As a preschooler,…
by Robert J. Doman Jr. THE PROBLEMS The first problem faced by the parent of a hurt child is to discover just what it is that their child is, or has. Whether the child’s problem is discovered at birth, or a week, a month, or years after birth, or even if the problem is created…
by Lori Riggs You want to build a house, so you borrow a hammer. Every day you pull out your hammer and pound on something—anything—twice a day for two hours. And sometimes you just hold the hammer and look at it or set it close to a nail. Certainly at the rate of four hours…
as told to Iliana Clift Years ago I hung a quote by the Roman orator Cicero on Marcus’s bulletin board that said, “The greater the difficulty…the greater the glory.” This quote describes our journey with Marcus quite well. When we first started the NACD program, he hardly had any speech at all. He was extremely…
As told to Iliana Clift by Joshua’s Mom When Joshua was five and the time that he should start kindergarten was fast approaching, I agonized over placing him in a formal school setting. He was very active and did not like to sit still. He would not sit down to eat, but preferred to stand…
by Natani Jones, as told to Iliana Clift Now what? After a month in ICU and three months in a rehab facility, my son was finally home. Not having another option, my husband, riddled with guilt, went to work; I stayed home to care for Trevor—all alone, young, and inexperienced. I longed for my own…
by Lyn Waldeck When I first started training with Bob back in the early to mid 1990s, I was fortunate to be able to sit through hundreds of evaluations with him. Hundreds of times I heard him ask the question, “So Johnny, what do you do for fun?” One evening over a working dinner meeting…
by Nick Smith This report outlines common side effects of drugs prescribed for ADHD, many of which are extremely serious even if they are considered “rare.” If parents do not tolerate a child running across a neighborhood street without looking for cars because there is a “rare” chance they will be hit, then why should…
by Vidya Guhan, NACD Developmentalist and Coach As a coach, this tends to be the number one concern that I address with parents. As a parent, I always come home from an evaluation feeling good, feeling like I have a plan and can make some real progress. Then I receive my program, and I feel…