From Salt Lake City to Ogden, Park City, and St. George, NACD has provided thousands of children with customized, science-based educational and developmental programs. Whether a child has been diagnosed with autism, down syndrome, ADHD, learning disabilities, or simply needs help reaching their full potential, NACD offers individualized programs designed to help each child maximize their abilities in both education and life.

How Utah Families Are Finding NACD—From Across the Globe

Despite being headquartered in Utah, many of our local families have discovered NACD through referrals from parents in other countries. Families in the United Kingdom, India, Australia, Brazil, and beyond have firsthand experience with NACD’s impact and frequently recommend us to families in Utah through Facebook groups, special needs communities, and word-of-mouth referrals. Parents from all over the world recognize the effectiveness of NACD’s approach, often before Utahns do.

It’s incredible to think that families on the other side of the world actively refer Utah families to NACD—yet many local parents are unaware that they have access to this life-changing program right here in Utah. NACD’s international headquarters is located in Washington Terrace, a short drive from Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Park City. We also have an additional evaluation site in St. George, providing in-person services to families in Southern Utah. In addition, families throughout the entire state can work with NACD remotely via video conferencing.

For families seeking the best possible educational and developmental resources for their children, NACD is already trusted by families across the globe—and it’s right here in Utah, available to you.

NACD: A Utah-Based Resource for Child Development & Education

For Utah families searching for the right educational and developmental support, NACD is a local resource that provides world-class expertise. Unlike one-size-fits-all therapy programs, NACD takes an individualized approach, designing a custom program for each child based on their unique strengths and challenges.

We work with children who have:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• ADHD & Attention Issues
• Learning Disabilities
• Down Syndrome
• Speech & Language Delays
• Processing Disorders
• Brain Injuries
• Accelerated & Gifted Learners
• Homeschooling Families – Watch Our Free Homeschool Seminar

In addition to working with children with developmental and learning challenges, NACD also helps homeschooling families, typical children, and those struggling with behavioral challenges reach their full potential. Whether a child needs help excelling academically, improving focus, addressing behavior, or enhancing processing and cognitive skills, our individualized approach is designed to support their education and overall development.

NACD & Utah Scholarships

We know that finding the right resources for a child’s education and development can be overwhelming, especially when cost is a concern. That’s why NACD is an approved vendor for the Utah Fits All Scholarship, making it easier for families to access our services. We are also an approved vendor for the Children First Education Fund, providing additional financial support options for families.

You can find NACD listed as an approved vendor on the Utah Fits All website here.

For Utah families looking for individualized educational and developmental support, NACD is a world-class resource that has been hidden in plain sight. Families from all over the world trust us—now it’s time for more Utah families to discover what’s available right here at home.

Learn More & Get Started

Want to see if NACD is a good fit for your child? Learn more about our Get Started Process or contact us at info@nacd.org to schedule a free informational call.

Check out real success stories, expert insights, and more on our NACD YouTube Channel.

Don’t miss out on this life-changing resource that’s been right here in Utah all along!

The post Utah’s Best Resource for Child Development & Education appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

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 parents of typical children have become concerned their child may fit into the autism spectrum, and a surprising number of normal adults are wondering if they fit into the spectrum as well. That being said, there are many children being permitted—and even encouraged—to engage in what are actually Debilitating Sensory Addictions (DSAs) which do need to be addressed. It’s important to understand what is, and is not, of concern.

Over ten years ago I coined the term DSA, or Debilitating Sensory Addictions, to identify most of what was being referred to as “stims” in children on the autism spectrum. These included developmentally harmful sensory behaviors which may occur in a broad range of children with developmental issues. I incorporated debilitating into the term to indicate that these behaviors are in fact debilitating, as in undermining and impairing development. In addition, these behaviors are addictive. The more the individual engages in the behavior, the stronger the addiction to the behavior becomes, and the more inclined they become to developing sensory and other addictions. The foundation of these behaviors is sensory dysfunction or delayed/underdeveloped sensory function. 

Debilitating Sensory Addictions, although primarily seen in children on the autism spectrum, exist within the broad range of children with delayed development. This is particularly true for those with significant sensory issues. DSAs begin as a form of self-soothing or self-arousal behaviors. They originate around a “broken,” underdeveloped, or abnormal sensory channel and/or a lack of ability or opportunity to engage and interact appropriately with their environment, people, or toys. This was seen very graphically visiting state institutions for those with developmental issues back in the sixties and early seventies. The institutions were filled with “autistic” individuals who had entered after having been labeled or identified as having Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or brain injuries, etc. The DSAs exhibited by these institutionalized children were often much more extreme than what we observe today in even the most severely involved autistic children. These children were, sadly, models of what can develop in permitted and untreated DSAs. 

DSAs can involve any and all sensory channels and can incorporate more than one at a time. The most common DSAs involve vision and hearing. The most prevalent visual issues, in both children on the spectrum and others with developmental issues, is the delayed or slow development of central vision. Peripheral vision is the first vision that develops in all children. Peripheral vision picks up edges and movement. Most people know that babies are attracted to black and white images with sharp edges and to things that move.* These are things that they can see as opposed to things involving their central, or detail, vision. Most young children are far sighted, meaning they do not see things that are up close well. As they use this central vision more and more it generally improves. If, however, this development is delayed, the central vision may not improve. Delays to central vision development can occur when a child learns to play with their peripheral vision in such a way as to become aroused by this play. This can include waving their hands and objects in front of their eyes or lining up objects and flipping pages. It can also include, once they become mobile, moving around a room looking at the edges of the walls, ceiling, and floor, as well as other objects.

Often the first thing that is apparent with a child on the spectrum is the lack of eye contact. The reality is that it goes way beyond lack of eye contact, to not actually looking directly at many things, since they look peripherally. If you watch a typical person as they look around their environment, you will notice—unless they are thinking—that they look directly at faces or objects of significance. This is as opposed to a child or individual with hyper-peripheral vision and hypo-central vision who rarely look directly at anything and instead look rather absent, which they often are.

One of the common characteristics of those “on the spectrum” is the apparent inability to read expressions. I would propose that many, if not most, of those on the spectrum with this issue simply have underdeveloped central vision. They have learned to look at the periphery of the face (the hair that is sticking up or the edge of the ear), rather than the face itself. If you are not looking at the face, you are not seeing or reading the expression on the face.

DSAs related to hearing or auditory processing issues involve manipulating sound, from producing repetitive sounds with toys, to simply tapping or banging, to various forms of vocal repetitions of sounds, words, phrases, or songs. Also included is covering or batting at the ears to block or modify sounds. 

As mentioned, all sensory channels can be involved in DSAs and can involve more than one sensory channel at a time. As an example, children can engage in hand/mouth DSAs that involve the senses of taste, touch, smell, and in some cases even hearing, all simultaneously. The DSAs involving many sensory channels are often the most difficult to resolve.

We can often equate the degree of DSAs and the degree to which individuals are or are not present with the global degree of developmental delay or the placement on the spectrum

One of the significant effects of DSAs is the child’s lack of connection to their environment or to being present. We incorrectly equate learning almost exclusively with being taught, but the reality is that most of what we learn—and what permits us to interact with our environment and the people in it—relates to the degree to which we are simply present. Those engaged in DSAs are to varying degrees not present.

Perseveration—stuck on repeat

A subtle form of DSAs involves perseveration. Perseveration involves wanting, needing, and essentially being addicted to specific input. Videos, commercials, books, and songs all have the potential of becoming perseverative addictions, or DSAs. If permitted, children will watch the same video over and over, or the same piece of a video over and over,** or want to hear the same book or song over and over. They do this to the point at which they have it memorized and beyond, because they are literally addicted to it. This type of DSA is of particular concern because the child can eventually watch the video, recite the line, or play the song in their head over and over; and although not displaying an overt DSA, they are simply not present. Many parents who are trying to get their child’s attention feel as though their child’s mind is someplace else. This is because their child’s mind is somewhere else; they are watching their video clip or repeating their sound bite in their mind. They are not present.

The greater the DSAs, the less present and connected are the individuals and the greater the impact on global development

The role of neuroplasticity is very relevant to DSAs. Essentially all development occurs because of neuroplasticity, which essentially means that the input the brain receives and how we use our brains determines how our brains become wired and develop. To trigger neuroplasticity, the more specific the input (stimulation) and the greater the frequency, intensity, and duration of the input (stimulation), the greater the impact on the brain and thus the more the brain is trained or developed in that direction. Typically, we perceive learning and stimulation as a good thing and work to utilize the components of neuroplasticity to maximize learning. If, however, we look at DSAs, they tend to occur with very repetitious specificity–high frequency, often with great intensity and extended duration—the model that changes the brain. Unfortunately, in the case of DSAs the change is all negative; it triggers neuroplasticity, but with harmful outcomes. If the DSA involves a “broken” undeveloped sensory channel, it tends to perpetuate and unfortunately strengthen what is “broken” and simultaneously wire the brain for more addictive behaviors. If the brain is focused on this intense input, it simultaneously diminishes the “normal” appropriate input that leads to “normal” development.

Sensory/developmental imbalance and sequential processing

In typical development, changes across the sensory and functional areas are balanced. DSAs and sensory issues tend not to be balanced, meaning unequal. As such, the overall development is imbalanced. A very significant related factor is found in auditory and visual sequential processing. This refers to the number of sequential pieces we can hear or see. This is typically measured in digit spans. If I said a number sequence to you at one second intervals, such as 5-2- 7- 3- 9-0-8 and if you could repeat it, that would give you an auditory digit span of seven, which is normal for most adults. This would be a measure of your auditory processing, or short-term memory, which equates with how much you process of what is said to you. Hearing a list of numbers and repeating them backwards, a reverse auditory digit span, would be a measure of your working memory, which is now being referred to as the new IQ and is the foundation of executive function. Executive function is what permits us to have self -control, inhibit inappropriate behaviors, plan, organize, set goals, problem solve, prioritize–all functions that are challenging for many on the spectrum. Typically, auditory sequential processing develops at about ¾ of a digit a year from birth to about 9 years of age. For most children this growth of processing—including short term and working memory—expands simply by people talking to the child and the child being present and listening. If the child is not present, it significantly impairs this development with global impact, affecting all aspects of typical development, most notably the ability to understand language, to think in words, to develop language, and to think conceptually. 

Essentially, we think in either words or pictures. Thinking in words is called conceptualization and thinking in pictures is called visualization. Because of not being present and other issues, many children with DSAs do not develop auditory processing well and lag behind, often dramatically, in learning to think well in words. Simultaneously, the ability to think in pictures, to visualize, keeps getting stronger, creating a greater and greater imbalance. This is often the root cause of the lack of language development and maturity in children on the spectrum. Often behavior outbursts occur because what is happening in real time does not fit the picture in the child’s mind, and their inability to think in words inhibits their ability to think their way through the situation.

Stim is short for stimulation—a misnomer

We generally perceive stimulation as a good thing, and perhaps, therefore, many tend to think of stims as being good and to be permitted, if not encouraged. But, as stated previously, stims/DSAs are providing the brain with negative input which is detrimental to development. DSAs deprive the individual the means to engage and interact with their environment and produce “bad” brain wiring. My grandfather liked to use the saying “Call an ace an ace.” If we are going to address and fix debilitating sensory additions, let’s start by calling them what they are: DSAs.

Attention, inattention, distraction, and fidgeting—good, bad or ???

What is fidgeting? I correlate fidgeting with the issue of DSA’s obstructing the individual’s ability to be present. If a child or adult is actively engaged in behaviors to varying degrees that prevent them from being present, then I would classify the behavior as a DSA. There is a disturbing tendency to see many (and tragically in some cases, most) children as needing more sensory input. Quite to the contrary. The reality is the need to teach the child, and their brain, to focus, to filter, and to ignore extraneous, disruptive input. To believe that many children in a classroom need additional sensory stimulation is ludicrous. Twenty plus children are in a classroom, with all of them breathing, moving, squirming, mumbling, and talking, while other children move down the hallways, trucks go past outside, and planes flying overhead. All the while, they are supposed to be attending to their teacher or their work. The problem is not children being deprived of sensory input; it’s children being overloaded by sensory input and learning how to tune it out, not tune into it. The more distractions, the tougher it is for the child to learn how to filter and attend. When you were going to school, would you have had a better time attending to your work in a library or in the gym during a basketball game? The few who need a thing to occupy part of their brain while they are learning to filter and focus does not justify teaching others to be distracted and dependent and even addicted to inappropriate actions or mechanisms.

For a small percentage of children and adults, the intention and function of a behavior, such as tapping a foot or a finger to help maintain focus, could be considered a short term needed mechanism, although identifying and addressing the underlying issue or issues is to be preferred. The need for fidgeting may exist because of some residual sensory deficit, such as hyper-peripheral visual distractions or residual figure ground issues; but if the result is better attention and the individual being more present, then, while not to be encouraged, it is fine. Fidgets can also be the reflection of being “wired” from a poor or individually inappropriate diet, from present anxiety or nervousness, or from a residual behavior resulting from previous anxiety. Sometimes it might not even have any direct sensory association at all. But encouraging otherwise typically developing children to adopt such behaviors is counter to healthy normal development.

It is vital to look at all these actions and behaviors that have been lumped together as stims from the perspective of the individual. Most of these behaviors have underlying sensory issues which need to be identified and developed. If understood as addictions, it becomes obvious that we need to do all that we can in order to reduce and eliminate them as much as possible. This process typically involves redirection, elimination of any tools that facilitate DSAs, and appropriate engagement for as much of the waking day as possible. If one of the net results of DSAs is prevention of the individual from being present and engaged, then we need to do everything we can to keep them present and engaged. Sensory channels that are underdeveloped, or which have developed improperly, need to be treated. If sequential processing, short-term memory, working memory, and executive function work together to be the foundation which permits us to learn, develop, to think, and function in society, we need to actively and specifically work to develop these incredibly important functions.

Every person is unique. One of the things I taught both of my sons when they were young and perceptive enough to be able to observe the differences between and oddities of their friends and classmates, was that if you met someone and you did not think they were “weird,” it only meant you didn’t know them well enough. We are all “weird” if you look closely enough, which is rather synonymous with different and unique. That is a good thing and bodes well for the perpetuation of our species. Often labels and terms can cause more harm than good. When we can be definitive, we need to be. When we can identify issues as specific to the individual, we need to. Lumping children together with similar symptoms, and often perceiving these symptoms as pervasive, tends to imply that these symptoms are just part of who and what they are and thus to accept it. Having worked with thousands of individuals with DSAs over fifty years, the most important lesson learned is that each child is unique and complex—and needs to be perceived as such. Doing so is the first important step in helping them do and be what their innate potential would permit them to be. Understanding these associated pieces which are distinctive to the individual leads to creating the necessary tools and the ability to treat each child appropriately so that we can unlock their innate potential.

The children have unlimited potential. Our lack of knowledge and the application of that knowledge is the causative factor which limits the outcomes.

*Some children on the spectrum demonstrate an exceptional ability to identify numbers, letters, and words and even to be able to read at an early age, which appears to be the result 

of an early attraction to the edges of numbers and letters. 

** YouTube has made some children on the spectrum tablet navigation experts, as they are driven to pursue their addictions to specific videos.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 36 No.1, 2023 ©NACD

The post Debilitating Sensory Addictions (DSAs): Stimming & Fidgeting appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

Below is a message from Dawn Zachmann, a superstar mother of a young man with Down syndrome and autism. Dawn is one of our exceptional parents who has taken her role as parent and grandparent very seriously, to the great benefit of her family and others.

Dawn, mother of 5, brought her then five-year-old son David to see me in 2006. David has Down syndrome and had been diagnosed with autism as well. When I first met Dawn and David, I discovered that Dawn’s husband had just recently passed away. Dawn, with five children and now a single mom, impressed me that she was willing to take on NACD home education and bear the responsibility for David almost entirely on her own shoulders. Within the first year on program, her house burned down, and she still carried on, financially supporting her family through childcare and home educating all her children. In 2012, all while home educating her children, she opened “Small Wonders,” a home daycare, and in 2017 opened her now large and successful childcare center.

David’s story is important, not because his story is one of the typical Down syndrome success stories, of which we have many. David is not one of the kids who now as an adult functions independently, drives, and lives a typical life. David’s level of involvement was and is such that he will be living with some issues throughout his life (not really unlike most of us); but David’s story is a success story, an important success story, because David has made and continues to make a significant contribution to his family and community and has made other lives and the world a better place.

—Bob Doman

David Zachmann

Hello, my name is Dawn Zachmann and I want to tell my story of how I meet Bob Doman and how he has helped my son David and in turn how David has touched and influenced so many lives.

I am the mother of 5 children, one of which has Down syndrome and autism. David was born with a heart condition, which later needed surgery. He has had over 30 surgeries and to say that life for us has been quite stressful would be an understatement. I wanted to help David all we could, we all did, and figured preparing him to be as independent as possible is one of the best gifts I could give him. It was actually my brother who told be about NACD. He said he read an article about the program, so I reached out. It was in 2006 when David had his first evaluation. I was so impressed with Bob’s knowledge about brain function and physical development. He evaluated David and said he could help him. It was pretty intense evaluation, but when we left, I felt a sense of relief. I finally found the person who could help David reach his potential.

One thing I love about Bob is that no matter what the scenario I told him about he always had an answer. I know without a doubt he was meant to be in our lives. In just a few days David received his program. It was very easy to understand because everything was explained in detail. Most of the activities take less than a couple of minutes, are performed a number of times per day, five days a week and produce tremendous results. David loved doing his program and my family noticed big improvements in his behavior and intellectual development. He had sensory issues, which causes him in some situations to have temper tantrums and they slowly became less and less.

After David’s 3^rd evaluation I decided to enroll two of his brothers in the program. I was homeschooling them and felt NACD would help them have a better love of learning. They didn’t always like doing their schoolwork but as a mom I felt like the program they were on was a good one. Well, I was mistaken. Bob discovered some learning challenges with my son Joshua and designed a specialized program just for him. My other son Jacob is a very self-motivated and he also designed a specialized targeted program just for him. When we received their programs both of my boys were so excited and overjoyed with the fact they didn’t have to spend an hour on math every day and hours on their other subjects as well. Joshua started to love learning because his new program was so doable. Bob told me about neuroplasticity and the importance of frequency, intensity and duration and how vital that children’s education be targeted for the. With targeted input children can learn more in minutes than hours. Jacob would wake up, eat breakfast, do some of his chores and then be ready for his program. Life was so much less stressful, and I didn’t worry about them getting a proper education. The program fit us and made life much more enjoyable. Their memory skills, reading comprehension, math and other academic skills improved a whole school year after just three months and we spent only a third of the time on their new program that we had spent on homeschool previously. I wish I knew about NACD when all my children were younger because I think they would have had more of a love for learning earlier in life.

My one and only daughter also joined NACD and has done very well. Bob has taught all of my children the importance of being self-sufficient. My 15-year-old daughter Abigail runs her own online business and makes more money than some adults. My son Jacob purchased his second home by the age of 23 and Joshua has his own online business and helps me run our very large daycare center. Bob has always been someone my children look up to too. They think he is a pure genius and love that he never makes them feel bad when they make a mistake. He taught them how to be responsible, helpful and to work for things.

In 2020 I enrolled all four of my young grandchildren in NACD. My youngest was 6 months and oldest 8 years. I help them all do program and they all love it. Bob told 8 year old Khloe that if she works hard on her program he can have her graduating from high school in a few years. She is super smart and she and her brother Mason test scores as already much higher than their peers.

Ashton was bow-legged when he started walking and Bob designed a program to help straighten his legs out and now at 18 months he walks normally. My granddaughter Madison has a digit span of 6 and she just turned four, I can’t thank Bob and NACD enough for the gift they have given my family. NACD families get a coach who is always available for any questions or concerns about the program. The staff is always friendly and cheerful. I would highly recommend NACD to anyone with children no matter what their situation is. I know without a doubt Bob can help any child reach their potential.

Dawn Zachmann
Happy NACD Parent/Grandparent

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 34 No.7, 2021 ©NACD

The post David’s Story, A Family’s Journey appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

Most of us have no idea what creatures of habit and patterns we are, nor how stuck we can be in these behavior patterns. I have three dogs that keep reminding me of what a creature of habit I am. If I’m watching TV in the evening and pick up the TV remote, my dogs notice; and if I turn off the TV, they all jump up ready to go. Which way they go is determined by the direction of my first step when I stand up. In the morning if I pick up my cup from the coffee machine and if I turn left, my dogs run down to my office. If I turn right, they go about their business because there are too many options as to what I might do. You probably put the same foot into your pant leg first most every day. The point is that we humans create hundreds of behavior patterns, most of which we are oblivious to.

When dealing with children, particularly children with developmental issues, the connection between the child and the parents and caregivers is amazing. This connection leads to each learning each other’s patterns. Patterns can become ruts, ruts that both parent and child can get stuck in.

One very common pattern or rut that creates problems involves what children will eat. In a very significant percentage of children who come to us, ranging from severely involved children to those who are gifted, a common problem is picky eaters. Back in the early ‘70s when we created a program specifically for children with autism, I worked with a teenage girl who had eaten no food other than apples for virtually her entire life. To compound the mystery of this child, she also had pica—she would put most anything in her mouth and eat it. This included everything from dirt to bugs and her dog’s feces from the yard, but not food. The issue with her eating a greater variety of foods was obviously not an issue with taste or smell, although this can be an issue for many children, particularly those on the spectrum. It was simply a matter of an established pattern, a habit. It should be noted that food cravings that come from eating a lot of some specific foods can also be a contributing issue. Kids are not simple.

In a previous article (Independence and the Developmentally Challenged Child) I discussed how important and vital independence is for the overall development of the child or young adult. The child’s and the parent’s patterns and habits often have a very negative impact on the development of independence.

An example of a common pattern that slows down the development of independence in many children is helping them dress themselves. Most parents who assist their child in dressing and undressing assist in virtually the exact same way every time, and the child participates, or does not participate, in exactly the same way. As an example: Mom approaches Johnny with a T-shirt. Johnny sees it and waits for Mom to put it over his head, at which point he lifts his arms and she helps put his arms in the sleeves. Then she pulls the shirt down. Every day they follow the same pattern. If Mom doesn’t do something to change her pattern, the odds are great that Johnny doesn’t either; and Johnny’s development of independence in dressing himself goes nowhere. Parents need to become acutely aware of the hundreds of such patterns, habits that have been created by them and their children, and consciously work to break them.

It’s helpful when trying to grasp the significance of patterns to see how differently children perform with different people and in different places. Children who work with their parents, caregivers, therapists, and teachers are often going to react and perform differently with each person, or in each place, because patterns and habits are created together and are often person and place specific. Each adult establishes a new pattern, and to some extent the physical space helps establish a new mental picture and a new pattern as well. Most children on the spectrum are strong visualizers, creating mental pictures and videos associated with many aspects of their lives. For these visualizers anything that changes their picture (or habit) can lead to them becoming upset, with the net result being that family members and caregivers avoid upsetting the apple cart and work hard to maintain and reinforce the habits.

One of the most devastating and pervasive problems associated with patterns negatively impacting many of our children with developmental issues is prompt dependency. Prompt dependence is actually taught through creating a patten by which the child is prompted, generally verbally through virtually every step of what they are being instructed to do. Some children, after years of such instruction, develop such a strong pattern that they will do almost nothing without a prompt, requiring someone to guide them through most everything they do, creating greater dependency and stifling independence.

Referring back to the picky eater problem, parents often discover that their child will eat foods at the grandparent’s house that they won’t eat at home, or in a restaurant, or even outside. This is because a new place helps change the pattern.

The teenage girl with autism I met had her eating problem largely resolved within the week she and her family spent with us. Guess what we did to fix it? Almost nothing. The child had spent her whole life at home, eating by herself in the same kitchen at the same table and given the same food—apples—because her family been convinced that she wouldn’t eat anything else, and had established a very strong behavior pattern. When the family flew across the county, stayed in a hotel and at our offices, and ate at restaurants together, they broke the pattern. My little suggestion was to not have any apples nor bring apples to the restaurant and to simply order her the same food the parents were eating and tell her they didn’t have apples. She ate the food and within the week established a new behavior pattern, which was to eat what the family ate.

Patterns and habits affect all of our lives to amazing degrees. Having healthy diets for most people means establishing a new behavior pattern or habit. Exercising regularly for most people requires establishing a new behavior pattern or habit. Many people realize how difficult it can be to break an old pattern and create a new one and realize it doesn’t just happen. You have to very consciously work to create that new behavior pattern; and the longer a pattern exists, the tougher it is to change it, whether it is a good or a bad habit.

Typically developing children are neurologically changing rapidly, and that neurological change pushes them to do new things; and in the process it tends to break many previously established patterns of behavior. Typical children and their parents can certainly fall victim to habits. But when you slow down the developmental process, life tends to become just a series of pattens that essentially rule the child and the family’s life and can significantly and often dramatically inhibit change, development, and expectations. These patterns can affect all areas of development and function. An example is children learning patterns of communication. If whining works to get attention, and Mom interprets that as the child wanting something and becomes trained to start offering the child options until the whining stops, then the odds are good that the child will maintain that pattern of communication even though they neurologically are ready to start verbally communicating. In a similar vein there are children who develop a functional vocabulary of only a few words, who may go years without expanding that vocabulary. It becomes their pattern, and if the expectation is that it’s all he or she can do, then it becomes the perception of what can be, and it is accepted. A child who has a vocabulary of three words is demonstrating that they have the cognitive ability and the oral motor ability to think in words and produce words, why not ten words or twenty words or a thousand words?

If a child lacks mobility, the ability to move either through crawling, creeping, or walking to get to something, and learns to simply lay on the floor and space out, cry for attention, or whine until someone brings something to them, then often these become patterns and the child has no perception that they could move to go somewhere or get something. These children may have the cognitive and physical pieces that would permit them to move, but they are stuck in a pattern.

Looking at pieces of the child in isolation makes it very difficult at best to determine what is a reflection of the child being stuck in a pattern vs. what can, could, and should be. The perception of what can be is then easily limited to what has been, and doors are closed not based on the innate potential of the child, but rather on what patterns have been and are in place.

If, however, we view the “whole child,” the gestalt of the child, we can then see what could be and what pieces need to be put together to break the habits or patterns and move forward.

For example, one vital piece of the “whole child” is cognitive function. If we have understanding, auditory sequential processing, that says the child mentally has the ability to use language functionally and put two or three words together, as well as adequate oral motor skills for speech, but they only use a few words, then we know we have a child who today could be speaking much more, if not for being stuck in a pattern. If, however, we have the cognition, but not the needed oral motor function, then we know we need to work on the oral motor function hard, as well as working behaviorally to create the internal need to communicate. Conversely, if the child has sufficient oral motor function, but not the cognitive function, then the primary focus becomes the cognition.

Looking at a child as their isolated pieces and not understanding their patterns and habits can produce misdirected efforts and priorities, and more often than not turn the focus toward alternatives that lead to poor, low, or limited expectations that can negatively impact the child’s ultimate potential.

Not understanding the “whole child” or the impact of patterns can lead to pursuit of poor alternatives. For the child with limited language, the alternative may be an augmentative communication device that for the vast majority of children fails. If full mobility is deemed to be improbable, then putting the necessary developmental pieces together gets scrapped, and the therapy gets directed toward a child who will spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair. Or a child with unresolved behavior issues ends up being medicated, rather than having his pieces put together and patterns broken.

Habits and patterns impact all of our lives. For our children with developmental problems, these habits and patterns, both theirs and ours, can have devastating consequences. Every child needs to be viewed through the lens of the “whole child” and seen as a creature of habit if we are going to begin to provide them with a real opportunity to realize their innate potential.

Lack of function needs not and should not be viewed as a prognosis or predictor of potential.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 34 No.5, 2021 ©NACD

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I will never forget the feeling I had the day when Jack was labelled as autistic, he was five years old and had received a heavy educational input from myself and my supportive family with reading, math and general learning. My husband and I had left our jobs to take our son to “the best” child psychologist in London, primarily because the private school Jack was attending in Andorra had asked us to withdraw him. The schools’ headmistress said that they did not know what was wrong with him, but they did not have the facilities to educate him. This was quite a shock to us because from when he was a baby, I had seen how intelligent he was and I thought the milestones he wasn’t making was a result of him going to a multi-lingual school for the past year, as before he went to school, he was reading well for his age and showed a great memory for stories and I had no reason to believe he had any issues. My husband and I work on Super yachts, myself as a captain and he as a chief engineer. Before we left our jobs for the trip to London, we had had an amazing guest, who was a pioneer in reducing biological age and in practical uses of increasing knowledge of neuroplasticity. We had mentioned to him why we were leaving our jobs and he gave us the following parting words of advice:

1. Do not take the psychologist’s opinion as the only option, because they specialise in only one specific part of the child, which is a result of the problem.
2. Ask about possible effects of other factors, such nutrition and genetics.
3. Read the book “The brain that changes itself” before you make any major decisions. (This was key to us understanding what to look for in the solution which we finally found in NACD).

After a very expensive, one hour evaluation of Jack, the psychologist in London advised us, in no uncertain terms, that I should move to London and put Jack in a school specialising in children with autism (which he was the resident phycologist for), he advised us that Jack would regress and he would be nonverbal by the time he was 8 years old, he would never be very academic, although he was clearly intelligent by nature and if he did manage to have a career as an adult, he was very likely to grow up to be a selfish and self-involved, egotistical adult, who would have little thought for others. He would not be able to do math or learn to play music, as that part of his brain would never function properly.

My whole world fell apart, we asked the psychologist if there could be any links to genetics or diet that could help him, but he shut us down. We left his office feeling completely overwhelmed. How could we have an autistic child, could there be such low expectations of child of whom we had seen had a natural high intelligence level, who was happy and fun to be with and furthermore, what could we do to help him?

Luckily, throughout our training and careers, we have been taught not to mop up the symptoms of a situation but to find the root cause of the problem and to find a solution to fix these problems. My husband instantly identified that we should find somebody who understood how the brain works and how to fix the neurological root cause of Jack’s disability.

After over a year of home schooling and trying different methods to help an autistic child without improvement, I came upon The Listening Programme (developed by NACD), which is a music recording on an iPod, linked to bone conducting headphones, which trains the ears to learn audible frequencies. Within the first month of using TLP, I saw the first real step forward, in what had been over 12 months of intensive and soul-destroying work, one-on-one with speech therapists, occupational therapists and many other experts with no steps forward and so I read all the recommendations that parents had given on TLP’s website, hoping to find like-minded parents that had found the solution we were looking for; luckily, one of the recommendations mentioned NACD. I searched the internet and was so delighted when I realised that their method of working with disabilities was based on fixing the root cause of the problem, through a series of proven exercises, based on an understanding of the ‘plastic brain’, the effects of neurological issues and how they manifest themselves in symptoms. NACD had managed to help a range of children with disabilities of all kinds of different labels as well as “normal” and gifted children.

After an initial interview with an assessor, we were sent an introductory audio file to listen to, where the NACD method was outlined. I was a little overwhelmed hearing about digit spans etc, but intrigued and totally onboard, so a short while later, in September of 2014, with full enthusiasm, we went to Chicago for Jack’s assessment. Ellen Doman completed a one-on-one assessment of Jack in a hotel room office, whilst we sat anxiously in the foyer. She then brought us into the room and explained how she had identified a number of issues including: sensory dysfunction, developmental motor issues and poor auditory sequential processing amongst other developmental problems. She explained that he was ‘stimming’ and told us what this meant, I still remember being on the phone to my mum during the 4-hour drive home, explaining that Jack was watching movies in his head at hundreds of times the speed and getting a dopamine kick from it, and that this was more addictive than morphine and when he was ‘in a world of his own’ he was actually completely immersed in these movies. It took a long time for this to sink in. I was hesitant at first, as it seemed so far-fetched, but over the years, the theory was proven again and again and when Jack was communicating well enough, he explained this in his own words. Ellen also told us where he was in his fine and gross motor skills, specifically linked to where he was neurologically and noted that Jack was using his peripheral vision over his central vision and she explained why this was not good.

Ellen reassured me that there was a lot we could do with Jack to get him back on track and I was very impressed with the systematic and detailed approach. She said that she would send me a program for Jack and to contact them with any questions or concerns, but in the next few days, while she put the program together, we should avoid dairy, reduce sugars and gluten, not watch any movie or TV shows more than once and get as much time reading together, engaged in games and conversation and to go on walks etc as much as possible. We saw a big improvement within two weeks, particularly in Jacks’ responsiveness and use of language, which we later confirmed was due to stopping milk is his diet as he was lactose intolerant (something I did not really believe in before I saw the evidence in Jack). Our journey on a new path had begun.

The First Program

We were somewhat overwhelmed with the first few programs as they were educating us on how to help and improve Jack’s issues. With the whole family completely involved in every step of the way on how to teach and retrain Jack. NACD reset the way we understood education (My mother lives with us and was the primary teacher because I have a demanding job and my Mum is trained in educating young children and so it took her a while to adapt to these new methods). The program made sense as a whole, but we could not quite see the reasons for some of the tasks until a year or so later, but we started working on the basic fundamentals of a properly functioning brain, starting with developmental motor activities, as well as continuing with TLP and implementing many basic sequencing exercises. Ellen explained where Jack was with math (which was a lot lower than we had realised) and how to teach him the meaning and sequence of number and the difference between math facts and math problem solving. We learned how to teach reading with flash cards of the first 1,000 words and the importance of frequency, intensity and duration. Having the training videos online to access whenever we needed a refresher of how to complete a task has been incredibly useful and the simplified approach to teaching math has helped us teach the children in a fun and engaging way.

The program progressed with Jack and was adapted to suit his level of ability rather than his age. We hadn’t realised how far behind he was on basic neurological assessments initially, but over the years, he has caught up substantially and academically, he has overtaken his peers.

One of my most vivid memories from before NACD, was watching a mother with her 7-year-old boy in Barnes and Noble, she was discussing a topic in the Encyclopaedia with him and they were happily engaged in a two-way conversation. My heart sank and my world fell apart as, I thought, I would never have this relationship with my son, as he would be non-verbal, never mind able to hold a conversation, but now Jack is thriving, he is almost fluent in Spanish, has basic Chinese and French, is learning to study independently and is able to take on any chore in the house. Jack has also just published his first book called “Albert and the Karnikans” in the UK, a process that he had a lot of involvement with, (this is one of many stories he has in his creative space at home). Jack enjoys playing the piano and cello, which I will admit was a struggle for the first few years, he has a very high level of vocabulary, actively engages in conversation and discussions (although his is still quite shy in social situations) and last year, at aged 11, he scored at sophomore college level on his math test. Jack loves to read philosophy and history and writes his own computer code to make basic computer games. In his free time, he draws comics and tells and re-enacts stories and plays with his sister for our entertainment. In short, he is thriving.

Our daughter, Charlotte, is now 10 years old. She was an “average child” when she began NACD at 4 years old (we removed her from school when they asked us to take Jack out). Charlotte loves maths and she tested sophomore level math at 9 years old. She scores 12 in her digit spans in person, 9 on Simply Smarter, which makes more advanced learning in STEM subjects and coding more enjoyable and engaging for her. About a year after starting on NACD, Bob and Ellen discovered she had issues related to reading that a psychologist would have labelled as dyslexia and with early intervention we were able to fix this issue with simple methods that we easily implemented into our daily program, she now tests at reading grade 12 and is an avid reader. She is happy, highly capable and is becoming an independent learner who loves history and science. She plays the harp, piano and violin and is almost fluent in Spanish and is learning Chinese and French.

NACD has made us realise that we can all reach our full potential. The methods we have learned and implemented into improving ourselves has had an everlasting positive influence on us as individuals and as a family. We have all developed with Jack and Charlotte in the process of learning the NACD methods, we have a greater understanding of how the brain works, specifically, how we learn, which has led to a great desire to help other families and children who are experiencing the fear and frustration that we had in our lives only six years ago. All of our family have improved in so many ways and as a result of NACD our lives are so much more enriched, we have become better leaders, communicators and able and willing to take on new academic challenges that otherwise may have been daunting.

My mother, who is now 72 years old, is improving her own brain capability and is reaching her own true potential by completing NACD’s, Simply Smarter in her free time. She is learning Spanish and is still teaching both children English and math.

If I could give advice to other parents it would be to trust the incredible knowledge that the team at NACD have from their education, training, years of experience and teamwork which they draw on with great care, when making up a new program which is specifically designed for each child.

Myself and my family will be forever grateful to Bob, Ellen and everyone at NACD for giving my children the chance to realise their true potential and for making us a stronger and happier family, we intend to continue with NACD for the rest of our children’s journey through education.

The NACD Foundation, Volume 34 No.1, 2021 ©NACD

The post Our Journey With NACD appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

Thanks, Lucas! I’m anxious to get back on the road and see you and all of the other kids. I’ve missed you!

My friend Lucas has succeeded. He has made his dream come to fruition. What started with a nine-year-old boy’s perception of a need and a vision for a solution, after four years of work, has come to be.

One day on the school playground, Lucas realized that his friend in a wheelchair could only sit and watch the other children play. Recognizing a need, he went straight to the principal’s office. Lucas explained the need for a playground that could be used by all children, including those with special needs and in wheelchairs.

After four years of planning, presentations, working with the city, organizing fundraisers and raising almost a half a million dollars, and with a lot of perseverance, Lucas has made the playground a reality.

We can all learn a lesson from Lucas. Start with a vision. If you can’t perceive it, you can’t do it. Then make it happen.

I am so proud of this boy and his family.

Bob

To read more about Lucas’ journey with NACD, visit the link below:
https://www.nacd.org/small-things-big-things-come/

Reprinted by permission NACD Newsletter, January 2021 ©NACD

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For many preschool children and children with special needs, particularly those on the autism spectrum, getting them to tolerate a mask can be a daunting task. For a child who doesn’t understand the need for a mask and who has some tactile defensiveness, getting them to wear a mask can be extremely difficult. Some of you might even think that it’s not just daunting, but impossible. But for some of your children, teaching them to tolerate a mask is vitally important. If your child needs to go to school, is exposed to teachers, aides, therapists, and other children, particularly children with lowered or weak immune systems, they need to be safe, as does the rest of your family.

There is neither a fast nor easy fix to this problem, but for most children we can work them through their issues. The main issue we need to address is the tactility problem. Most young children, and many with special needs, have an underdeveloped or hypersensitive fifth cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve. This is the nerve that is responsible for processing facial sensation and is also involved with biting, chewing, and oral motor development and speech.

To help develop and/or desensitize the trigeminal nerve, we want to stimulate the nerve without being irritating. We develop neurological function by using the science of neuroplasticity, which means we need to be targeted with our input/stimulation and apply the specific input with high frequency, and avoid being aversive or irritating, with very short duration.

Specifically, we want to start when the child is distracted. They can be watching a video, playing, eating, or you can simply be talking to them. While distracted and without making an issue of it, gently start touching their face with your fingertips. Do this so gently and quickly so that they barely notice. For some children this can be as short as a second, but probably not more than a few seconds. Repeat this twenty or more times a day, always being mindful not to push the frequency (how often you are doing it) or duration (the length of time) to the point of being irritating. Very slowly over days increase the length of time you are providing the stimulation each session. Once your child is indicating that they are aware of what you are doing, speak to them in soft comforting words and tones—you are tying to make it a pleasant experience. As your child learns to accept your fingertips, you can add stimulation with a makeup brush and soft pieces of cloth, always remembering to progress slowly and only going longer as your child can accept it. If you push forward too fast and upset your child, you will probably need to stop completely for a couple of days and start over again.

As you slowly work to increase the seconds of time you are providing the stimulation and varying the textures, you can begin to decrease the number of times you do this per day. As you increase duration/length of time you can decrease frequency/times per day. You don’t want to be a pest. You do want to teach your child that this trigeminal stimulation is pleasant.

When you have built your child’s tolerance level to a point where you can provide the stimulation for a minute or more, it’s time to start conditioning your child to the texture of a mask. For most children, smooth textured masks are going to be tolerated better than those that are a bit fuzzy or ticklish. While providing your trigeminal stimulation, start spending more and more time touching and gently rubbing their face with the mask. Do not try to put it on yet, just work to get them comfortable with seeing the mask and feeling the mask. If you haven’t already, now would be a good time for you to start showing your child how you put on and wear a mask while teaching them to tolerate one. Show, don’t tell; and do it naturally, trying to make putting on a mask inconsequential.

Are you aware of any essential oils or extracts such as vanilla that your child likes? If so, start putting a little of the preferred essential oil or extract on the mask. If you know of an essential oil that your child likes and which also tends to calm them, then you have a winning combination.

At a point where your child can handle your touching their face with the mask, start putting the mask over their nose and mouth, without putting the strings over their ears, but for only a second at a time. You are going to need to start back at seconds again, working up to a couple of minutes, remembering to keep your child distracted and entertained. At this stage of the process, without making an issue of it, reward your child when you remove the mask. If they take the mask off, no reward; ignore it and move on. If possible try to anticipate when you child has had enough and remove the mask before they try to do it themselves. You should know what rewards works for your child, a tiny food treat, a hug, turning on their favorite video, etc., whatever works. Work back up to about two minutes. Maintain this for a couple of days.

It’s finally time to actually put the mask on, and again start with seconds and slowly build their tolerance. Build slowly, moving from seconds to minutes to even hours, keep your mask on, keep your child entertained, and reward them after you remove the mask.

How quickly you can move through this process is going to vary from child to child. If you have a child who is exposed to many people or who is physically compromised, then teaching them to tolerate a mask is really necessary. A bonus of taking your child through this process, even if you do not succeed in getting them to tolerate a mask, is development of their trigeminal nerve which will reap benefits for their eating, chewing, overall oral motor function, and tolerance for hats, glasses, headphones, and anything that may touch their face.

Good luck, go slowly, be patient. You may be saving a life.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 33 No. 8, 2020 ©NACD

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When Bowen was almost three years old, we received a formal diagnosis of autism.

The diagnosis didn’t scare us, but the lack of therapies that were offered, particularly in our area of the country, did. We were looking at shuttling our child around to multiple 30 minute appointments, all in various cities, multiple times a week. We weren’t sure how we were going to live life or see any real change for our child. All of that frustration led us to keep seeking though, and that led us to NACD.

The moment I started reading on NACD’s website, I knew this was the program for us! NACD not only believes that you the parent are the best teacher and “therapist” for your child, but they also have the experience and years of success to show that they know what they are doing. Plus, your program can be done from home, meaning you have so much more time to truly make a difference for your child!

In September 2018 Bowen and I walked into our very first evaluation. Within minutes Lyn had taken my nervous energy and changed it into a cautious hope. She explained things about my child that I thought only I knew, and she explained them in a way that took a puzzle in my head and connected the pieces. It was as if she could read him like a book. She knew what we were struggling with, and she had a plan!

A year later Bowen is a very different child. Last year our communication was extremely basic and frustrating. He couldn’t tell us what he wanted or needed. Just getting through our day sparked tears for both parent and child and feeling like a failure as a mom because I didn’t know basic things like what he wanted to eat or drink. Now he speaks in full sentences and is starting to tell us what he dreams about at night and what he wants for Christmas. I know what scares him and what makes him happy. That in itself is priceless.

Bowen was in his “own little world” a lot of the time last year. That’s not the case anymore. On a weekly basis friends and family comment on the changes they see, and his leaps and bounds continue to amaze us.

Words will never, ever be adequate for how thankful I am for NACD—and really we’re just beginning.

Reprinted by permission NACD Newsletter, November 2019 ©NACD

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Free with your NACD membership

NACD Math was designed not only to teach children how to do math, but also to help them learn that math is easy, that they are good at math, and to enjoy it.

NACD Math is now made available online for our NACD clients through the NACD Family Portal. The new updated NACD Math replaces Modular Math, as well as supplemental math books.

Lyn Waldeck and Sara Erling, along with John McCallum, have been working for the last two years to bring together the pieces of NACD Math. NACD Math is targeted for the special needs population, particularly for those children with Down syndrome, those on the autism spectrum, and children with learning disabilities who have historically had difficulty with math. The program has also been used with great success for typical children to establish initial math concepts and to teach them math processes from initial number and quantity concepts through sixth grade computation.

NACD Math has a long history of development and has been used with thousands of children internationally.

Math education for special needs children has been an issue, except for those who have been using Bob Doman’s Modular Math program. The reason our program has been so effective is that it is built around how children learn, whether they are on the spectrum, have Down syndrome, or simply are young. Historically math instruction requires a lot of words. A lot of words are not something any of these children process or understand well. Our math program is very visual and teaches the child just one step at a time; and it is designed to avoid the need for, or dependency on, prompts.

NACD Math has been designed so that virtually anyone can teach it. The program incorporates video step-by-step instruction, so the teacher, parent, or even a sibling can watch a short video and then replicate/teach the simple steps. Each math computational process builds on the previous processes, creating simple transitions from one process to the next.

NACD Math has permitted many hundreds of children with Down syndrome to start learning math even before their typical peers and often to stay ahead of them for many years. With the solid NACD Math foundation, children with DS have been able to move into algebra and higher math. To say that NACD Math has been helpful for this population is a gross understatement; it has been a game changer. NACD Math builds a math foundation and understanding that has permitted special needs children to advance into higher math and has established a foundation for typical children that gets them off to a running start and puts them way ahead of their peers.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 31 No. 10, 2018 ©NACD

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To Get Started with the NACD Program,
please visit our NACD Get Started page

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Three Sets of Concepts

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Video Instructions for the Parent or Instructor

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Handouts with Examples of Each Concept

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To Get Started with the NACD Program,
please visit our NACD Get Started page

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Children labeled as “autistic” have been enigmas since they were first identified. Fortunately, some questions surrounding these children are being answered. Many “autistic” children (children with sensory dysfunction) are now being helped, and some are achieving “normal” function. As a result of NACD’s work with “autistic” children, we have also gained a better understanding of sensory function. This understanding has had implications and applications to our work with all children.

Historically, the parents of “autistic” children have suffered more (if such suffering can in fact be measured) than the parents of any other group of children. The classic “autistic” child was viewed as a child with a severe emotional problem, or as a child with childhood schizophrenia. Often, this emotional or psychiatric condition was attributed to maternal rejection. In addition to society’s punishment of the parent (particularly of the mother for supposedly rejecting her child), was the child’s behavior, which often appeared to others as rejection of people in general, and to the mother as a rejection of her in particular. Add to this the child’s often rather bizarre, and in some cases, destructive behavior, and you have a description of a very untenable situation. Such is one’s introduction to the world of the “autistic” child. Fortunately, as with many of the mystiques built up around unanswered questions, the view of the “autistic” child as an emotionally disturbed child is based upon supposition, not fact. Suppositions that we strongly question.

The Isolated “Autistic” Child

Generally, descriptions of “autistic” children are rather similar. They are essentially descriptions of symptoms, leaving the questions of cause and cure open.

When Fenichel (1960) described children with “childhood schizophrenia” he described the “autistic” child as follows: “They have little or no speech, they rarely display any effective awareness of people, and they maintain a level of activity that has the barest relation to objects or events in the real world.” Fenichel then subdivides “autistic” children into two groups: “those who have been retarded in maturation from birth, and those children with a history of regression.”

Kanner, in 1958, established criteria for infantile autism as the following: “An extreme self-isolation, or an inability to relate themselves in the ordinary way to people or situations from early in life,” and “an obsessive insistence of the maintenance of sameness.”

Children who have been diagnosed as “autistic” function within a very broad range. On the mild end of the spectrum are children who in many ways look and even act rather “normal,” but who may have some perseverative or repetitious behaviors such as rocking, humming, or repeating verbatim what is said to them (echolalia). At the other extreme are children whose behavior appears to fit many people’s perception of a severely emotionally disturbed individual. Such children are characterized by behavior that can be very hyper (active) or hypo (inactive); they can be destructive, self-destructive, and at times aggressive. All such children can generally be described as exhibiting some degree of self-isolation.

A Problem of Perception

The “autistic” child can be perceived as an emotionally disturbed child without a great deal of difficulty. They are often in their own little world, and they essentially do reject others to varying degrees. They may strike out at others, at their environment, and even at themselves as though consumed by some inner emotional force. But if we view these behaviors through other eyes, they can begin to make even greater sense.

Why do many “autistic” children have perfectly “normal” siblings? Why do many “autistic” children have warm, loving mothers? Why do some children begin life “normally” and regress into an “autistic” condition a year, or two, or three after birth? These questions cannot be easily answered with the “emotional” model; however, they can be answered with the “neurological/sensory” model.

Autism – Sensory Dysfunction

Years ago, work with brain-injured children began with the “cerebral palsied” child and the traumatically brain-injured child (mechanical injury, i.e., auto accidents, etc.), and widened with ever expanding concentric circles as implications derived from the obviously brain-injured had application to other children. Such implications expanded to include the “autistic” child.

Many obviously brain-injured children exhibit some behaviors that are often used to characterize the “autistic” child. Severely brain-injured children, as their sensory awareness develops, engage in hand waving, fascination with light, rocking, repetitious noise making, “spacing out,” self-stimulation, and in some cases, self-destructive behaviors. Are these children “a little autistic,” and as they progress and improve their sensory function and these behaviors are eliminated, do they get over being a “little autistic?”

NACD’s perception of the “autistic” child follows the neurological/sensory model. A child who has been labeled as “autistic” is viewed not as an emotionally disturbed child, or as a child with a psychiatric problem, but as a child with sensory dysfunction whose abnormal behavior is a reflection of abnormal perception.

Typically, a child given an emotional/psychiatric label is not examined or evaluated beyond the parameters of the problem as it is perceived. However, NACD has had the opportunity to examine the results of full neurological workups of “autistic” children. The results of such workups indicate that “autistic” children are brain-injured.

Examining the “autistic” child as a brain-injured child clarifies many aspects of their development and function. Referring back to Fenichel, he subdivided “autistic” children into those who were retarded in maturation from birth and those with a history of regression. When viewed as brain-injured, those children with delayed development match the expected pattern of a child with injury that affected various levels of the brain, while the child who has regressed fits the pattern of a child with an injury to only higher levels of the brain; levels that the child might not attempt to utilize until months or years following birth. This picture is not dissimilar to that of the cerebral palsied child who develops normally for the first few months before exhibiting the cerebral palsy symptoms resulting from injury to the mid brain. The rather classic picture of the “autistic” child who is attractive in appearance with only minor motor problems, or with no motor problems at all, but who is very self-stimulating, self-isolated, and who lacks speech, is a picture of a child with what generally turns out to be mild-diffuse cortical brain injury that does not seriously affect motor function, but does seriously disorganize sensory integration and the cortical function of language.

Sensory Dysfunction

NACD refers to the “autistic” child as a child with sensory dysfunction. Our work with these children begins by evaluating function in order to determine the degree and type of abnormal sensory function. That is to say, by looking at how the child reacts, it is possible to make a determination as to how the child perceives the world, which then makes it possible to assess the child’s problems in the various sensory channels. How we see the world is determined by how our brains interpret the information that comes through our five senses. How a “normal” individual perceives the world is not always as it is. For example, how loud do your children yell? If you are wide awake and relaxed, they do not yell too loudly. If you are tired and grumpy their yelling seems too loud; and if you have a migraine headache, the sound is intolerable. All the same volume but perceived differently. The way we see the world is determined by how our brains interpret it.

How does the brain of the child with sensory dysfunction perceive the world? Carl Delacato, in his book “The Ultimate Stranger,” classifies each sensory channel as being hyper, hypo, or being disrupted by “white noise” or interference within the system. Each sensory channel can be affected in a different way: For example, a child can be hypo-visual, “white noise” auditory, hypo to tastes and odors, and hyper-tactile. Each child needs to be considered on an individual basis. Evaluation of an individual is complicated by the interaction of the five sensory channels.

The Emergence of a Pattern

Through our work with children who have sensory dysfunction, a pattern has emerged into which more than half of the “autistic” children appear to fit. This pattern includes the following: hyper-auditory, hypo-central vision, hyper-peripheral vision, hyper-touch, hyper-pressure and temperature, and hypo-taste and odor. The abnormal perception produces what is termed sensory agnosia, or an inability to attach meaning to sensory impressions. Much of the input coming to these children appears to create antagonism between input, with the child’s ultimate interpretation being determined by the interplay between the various dysfunctional sensory channels. Let’s examine a typical/atypical child with severe sensory dysfunction.

Hyper-Auditory

Being hyper-auditory, sounds in the child’s environment seem much louder to him than they do to us. Because of the acuteness of his hearing and what appears to be a particular sensitivity to high sounds, the hyper-auditory child lives in a very confusing and often threatening auditory environment. He is bombarded with sound. As we attempt to talk to such a child, he is not only hearing our distorted voices, but a buzz from the fluorescent light overhead, the conversation in the next room and the traffic outside. The greater the quantity and volume of these sounds, the more difficult the interpretation. Depending upon the severity of the problem, such children will act confused, intensify their activity level and increase their degree of disorientation as the volume increases, or they may simply, turn off auditorily just to survive. As many of these children begin to improve auditorily, they understand much of what is said, but they do not hear clearly or cleanly enough to reproduce speech normally.

Hypo-Central Vision, Hyper-Peripheral Vision

The central, or macular vision of these children is hypo, or depressed, and the peripheral vision is hyper, or agitated. The result being that such children use their peripheral vision instead of their central vision to see. These children tend not to look directly at things; they do not make good eye contact, and they tend to reach for things without apparently looking at them first. These children often engage in self-stimulating visual play; they have a fascination for lights, reflections, and spinning objects; and they use, rather than play with, toys. The antagonism that exists between the agitated peripheral vision and the depressed central vision tends to perpetuate the problem until such time as direct remediative measures can be imposed.

Hyper-Touch, Hypo-Pressure and Temperature

Many things seem to create a pleasure/pain conflict with these children; their tactile systems often epitomizing this conflict. Often children with sensory dysfunction are hyper, or super-sensitive to touch. The touch receptors of the skin are so sensitive that the child may pull away from touch with fear and pain. The same child, however, if grasped firmly and deeply massaged, enjoys the sensations that this deep pressure produces. This sensitivity to touch complicates the teaching of manual skills. The self-destructiveness of some “autistic” children (biting, banging of their heads, etc.) provides them with pleasure/pain experience. Often, they appear to simply enjoy feeling.

Hypo-Taste and Odor

Many of these children are hypo-responsive to tastes and odors. They do not appear to be aware of the tastes of most foods or the odors in their environment. Being hypo-taste can produce a variety of food preferences, or lack of such. Some of the children will eat anything and everything, including harmful substances. Some will only eat foods with very strong tastes B strong enough so they can taste something. Others will find a taste they can recognize and will not eat anything unless it is this one taste.

Assessment of the Individual

Although there are some patterns being identified in “autistic” children, general assumptions should not be made about individuals. Each child must be observed as the unique individual he or she is. Knowledge of children with similar problems, however, can provide insights that can greatly assist in the diagnostic and therapeutic processes.

Treatment

Treatment of the child with a sensory dysfunction is multifaceted, including components of neurological organization, specific sensory training, design of a protected sensory environment, behavior management, as well as general medical and nutritional care. The sensory environment is of utmost importance for these children.

Coupling these problems of hyper, hypo, and agitated responses with antagonism between incoming sensory input, produces the vital need for a controlled sensory environment. Many “autistic” children, when placed in a controlled environment, respond immediately to the new non-threatening environment. For example, the hyper-auditory and hypo-central, hyper-peripheral vision children spend as much of their day as possible in an environment void of all extraneous auditory and visual input Auditory input is provided via earphones so as to avoid interference from other sounds. The physical environment is as sparse as possible so as to avoid stimulation of the overactive peripheral vision. Blacklight rooms are utilized, which eliminate the entire peripheral world (only white and fluorescent objects can be seen in blacklight). Fluorescent toys are introduced to help stimulate the central vision and teach the children how to play appropriately. Such controlled sensory environments are an integral part of the NACD Centers, and they are major factors in assisting these children in achieving their full potential.

The “Autistic” Genius

The hyper sensory function found in most “autistic” children can be changed from a negative, inhibiting function to a positive, contributing function. There is numerous documentations of “autistic” children with unusual capabilities: children who, given a date, can immediately tell you upon which day of the week it had fallen, or will fall; children with incredible memories for trivia; children who can instantly calculate complex mathematical problems. Most of these children were never taught how to do these things, and for the most part could only do one such exceptional thing. We have learned however, that many “autistic” children can be taught to do many things exceptionally well.

Learning How We Learn

Most of our children with sensory dysfunction read before they speak. Some of them read better (faster and with better comprehension) than their “normal” peers. And a few read better than anyone would have thought anyone could read. Some compute mathematics exceptionally well and some learn foreign languages virtually overnight. We have learned to use teaching as a therapeutic tool to help these children “tune in.”

Thirteen-year-old Bruce did not talk nor respond to anyone talking to him. He just floated around, and he looked no harder at people than he did at pieces of furniture. Bruce was totally in his own world. Bruce was hyper-visual and auditory and had turned the world off. To help Bruce, we started flashing word cards at him very rapidly (l/2 second intervals). These rapidly flashing cards attracted Bruce visually as rays of sunlight or steam had previously. Bruce watched the cards. As they were flashed, they were named. Bruce began to listen to the names and to associate the names with the words. Soon Bruce noticed the hands holding the cards, and the person attached to the hands B his mother. Bruce began to learn faster than we could develop materials. Bruce was able now to learn something and remember it after having seen it only once, for l/2 a second. Within two years, Bruce could read, understand, and remember everything he read, and he could read an entire page in a glance! He also remembers everything he hears; he computes mathematics instantly and understands six different languages. Bruce is very affectionate and has a good sense of humor. But Bruce is not “fixed” yet. His verbal language is still delayed, and sensitivity in his hands makes him reluctant to manipulate many things as he should. But he is well on his way!

There are others. Some who began at levels above Bruce, and others below. But many of their abilities to learn have been shocking and eye opening. Rapid, clean (free of extraneous stimuli) presentation has been the key. The same key we have discovered that turns on the “normal” preschool child; the same key that enables many other children who supposedly couldn’t learn, to learn. We have ascertained things about perception and sensory function from our “autistic” children that are helping us understand more about the entire learning process.

It is unfortunate that we live in an age of specialization, rigidity, and segregation when there is so much we can learn from each other. As our insights become clearer, hopefully more doors will open, and we can help more of these children come closer to achieving their full potentials.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 6 No. 11, 1986 ©NACD

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