by Mary Beth Franzen Here we go again. One would think I would be used to this by now, but I guess I’m not. The current “career consultant” for my daughter, Rebecca, isn’t going to work out. Time to go back up the chain of command and re-think this process…again. More red tape, more time…
Arianna is 13 years old. She happened to have been born with one extra chromosome, a fact that is neither positive nor negative but certainly has been a challenge for her in many ways. As parents we learned that the medical term is designated Trisomy 21. We feel very strong about using that term. Verbalizing…
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…
by Robert J. Doman Jr. and Ellen R. Doman National Association for Child Development One of the areas of parental concern for the development of any baby is the area of mobility. Watching a baby learn to crawl, creep, stand and walk are thrilling to all parents. As a parent we can see our child…
by Nancy Lyons It’s that time of year when many high school seniors look forward to being accepted to the college of their choice. In the Lyons household, there is big reason to celebrate, as Bobby learned that he was accepted to a college in New York state, where he plans to major in Sociology….
Dear NACD families, Like you I have a special angel in our family named Gitane (7 y.o.) and, like you, since she arrived nothing has been quite the same. Somehow my acting career and chasing different roles around the world turned into dedication to chase the betterment of my Down Syndrome daughter who could…
Such a simple word with such profound ramifications. If you look it up in the dictionary you’ll read: Hear: \ˈhir\ transitive verb 1: to perceive or apprehend by the ear 2: to gain knowledge of by hearing 3 a: to listen to with attention : HEED b:ATTEND <hear mass> 4 a: to give a legal…
by Elisa Delfino How do I even begin? There was a time that I didn’t understand the new perfect angel that the Lord sent to me. I thought, “What do I do? Cry? Cuddle her and wish it wasn’t so?” As a mother I thought, “What can I do to fix the situation?” This time…
by Sue Mayer Today was a beautiful spring day, but someone forgot to tell Sam that news. He woke up in his usual fashion, happy and more than willing to give a morning hug and kiss with an enthusiastic, “Goooood Morrrrning, Mommy”. He even drank his juice (which for Sam consists of vitamins, coconut milk…
by Robert J. Doman Jr. Down Syndrome is the most common and best known of the chromosomal anomalies. The condition was first described by Langdon Down in 1866. Previously, the children with this anomaly were labeled as Mongoloids. The term was applied to these children because of the somewhat oriental look produced by the epicanthal…