We are sometimes asked how NACD differs from the ABA – Applied Behavior Analysis therapy approach to individuals with Autism. In simplistic terms, the two approaches have profound philosophical differences that impact on the specific practices as well as the understanding of what needs to be changed. NACD approaches any individual as a whole person….
by Bob Doman We generally think of independence as being free of outside control. With children, and from a developmental perspective, I see it not so much as being free of outside control as gaining self-determination, autonomy, and initiative. To discover that you can affect and change what is happening and to perceive, learn, and…
For more than three decades, the National Association for Child Development (NACD) has worked toward a better and more thorough understanding of cognitive function and how neuroplasticity affects that function. The ability of the human brain to change and improve due to neuroplasticity provided the foundation for the development of the NACD approach. NACD has…
by John M. Jaquith, M. Ed. Click here to read the study (PDF) Abstract In order to see the effects of short-term memory on standardized achievement scores, this study compared the auditory and visual digit spans of 546 students (from a private school located in the Southeastern part of the United States) to their scores on…
Research Study by Brigham Young University: The Efficacy of the NACD Program Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 15 No. 1, 2002 ©NACD Click here to read the study (PDF)
Research Study by Dr. Randall (Randy) Esters, Ed.S. At a K-12 school in Rural Louisiana, the principal and staff, in collaboration with the National Association for Child Development designed a model intended to increase the cognitive processing of identified at-risk students. A second, less intense part of the program targeted the general population of students….
by Bob Doman Understanding the brain and how it works has been the subject of a tremendous amount of study and research. Exploring such research in college really engaged and intrigued me, particularly when I realized that the knowledge that had been gained in neuroscience was not being acknowledged, reflected, or utilized by the educational…
by Sara Erling I remember talking to David’s mom, Holly, prior to her starting the NACD program. She was familiar with NACD because when she was a girl in the 80s, her mom had helped do program with three children. So when her own son, David, was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder, anxiety, and…
by Sara Erling It never fails, year after year, while we think—and our NACD parents think—that it is going to be a good and productive summer, it ends up being crazy with baseball, soccer, camp, barbecues, and vacations. Life as we know it gets in the way. Whether I am talking to a parent on…
by Kenneth H. Waldeck I was born to two dedicated parents whose care exceeded just addressing the needs of the present. Perhaps it was the hopelessness that theses loving parents felt that prompted care like this. After all, these parents also had a severely brain injured son named Evan. They had to look forward to…