by Bob Doman After all these decades and tens of thousands of kids and families, there are a few basic things that stand out that often have great impact on how well our families and children do. A reality is that you can only accomplish a lot if you are to some degree organized and have an ongoing vision of … Read More
by Bob Doman The commencement speech by Admiral William H. McRaven is outstanding, and I believe it has very special significant for parents who are really trying to take charge of their own lives and assume the responsibility for their children’s lives and futures as well. For all of our NACD families, I would request that you watch this video … Read More
Jake is the youngest of three children. He was first flagged as struggling academically in kindergarten and then again in grade one. Jake struggled with saying the alphabet, sounding out the alphabet, math, staying focused, sitting still and making/keeping friends. At home, he was busy physically with sports, but could not get along with siblings, couldn’t take a joke, had … Read More
A study out of Simon Frazer University indicates that cognitive-motor function begins to decline at the age of 24. In this study the researchers analyzed the data derived from 3,305 players, ranging in age from 16 to 44, of a complex computer game called Starcraft 2. According to Joe Thompson, the lead investigator of the study, “After around 24 years … Read More
A 2012 study of child prodigies conducted by Joanne Ruthsatz and Jourdan B. Urbach found that all the children studied tested in the 99th percentile for working memory. Each of the child prodigies tested at what was considered a moderately elevated intelligence and exhibited high scores relative to their attention to detail. But the most exciting results were the working … Read More
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 developed a “whole person” perspective … Read More
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 community. Regrettably, this really hasn’t … Read More
by Bob Doman How long is a day? How long is a minute? How long does it take to make a bed, take out the trash, make a sandwich, or eat a meal? I’m sure you can all answer the first two questions, or at least you think you can; and I suppose that you could give a fair guess … Read More
By Lyn Waldeck Our story, which by no means is at its end, began in the mountains. To be specific the Transylvanian Mountains. During Christmas of 1990, a specific child was brought to our attention that was in desperate need of a family. Florin Valc, who later became our son Evan Waldeck, had spent the first two years of his … Read More
by Robert J. Doman Jr. HOW TO EVALUATE AUDITORY AND VISUAL SHORT-TERM MEMORY AUDITORY SHORT TERM MEMORY To test the auditory digit span, the parent should slowly (1 digit per second) say number sequences beginning with 2 digits (Example, 4 – 1 sec. Space – 2). Have the child attempt to repeat the sequence. If the child was unable to … Read More