Your computer’s CPU, or Central Processing Unit, carries out instructions and performs calculations that run programs and operate the computer system. This processor collects information from computer memory, decodes, executes operations, and stores results. The better your processor, essentially the better your computer.

Our combined internal processor and CPU, our brain, gathers information through our senses, associates that input with information stored in our memories, and then performs all associated functions—learning, thinking, planning, organization, self- regulation, inhibitory control functions, and cognitive flexibility. 

Every day we hear more about AI, Artificial Intelligence, the future. AI is the technology that enables computers to act more like brains, to carry out advanced functions, and perform functions that would normally require human intelligence, including learning, understanding language, problem solving, making recommendations, and more. While all this development is taking place, we are ignoring the development of HI- Human Intelligence.

As the world works hard to create smarter computers, our society is tending to produce dumber brains. Some research is showing that we may now be dropping as much as 2.5-4.3 IQ points per decade. * Recent academic outcomes, addiction to social media and screens, and societal trends would tend to suggest that the decline is now accelerating. There are many reasons for this decline, all of which have an impact of the development of and use of our internal processors, our brains.

It was once correctly said that the brain is the only container in which the more you put into it, the more it can hold. It’s true! We build a better brain by permitting it to process more. The mechanism of neuroplasticity is that which not only permits growth and development, but it is also the brain mechanism that grows the brain the more we use it. The better our processing, the more input our brains receive, the greater our complexity of thought and function. The more and better we process, the smarter we get.

The human brain, human processor, typically develops its foundation in our first ten years of life; but development can and does continue beyond then. Neural connections and networks start developing from birth as the brain is stimulated through sensory input and use. The more targeted to the individual and organized the input, the greater the benefit. The primary components of our processor are generally referred to as short-term memory, working memory, long term memory, and executive function. These terms do not accurately depict how our processor works. Our brain function is our intelligence, which is much more than memory. It’s how we process, manipulate, associate, create, think, and behave. These dynamic systems of our brain effectively determine how we learn, think, function, behave, and ultimately who we are.

Neuroplasticity is active throughout our lifetime. We have the potential to keep growing, to keep getting smarter, given the opportunity. How our brains develop reflects the stimulation and opportunities we receive. Input develops our brain and literally grows connections and neural networks, physically growing the brain. A typical baby’s brain weighs about three-quarters of a pound, and an adult brain about 3 pounds. The degree of growth is a direct reflection of the input, the stimulation we receive and how well our processor works. Neurodevelopmental problems ranging from things like Down syndrome to autism, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia and learning disabilities are all issues that adversely affect the brain’s ability to process input. Perhaps nothing reflects the value of targeted treatment/input as the changes that are produced in all of those with obvious neurodevelopmental issues when provided with programs that organize their brains and build their processors. All of these neurodevelopmental issues can be affected and improved or eliminated if these individuals are provided with the targeted input needed to address and build their processing.

Educators and most parents are familiar with the term “curriculum.” Curriculum implies a planned course, a sequence of planned input that incorporates practice to produce proficiency. Our schools have reading, math, science, history, and other areas of curriculum, but where is the curriculum for the most important piece that actually makes us smarter? Educators have been stuck for decades with a convenient grey area defining the difference between intelligence and cognition, which are functionally the same thing and equate with “smart.” If you believe that intelligence (cognition) doesn’t, or can’t, change, the educational system absolves itself of the responsibility to develop it, which also assists in categorizing and limiting expectations. It is what it is and has resulted in accepting mediocrity in most and limitations in all of our children. Our more than four decades of experience at NACD in developing processing in many thousands of children and adults, from those with brain injuries, Down syndrome, autism, learning and attention issues to “typical” and gifted, etc., undeniably shows that not only can intelligence be improved, it can dramatically enhance and change lives. There is formal research showing the positive effects on IQ, cognition, with Head Start, preschool, and education in general. ***These changes are correctly attributed to improved quality and quantity of input, change that occurs although “education.” These changes are made even though “education” rarely if ever includes targeted activities to address the foundational components of cognition, our processing power—the ability to process more of what we see and hear, and the ability to mentally manipulate more pieces of information, the workings of our human processor, our brains.

That which develops changes, what changes can be developed.

At NACD we work with families and their whole children. A rather important part of the whole package is the brain. We have developed and utilized literally hundreds of targeted activities to build and change cognition, to build human processors. When we design individual educational and developmental programs, they include everything from diet to behavior, social skills, language, physical structure and function, to reading and math, etc. But inevitably high on the priority list, if not at the top, is processing: building and developing the human processor, the brain, and simply making people smarter.

Smarter is better. We all have the potential to be smarter and a responsibility to make our children smarter.

Trying to help a child achieve their potential without addressing their processor, or cognition, is like trying to win the Indy 500 without building an engine.

*https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-06-iq-scores-1970s.html#:~:text=In%20studying%20the%20data%2C%20the,was%20not%20all%20bad%20news.

** See video above

***https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-06-iq-scores-1970s.html#:~:text=In%20studying%20the%20data%2C%20the,was%20not%20all%20bad%

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 39 No. 3 , 2025 ©NACD

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Parents can become aware of their child’s lack of progress from report cards, meetings with teachers, standardized test results, or even helping with homework. It’s a terrible feeling to realize that your child isn’t learning as well as is expected, particularly when you may not have been previously aware of it. 

A failure to progress academically can have multiple causes, of course, but there are a few things that parents and professionals in the field of education need to keep in mind. The curriculum that master plan implemented by schools and mandated by states is not written, designed, and implemented for YOUR child. This massive plan, which dictates the scope of what is taught and in what order it is taught, is not aimed at any particular student but rather designed to reach some overall goals far removed from specific students. 

Students, including your child, vary enormously in their ability to process information and utilize that information in any way. Although the concepts of visual and auditory learners, for example, are often over-simplified, there are real processing differences among students in every class, in every school. What your child is able to learn and retain out of what is being presented is based on his or her ability to take in what is being presented and store it in a way that can be recalled. 

So, although schools have this massive curriculum designed with no particular student in mind at all, your student may not be equipped to learn it. In other words, this may well be the wrong curriculum and instructional approach for your child. In fact, your child might be able to do an outstanding job of learning, given another approach and a different type of curriculum. Too often, schools function like the military. We have this institution with this structure and this agenda. Your child must fit in and learn to meet expectations. 

Consider that the issue may not be caused by a flaw in your child but rather by flaws in how this system is imposing itself on your child. No school can fully individualize what they do. Even students with IEPs don’t actually get their own curriculum but rather a slowed-down, abbreviated version of the overall curriculum. Homeschooling provides a solution, of course, as long as the parent does not simply replicate the errors the schools have made. Improving how a child processes information allows the child to learn from a wider array of instructional styles and permits the child to learn with less effort.

NACD is here to help your child improve his or her processing and also design a truly child-specific learning plan that paves the way for successful and rapid learning. 

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 39 No. 3 , 2025 ©NACD

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by Laird Doman

At NACD, we love innovation. We’ve embraced cutting-edge neuroscience, data, and technology for decades. But one place we’re drawing a very firm line? Trying to use Artificial Intelligence—especially tools like ChatGPT—to generate or guess what an NACD program might look like.

We recently heard from a family that typed their child’s diagnoses—autism, ADHD, anxiety, and sensory processing disorder—into an AI program and asked for a customized NACD plan. What came back was, quite honestly, laughable: a generalized list of activities like “relaxation techniques,” vague references to “digit spans,” and a canned daily schedule with no relevance to the child’s actual needs.

It was generic. It was inaccurate. And it was absolutely not NACD.

Why This Matters

We work with children whose needs are unique, layered, and evolving. NACD programs are created by human experts, based on:

• A comprehensive evaluation of your child’s neurodevelopmental function
• A deep understanding of what’s working and what’s not
• A focus on intensity, frequency, and duration—specific to your child and your family
• A team (including your coach) that is constantly adjusting, refining, and supporting the program
• Decades of experience with children just like yours—and nothing cookie-cutter about it

AI can’t replicate that. It doesn’t understand your child’s history, their strengths, their challenges, or your goals. It doesn’t know how to adjust techniques in real time, or how to prioritize sensory input vs. cognition vs. academics based on your child’s developmental trajectory.

The Risk of Misinformation

When parents rely on AI-generated advice in an attempt to “preview” or replicate an NACD program, they’re not just getting bad information—they’re being misled. This can:

• Set false expectations
• Cause confusion or disappointment
• Lead to wasted time on strategies that don’t work
• Undermine the trust and process that make NACD programs so effective

The Real Work Starts With You—and With Us

We welcome questions. We want families to come to evaluations prepared with their history, their concerns, and their hopes. But if you want to understand what your child’s NACD program will look like, you need to meet us face to face (or screen to screen). You need real insight, not AI noise.

So if you’ve seen something online, or had ChatGPT give you a “program,” we encourage you to set it aside. We’ll meet your child where they are, not where a computer guesses they might be.

We look forward to showing you what a real, individualized NACD program looks like. Spoiler alert: it’s better than anything a bot can generate

The post Why AI Can’t Create a Real NACD Program appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

Those of us who have passed that 60-year-old mile marker will often ponder the things of our past. What would we do differently? How do we mend past transgressions? What could have been avoided had a different fork in the road been followed? I am no exception. On a personal level, after raising 5 boys I have plenty of those moments that I wish I could go back and redo. I am sure my parents did the same. So many “If only I had known.” 

Today, though, I take the time to look back on those years and ponder, “What did I do right?” One thing, without a doubt, revolves around what I share with you parents in this article. I lovingly, sometimes not easily, trained my special needs son to know how to fit into a social gathering, to be appreciated, to have good manners, and to be enjoyed. This was truly a monumental task that I did not do alone. Our extended family members played incredible parts. The NACD families and staff members that I worked alongside had a huge impact on him, as did, most importantly, his siblings. 

I can remember the early painful years when the doctor reviewed his scans with us. The thoughts of “What will he miss out on?” “Where will his life take him as an adult?” “Will people accept him?” Those thoughts were so prevalent and so constant in the beginning. There was a time at when I had to buckle down and think, “Well, whatever will be, we will do our darndest to make it as good for him as possible.” Once I found NACD, things got easier for me emotionally. Most likely the reason is that I was so busy putting into action a plan to help him that there wasn’t as much time to focus on pain. However, there were always those hurtful moments, usually when someone asked a thoughtless question or gave us “the look” that special needs families often get. At those times the hurt would come like an unexpected wave, I would sink a little, then rise up and fight again in the only ways I knew how: unconditional love, doing program, and training him to be pleasant. 

The love was the easy part. That child was seared into my heart the minute I saw a picture shown to me by a mission group looking to find him a home. You would think that the hard part would be all the hours of input needed through program to help him develop. I will confess, I did not carry that load alone. Evan’s brothers did as much program as I did with him, if not more. After getting into the rhythm of doing program, the ups and downs, the 90% days and the 2% days, NACD really became a matter of a lifestyle rather than a long intimidating list of activities to do. The hard part, though, was really focusing on social training.

I once heard a mother at one of our seminars put it in words in a way that spoke to me. She said, “At first, I thought my special needs son’s behavior had to be as good as other children, but I later found I was wrong. His behavior had to be BETTER to be accepted. If he stepped out of line from time to time, like all children do, the thought was never that he was behaving like a child, but rather a ‘special needs child.’” So many of you know the situations I refer to. You have been there and felt those kicks to the gut. 

To give you an idea of the hurdles we faced, prior to adoption, Evan was one of the most severely abused children that I have ever heard of that actually survived. In fact, he was at death’s door when I finally found him. You would think that it would be hard to overcome the kind of suffering he went through, but the real difficulty came from the tendency of others, including myself, to give him too much slack during the early years of his recovery. From the day we first had him, Evan was truly welcomed by our family members and the people in our orbit at the time. His story was so incredible that people wanted all the details, wanted to surround him with kindness and acceptance, and in some way felt a need to “make things up to him.” Within a short amount of time, that started to backfire just a bit to some degree. All the attention, all of the preference shown, started to create a situation where he became a child who wanted to monopolize everyone in his world. At parties he would pick his favorite people and want to hang on them, perseverating on the same comments. He wanted to always be the center of attention. He was overly affectionate at an age that made it awkward. There was point in time that I had to wake up and think, “I don’t want him to grow to be a person other people avoid.” We went through a time of intensively training him how to shake hands rather than hug his brothers’ teammates, to give social space, and to wait and let others speak. The social training years were tough. There was a lot of redirecting at gatherings, which he would often show displeasure at. In noticing my correction and training, often other people would say, “It’s ok. I understand. He can do— (whatever annoying thing he was doing).” There were even family members that would feed into his annoyances. I really had to put my foot down and explain that they may love him and want to patiently tolerate those immature habits, but …what about other people? How will he be received by the friends of siblings, or strangers we run across? The more pleasant he is, the more opportunities he has to be included, which allows him to experience more joy. The hardest place, I do believe, for that training was in our NACD waiting room. Keep in mind the parents we work with are the most accepting, caring people you could encounter. I remember walking out of an evaluation one day to find him sitting in someone’s lap. A new client at that. At the age of TEN! It only took one stern “Evan Waldeck” to see him jump up and know he was busted over ignoring the “space” rule we made him follow with most people. We even had to make a list of who got a front hug, who got a side hug, and everyone else needed to get a handshake. I looked so mean. I really was convinced it would pay off, and all along it was an act of love.

Fast forward to a trip we recently took. We were staying in the home of a family Evan and I had never met. At first it was just to be me and a friend, and Evan was going to spend time at home with his brother. But things got moved around, and at the last minute, Evan was included in the trip. Let me set this up for you. The adults that we were staying with both had careers working with special needs adults. After a few days, I was pulled aside and told, “We have to confess, at first we were a bit concerned. We thought about all we had planned to do. There were hikes, nice restaurants, and lot of sites to see. When we heard your special needs, blind son would be coming, we figured all plans would have to change.” They were shocked to see how easily he fit in and how much fun he added to the group. They even asked me, “How did you produce such a mature special needs adult?” Keep in mind, both of them had spent decades working with special needs adults. I have to tell you; it was a moment I will never forget. To realize that “what I knew then” was right on target gave me a real sense of achievement. The icing on the cake was that Evan had a blast.

Please know that as a staff we have decades of experience working with children at every level of accomplishment. We have experience with families we have worked with their entire lives. We also have children and grandchildren ourselves that we have raised or are currently raising. We see what happens when appropriate behavior is made a priority. As you travel this journey, always remember one of the kindest things you can do for any child is to train them up in a way that makes them a delight to be around.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 39 No. 1 , 2025 ©NACD

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Are you a vision board person? A New Year’s Resolution person? A “word” for the year person? I am. There is always something about new beginnings, fresh starts, etc., that gets me excited! My word for the year 2024 was “discipline”. At the time, I felt the need to be more disciplined in my diet, my workouts, my time between work and family, finances, etc. I have a small group of friends who help each other stay accountable to our “word”. We all encourage each other. We forgive when we mess up and we challenge each other to keep going. Guilt is a word we do not use. We give ourselves grace and move on. I think this time of year is like the New Year. For many of us, at least in the Northern Hemispheres, we are sending kids off to school or creating our home education plan, establishing new routines, and getting back into the swing of things after summer fun and indulgences. For me, it is time to reset and re-establish my dedication to my word! 

When it comes to a “reset”, I want you to think of how you reset yourself as a person. We want to think of the fundamental things for our bodies and brains to function well, because let’s face it—getting older stinks. As busy parents, it is easy to not prioritize ourselves, but I have learned in my years as a parent and as someone who talks to parents daily, that your health is priority one. Do you get enough quality sleep? Do you prioritize real food that nourishes your body? Do you exercise? Do you provide your spirit with a connection to people that matter to you? If you aren’t doing things to give yourself the attention you need, then RESET. 

When it comes to your family, what do you need to do to “reset”? Is it scheduling those regular date nights with your spouse? Is it making sure you have dinner as a family again most nights of the week? I just talked with a family who is having weekly meetings/time with each child of their family to praise and reinforce how that kid is doing as well as to discuss what things they (the child) feel could be improved upon or that they need to work on together. Talk about connection! For me, this past month has been a lot about our kids for various reasons, and not much about me and Scott. And, the next two months are not going to be any better with each of our travel schedules. He and I are scheduling time together—each week. It might just be out on our patio after dinner, but we can feel when we are disconnected, so RESET.

When it comes to your kids—not just your kids on program, but all of your children—how do you help them reset? First and foremost, sleep and nutrition are sooo important. Having consistent sleep schedules—I can’t say enough about the importance of it. Nutrition!!! What are we feeding our kids? Are their diets full of real food – lean proteins, fresh fruit and vegetables, and healthy fats, or are they full of processed food, seed oils, and sugar? We work with kids with many behavior issues and can often correlate it to what they eat. I know that we have some picky eaters and some kids on very limited diets. Keep working, ever so slightly, on improving it. For those of you who have kids at a higher level of function, educate them on food and nutrition and the importance of good sleep and general health. RESET.

Now, when it comes to program, I am always amazed by parents who come to evals around this time of year fearful. Fearful that we are going to judge them. Feeling guilty that they haven’t done much. We are parents too, ya know?! We understand summer schedules. We understand burnout. We also understand reality. As you go into this next season, RESET. Think about priorities and things that really matter to you and that you think your child is on the cusp of and/or needs the most. Is it walking? Is it processing and cognition? Is it reading? Talk with your evaluator as we are looking at your child as a whole and can guide you on those priorities. We see, too often, families taking on too much—not just with program but then also wanting to do all the other therapies, and sports, and dance lessons, etc., etc. Let’s reset, prioritize, and simplify. (I am not surprised why so many of us moms and dads end up with autoimmune stuff and thyroid issues and all other kinds of health-related issues. We simply try to do too much.) So, I would encourage you to look at the schedules, can we decrease what we have going on? Can you enlist older children who drive to take a child places? Can you enlist Grandma to help with program? Instead of spending hours each week grocery shopping and Costco shopping, can you switch to delivery? (I switched to this over the summer and it has been a God-sent AND a money saver!) Are you making all your kids lunches when they could do it themselves? When is the best time for you AND your kid to do program? Look at your schedule and modify it so that it happens. If we only have an hour, then let’s make that the best hour and focus on what matters the most in that hour. RESET. Talk to your evaluator and your coach. Let us help you figure it all out so that we are working together. 

How about a RESET challenge? I am going to accept that I may mess up. I do it all the time. But, at the beginning of each day, I try to be a better version of myself than the last. Stop the mom and/or dad guilt. Give yourself grace. Move forward. Let’s RESET together. 

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 38 No. 5, 2024 ©NACD

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By Carolyn Takos

Intro by Lyn Waldeck

In many of our recent newsletters, NACD has been focusing on creating and changing behavior for the better by the feedback the child is given. Carolyn Takos is a very dedicated NACD mom who first came to us in desperation to reverse a behavioral nightmare created during their time with ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis). We have asked Carolyn to tell her story of how the wrong feedback affected her son and their family.

Carolyn:

For many years, ABA therapy has been the “cure-all” for everyone on the Autism Spectrum; our experience has been one where the bad consequences have far outweighed any benefits from it. My son was diagnosed with High Functioning Level One Autism, formerly known as Aspergers. ABA therapy was recommended for him, and I, not knowing any better, got him signed up. They had him for almost a year for 20 hours a week. It’s been two years since he “graduated” and I’m still trying to undo some of the things that they did to him. They left us with eightproblems that needed correction. It’s important to know that during ABA therapy, each child is assigned to a one-on-one therapist.

The positive outcome from ABA might be an acceptance of differences among children; but the negatives are:

1. Needs “help” with everything – If he didn’t want to do something, he’d say he needed help and they were quick to do it for him. And I mean everything, from putting on shoes to coloring to writing his name; everything.

2. He doesn’t play by himself -Someone was always with him and doing things with him, so now he expects the same treatment at home. Since he is an only child, he expects me to be that one-on-one playmate, 24/7.

3. Candy was given for behaviors they wanted to see, like treat training a dog.

4. He learned the benefits of poor behavior – He learned that if he didn’t want to do something or be somewhere, then all he had to do was act poorly and he would be removed from the situation. This could be anything from a “temper-tantrum” to hitting people in authority. He also learned that if he “recovered” from the poor behavior, he would get candy. Ultimately, he was rewarded for some of the worst behavior a child can do.

5. They used this treat training to reinforce the behaviors they wanted to see; one instance was waiting patiently. At the time of his graduation, they had “worked up” to him waiting patiently for one minute and that would result in a treat.

6. He learned that he could demand the attention of his therapist by acting poorly, even when I was getting a report on his daily progress. She stopped in the middle of a sentence and gave her complete attention to him. Even now, he will rudely demand my attention when I’m trying to talk to someone else. His rudeness can start with just trying to get my attention to making so much noise that I can’t hear or talk over him. He has even used “hugs” as a means to get my attention; not loving hugs, but an aggressive throwing himself at me to interrupt the conversation.

7. Friends aren’t friends. They called everyone there a friend, even though one, maybe two, actually acted like friends. The rest did not display anything friendly toward him. This resulted in finding “friends” at the park from kids who were trying to avoid him or were even being mean to him. It was heartbreaking to watch the treatment of the “friends” from the park and how he would happily tell me he made new friends. I’m happy to say that he doesn’t claim strangers as friends now, but he also doesn’t know how to be a friend either.

8. Sorry is a magic word. And I mean a really magic word. If he said he was sorry, even though he wasn’t, then the consequences for his actions just went away. I spoke with the directer about this; just ask anyone in prison for manslaughter and they’ll tell you “sorry” doesn’t make the consequences go away. He was absolutely shocked the first time I explained to him that you actually, need to feel remorse for your actions for “sorry” to be real and even then it doesn’t magically get you out of the consequences.

If you ask me if ABA helped, I have to say absolutely not. At first, when I looked at this list I thought, “We’ve only corrected half of this;” but reality is, we’re still working on almost every point. It’s been two years since he’s graduated, and we are only a little bit through undoing the damage that ABA caused. At least it’s been forward progress.

Back to Lyn:

Fortunately for this family, NACD understands how to harness neuroplasticity in order to create change in sensory dysfunction, how to build processing, how to develop executive function, and how to use feedback to change behavior patterns. This family is diligent in doing their program and more importantly are good at staying very connected so that we can guide them to a better place in life. From the beginning I knew we were working with a smart boy. I knew there was a sweet kid wanting to emerge. Today life is less of a horror story, and the kind, confident, and well-adjusted kid is shining through.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 37 No. 4, 2024 ©NACD

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Recently I ran across a study from 2006 that presented what was labeled as “new” and exciting findings. Let me start by explaining why I placed the word “new” in quotations. I began as a parent on program and quickly moved into being a volunteer and then on to being a staff member. Early in my staff days one part of my job description was to speak at events on neuroplasticity. That was in 1992. To some of you who may not have even been born yet, that sounds ancient. Ancient until I point out that my information was coming directly from Bob Doman, who was teaching the same thing when he began NACD in 1976. To provide a little more perspective, his beginnings of this understanding started in his childhood, accompanying his father in the 1950s who had already spent several decades beginning the path of study which is now called neuroplasticity. In fact, when I forwarded the study to Bob without explaining my thoughts for application, his response was “so what is so new about this understanding?” Modern science, with all its ways to measure the brain, is now catching up with the idea that the brain does in fact develop and change based on input. The missing link is in understanding how to harness that understanding to CREATE change, rather than just crank out new studies to prove that brains are different based on the sum of the whole person and their life experiences.

In the study that I mentioned above, a small sampling of MRIs were done, half of which were on bus drivers and half of which were on taxi drivers. The findings showed that there were variations in the growth of the hippocampus between the two sets of participants. The hippocampus is an area of the brain understood to hold short-term memories and transfer them to long-term storage in our brains. The bus drivers were better at certain skills, whereas the taxi drivers were better at others. This is exactly as we at NACD would expect after decades in this field. 

The question would be how to harness the strengths of both sets when working with your children. The easiest part of the solution comes in terms of the bus drivers. On program you have a very defined list of specific and effective activities that have been tried and true, and are in constant stages of refinement, that need to be done consistently with the right frequency, intensity, and duration. We know that to build function, we need input that builds pathways to success—in essence, your program. Whether that is a processing activity, a speech activity, or a mobility exercise, you build the brain via that input. What can be more of a challenge is in how to effectively develop the advantages of those taxi drivers because that part of the day needs to be much more dynamic.

A good amount of the time we spend in evaluations is often dedicated to talking with parents about chores and responsibilities. Here is where we have the opportunity to work on a whole additional layer of development and therefore function. We believe strongly in conveying to our parents the importance of executive function. According to the Center of Developing Child at Harvard University: “Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.” At NACD, we understand the importance of using our working memory activities alongside developing responsibilities, life experiences, and general knowledge to therefore achieve goals of efficient executive function. 

So, back to those chores, let’s think again in terms of the buses and taxi cabs. The bus is the easy ride. We start with everyday tasks like brushing teeth, emptying the dishwasher, putting away laundry, making the bed, etc. These, along with others, are the everyday components that need to be taught and then expected. Now let’s think in terms of the taxi cab. How many of you have thought to teach your child to change out the filter in the air conditioner, or to fix a running toilet, or to change a tire? Often this gets missed or just delayed. What about creating a child who notices what needs to be done, has the skill set to do it, and just takes care of it without prompts, reminders, or threats?

I often see parents start off in the right direction by teaching those initial bus driving chores. However, when this stalls out what happens is that the child can then eventually do these things in auto-pilot. The danger zone in auto-pilot is that the child can basically spend that time achieving a task while totally checking out. Being present is an important component to developing, being attentive and alert. Think of your own routines that you do not have to really think about. Right now as I type out the article, I might think, “Did I empty the dishwasher this morning?” Odds are pretty good I did, I do it every morning, but at this moment I don’t necessarily remember anything about doing it. Compare that to my son who right now is outside working on changing the oil in his car. If I ask him later, he will very easily remember what he did at the time. Why would he remember he changed his oil and I won’t remember if I unloaded the dishwasher? I was driving a bus, he was navigating a taxi. With your children, think of the difference between cleaning off a table and cooking the meal that went on it.

As you proceed forward in the wonderful journey of parenting, keep in mind: focus on both the bus and the taxi. Who knows, some day you may end up with an astronaut.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 37 No. 3 , 2024 ©NACD

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by Bob Doman

The key to understanding and improving global function in children and adults with Down syndrome is determining and developing their cognitive function.

Whether we are looking at a two-year-old or an adult with Down syndrome, their level of function, their ability to learn, think, and communicate is a reflection of their cognitive level. 

Cognition is the mental function that permits us to process information, to acquire knowledge, to understand, think, and communicate. Cognition is not reading, math, or specific knowledge per se; it involves the neurodevelopmental pieces that comprise auditory and visual short-term memory, working memory, and eventually executive function. 

Cognition, or intelligence, is partially a reflection of what we were born with, but primarily it is something that develops. Anything that develops can be developed, impacted, improved. Unfortunately addressing cognition, how we process and manipulate what we see and hear, is missing almost universally from all education. For children with developmental issues, this leads to inappropriate, untargeted* input, low and unrealistic expectations, and poor outcomes.

Case in point

I recently received a report from a school outlining their curriculum for a twelve-year-old child with Down syndrome. Her curriculum includes the following:

• Science – forces and magnets
• Geography – comparing Australia, Greenland, and Africa, including significant historical events
• History – Stone age to Iron age
• Reading – creating and writing sentences about what they did over the weekend
• Math – shapes, positions, directions, statistics
• Computing – the pros and cons for social media advertising
• and a project to research, create, and launch a campaign to encourage others to be healthy.

Sounds wonderful—what a great opportunity for this child. This curriculum would be appropriate for perhaps a typical or gifted child, and even a few children with Down syndrome who have been given the opportunity to develop typical or better processing skills and who had a commensurate educational foundation. Unfortunately, the child in this classroom is functioning at the cognitive development level of a two-going-on-three-year-old. She is just putting two to three words together, learning to feed and dress herself, and developing the ability to process two to three step directions. She’s not twelve, she is two going on three. This is perhaps an extreme example, but it’s real! However, it would not be at all unusual for a twelve-year-old, but functional two to three, to be taught phonics and printing and other inappropriate things, based on their functional level. Would you think it appropriate to teach a typical two-year-old phonics and printing? How successful would you be, and how much of a waste of their time would it be? And what about all the things that would have been appropriate for them? The point is that when targeting the needs of children, it is their level of function, their cognitive level, their ability to process information and their complexity of thought that should determine what is appropriate and targeted.

Children develop when we provide them with what is targeted and appropriate for them. This targeted input is what develops their global function, helps build cognition, and leads to good outcomes. Where they are is more a reflection of their processing level than their chronological age. You don’t try to teach algebra to a child who can’t add.

Looking at a child with Down syndrome primarily through the lens of their chronological age does them a great disservice and results in inappropriate, ineffective education and therapies, and poor outcomes. Such historic failures have resulted in a poor perception of potential. The foundation of all development is neuroplasticity, and the first fundamental rule of neuroplasticity is to provide the child with input that is targeted to them.

We have been fortunate to have worked with many thousands of children and adults with Down syndrome, and in the case of many individuals, we have worked with them for decades. We have seen what is possible if we, along with the family, work with an understanding of the whole child and work diligently to build cognition. Without exception, those who develop processing abilities in the “normal” range can become the adults who have good jobs, drive, have good social relationships, and enjoy good lives. After these years and thousands of individuals with Down syndrome, we have never seen one reach these high global functional levels without having developed the commensurate level of cognition. 

Optimally we start working on processing and cognition virtually from birth; and the sooner we start the process, the more we begin funneling in the pieces that help produce global knowledge and functional intelligence. Years lost are gone. Can we start working on this function later? Absolutely. Addressing the foundational pieces of cognition, short-term memory, working memory, and executive function even starting with adults can produce dramatic change; but time lost is time lost in teaching that brain how to learn and think and filling that brain with the knowledge and experience that builds full lives.

Developmental and educational priority number one is developing the ability to learn and think—cognition/processing power. 

To learn more about processing power, watch our video below

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 37 No. 2 , 2024 ©NACD

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I have been working with the Allman family for several years now.  As NACD staff, we often talk amongst ourselves about how fortunate we are to work with what we consider to be the cream of the crop parents.  Ken and Julie Allman are fine examples as to the level of dedication that we see every day in our work/mission/life at NACD.   Not only do they strive to provide the best developmental and educational path that they can for their son, Charles, but they are committed to raising a well adjusted, good human being.  I have often been proud of Charles’s advances at his evaluations, but never more proud of him as when I heard about how he spent his 8th birthday.  I was so inspired that I requested that Julie write up a summary to share with all of you.

Good job, Charles!  Excellent job, Ken and Julie!

by Julie Allman

Dear Members of the National Association of Child Development (NACD),

Introduction:

In a world where material possessions often take center stage, it is refreshing to witness acts of selflessness and compassion. Charles Allman, a remarkable young boy, recently celebrated his 8th birthday in a unique and meaningful way. Instead of receiving gifts, Charles elected to collect gently used apparel and toiletries for children in need. Inspired by the principles of NACD, we as parents supported his mission, and together, we created a celebration that left a lasting impact on our community. Let us delve into the heartwarming story of Charles’ birthday party and the impact it had on the Hinton community.

Background:

Ken’s hometown of Hinton, West Virginia, nestled in the scenic Summers County, is a part of the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. While surrounded by incredible natural beauty, the area is also home to families and children with many challenges. Shockingly, three out of ten elementary school children in Hinton are supported by the Communities in Schools program. Deeply involved in our local community, the Allmans recognized the opportunity to make a difference and support these children.

Charles’ Mission:

Instead of traditional birthday gifts, Charles selflessly asked his friends and family to contribute gently used children’s apparel and toiletries, specifically targeting grades 1-6. 

The Birthday Party:

The Allman family extended a warm invitation to friends and classmates, inviting them to Charles’ 8th birthday party. On the special day, we gathered with friends, parents, and siblings to celebrate. The atmosphere was filled with joy and a sense of purpose. We provided food and drinks for everyone, ensuring that the celebration was not only about giving but also about coming together as a community

The Impact:

The response to Charles’ mission was wonderful. Friends and family rallied behind his cause, generously donating clothing, shoes, and toiletries. The Allman family recently returned from a trip to Hinton, where they personally delivered these heartfelt contributions. The impact of their efforts was captured in photographs, showcasing Suzie Hudson, the program administrator, and the “store shelves” where students in need can select clothing, toiletries, and food. The gratitude expressed by the Hinton community was very warm, and the Allmans extend their deepest appreciation to all who contributed.

Conclusion:

Charles’ 8th birthday celebration was not just a party; it was a testament to the power of compassion and the difference one person can make. Through his selfless act, Charles inspired those around him to embrace the spirit of giving and support children in need. The Allman family’s involvement in the Hinton community and their dedication to making a positive impact are truly commendable. As we reflect on this heartwarming story, let us remember that even the smallest gestures of kindness can create a ripple effect of change.

As parents, we are immensely proud of Charles for his selflessness and compassion. His decision to forgo traditional gifts and instead focus on helping children in need exemplifies the values we strive to instill in him. We are grateful for the support of the NACD programs, which guided us in facilitating Charles’ mission and creating a celebration that went beyond the ordinary.

In closing, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to Charles’ mission. Your generosity has made a significant difference in the lives of children in need, and we hope that this heartwarming story inspires others to embrace the spirit of giving and make a positive impact in their communities. The Allman family’s involvement in the Hinton community and their dedication to making a positive impact continues.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 37 No. 1 , 2024 ©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

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