Friday, May 09, 2008

National Association for Child Development

If you've read my blog or had a conversation with me at any length, you know I'm a huge fan of NACD. Jordan's been on program with them since she was 6 months old; Jake has been on and off program since he was 3. I'm so thankful for their expertise and their empowerment of Ed and me as their parents.
I 'swiped' the following blurb and link from the latest newsletter and I think these videos help explain their mission and approach (which IS different and therefore difficult to explain to people). So, if you have the time to watch, it explains what we do and why. Who do you know that can use this information???
My favorite line in one of the clips is "If your child lacks function, it doesn't mean he lacks the potential for the function."


"Because NACD's Targeted Developmental Interventions are so individualized and innovative, some parents have difficulty explaining the benefit of NACD's approach to their families and friends.

Problem solved.

There are now three short video clips on the NACD website that can help introduce and explain NACD to your family and friends.
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001J3iOYt_UPckB4ZiOUYrS_gpcGhg3ZJ6BpcbLX4Wc8AR2JEMsL6s8z9uA_tNso6oJ7XO5COR71NehUOklAHduswXOKFfF3YBQKQBDtmDBXD2cj51H4qYmI5G8TmBObQ2HgLVMoXf8swc=

The first, Introduction to NACD (7 min) outlines NACD's belief that children with challenges can become typical, typical children can become exceptional, and exceptional children can change the world. This video clip highlights three dramatic success stories.

The second, Autism: What Works (5 min), explains that for NACD, our job is to help children on the autism spectrum achieve their innate potential. Our goal is to eliminate the symptoms of autism.

The third, Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder (3 min) explains that for NACD, learning and attention problems are the easiest things to fix. We urge parents: Don't accept labels and think your child will have that label for life. Understand their issues and fix those issues."

5 comments:

Rays Family said...

Because of this post Angela, I am re-looking at the NACD for my Joe. A few years back, I was unsure how it would work with his current program and honestly, his therapists weren't very supportive. I'm not going to settle for what we've got going on now and I pray that the NACD with give us some hope. I just wish I would have started years ago. I'll keep you updated. Thanks so much.

Can't wait to hear when your little man arrives. Praying for you.

Anne

Anonymous said...

I was looking for comments/reviews on NACD when I found your blog. Just this week, my kids were accepted into the program and our first appt is next month. My son has ADHD and is 4 and my daughter is 3. I noticed your last post was in May. What are your thoughts on NACD at this time? If you don't mind, why have you had Jake on and off of the program?

I appreciate your input.

Angela said...

Hi, Anonymous - If you're comfortable and/or have other Q's about nacd, please feel free to email me - sustala@gmail.com
I'm always happy to talk about nacd! The short of it is that I always have and do still think nacd's right on target - I'm most appreciative of the blessing they are to our family. My son has been off and on program - mainly because we had him evaluated at age 3 and then held off further evals until age 5 just because it wasn't necessary. I still did program-type stuff with him, just didn't have a formal program for him every 3 months. He is now on program and is evaluated every 6 months for a homeschool and accelerated program. Hope that helps. Best of luck to you. I'd love to hear from you and answer any specific questions you may have - now or in the future!

Unknown said...

Hi from Canada,

We are trying to decide what is the next step for us in helping our son Jacob (almost 4) with Down Syndrome. We've heard about NCAD and about the Institute for Acheivement of Human Potential. Family names are the same, any idea what gives? Either way we would need to do a lot of travelling. How did you make your decision?

Johanna

Angela said...

Hi, Johanna!
I love the name Jacob :)
The reason we went with NACD was because of seeing my brothers succeed with them. I have twin brothers that are 14 years younger than me. They had learning struggles, dyslexia and some sensory issues. My mom learned of NACD from a friend and gave it a try. After being on program for just a couple years, they no longer had any symptoms of dyslexia or any of the other issues they started program with! I was in college and very leary of the program, but was amazed by the results. So, a few years later, when our daughter was born, it just seemed like the logical next step.
I'm constantly on the lookout for things that might help my daughter and discovered the Institues you mentioned years ago. There is a family relationship (although, I can't remember the exact fit ... brothers, perhaps?). If I remember correctly, the Institutes is far more involved in terms of family/parent expectations without dramatic differences in results. I have not used them, so I can't say for certain, but that's what I (think) I remember from when I looked into it years ago.
I hope that gives you some insight into why we made the choice we did. We have had the added benefit that we have not had to travel more than 5 hours (drive) for an evaluation - living in Houston, we go to Dallas and when we lived in Iowa, we went to Chicago.
I would encourage you to consider going with a neurodevelopmental approach, regardless of which organization. Obviously, I'm biased, but I do firmly think this approach is superior to any other out there! Best of luck and feel free to contact me with any questions: sustala@gmail.com