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NACD - The National Association for Child Development Newsletter
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Volume 2, Issue 1
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October 2009 |
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DOWN SYNDROME: THE IMPORTANCE OF CRAWLING ON THE STOMACH
Robert J. Doman Jr. and Ellen R. Doman
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 learn
to better explore their world and move from dependence to independence
sometimes in the time span of the first year.
As a parent of a DS child, you may have a special concern
about your child's development of mobility. Cardiac conditions can slow down
the emergence and development of mobility. The potential or reality of low
muscle tone and poor tactility can also slow down development in this area
drastically. Parents are often tempted to skip mobility developmental stages in
an effort to reach the coveted skill of walking more rapidly. The consequences
of this strategy can be very long lasting and impact other developmental areas
as well.
Click here to read the complete article
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KIDS CORNER
WHAT A SHOW!
by Lavanya Guhan
 This summer, my mother and I
put up a special show. My mother did her solo debut of Bharatanatyam, a South
Indian classical dance. I was a guest singer at this event. This was held in
the Kirkland Performance Center in Kirkland, Washington on July 5th
, 2009.
Bharatanatyam is an ancient
dance form, in which the dancer tells stories using gestures and facial
expressions. Most of the stories are about Hindu gods and legends. My mother also
told a special story about my life called, "A Mother's Journey".
In this item, my mother
explained through dance how I was born early. I was a beautiful, chubby baby.
Mummy loved me. Then, she found out that I had trouble walking and talking. So,
she came to NACD, where Uncle Bob told her how to help me. Mummy made me do sit
stands, walking, flash cards, talking exercises and reading. When I wanted to
give up, she didn't let me. She said to be strong and try again. When I grew
up, I started walking, talking, and reading. I went to school. My mother
started dancing. Sometimes her legs hurt and she found it hard. When she wanted
to give up, I said, "No, Mummy, don't give up, be strong and try again."
People grew teary and were moved
by my mother's dance. They were inspired by my story. I am now eleven years
old, and can even play piano, do karate, swim, and sing.
After Mummy's dance, I sang a
Hindi bhajan composed by Meera Bai. I wore a green pavadai, (a traditional
Indian gown) with gold squares bordering the dark green color. I also wore
traditional temple jewelry. I wore bangles, a chain, jumkies (earrings that
dangle down and are bell shaped), mattals (attach the earring and the hair),
chuti (a pendant on my hair), and orange and white flowers on my braid. I sang with
a live orchestra from India. The flute and rhythm pad accompanied me. I sang on
stage with a microphone and 300 people watched me and applauded me. Mummy was
so proud of me.
Mother's Journey is about
being persistent, determined, confident, and believing in yourself. Please
watch my video and give me any comments on how you like it.
Click here to watch the video!
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"BRAGS"
 ALLY MAE has been on an
NACD program since she was 10 months old after suffering a traumatic brain
injury while in the supervision of a caregiver at 4 1/2 months of age. Ally
also suffered retinal hemorrhaging in her eyes, two broken legs and a broken arm.
Due to the trauma she began having infantile spasms (seizures with extremely
damaging effects) and had to have bilateral shunts put into her brain. The
doctors told her parents that Ally was blind and that they didn't know if she
would see, that her brain wouldn't grow past that of a four month old. The phrase
they frequently heard was "wait and see." Doctors also gave the diagnoses of
Cerebral Palsy and Mental Retardation, as well as other labels of things they
said she would eventually have. Lesley and Joe refused to believe in this. They
are 'doers' and were bound and determined to find something to help their
daughter grow.
She is now 5. In the past
four years, her parents and brother, along with some very dedicated college
students, have worked with Ally everyday. They work on her tactility and fine
and gross motor skills. They work to improve her vision and her language. Mom
remembers in the beginning sitting in her basement day after day with Christmas
lights to help Ally track with her eyes. She remembers all the black and white
patterns, the pictures, and the flashlights. Now Ally CAN see. Her ophthalmologist
wants to keep seeing her every three months because he is so amazed at her
progress. How far she has come!!! Miss Ally is a smart little girl with a
future that looks so bright!!! Like most little girls, she will talk to you all
day. Talking to people is one of her favorite things. Bob enjoys his
conversations with Ally every time he sees her in Cincinnati. Ally enjoys swimming
lessons and horseback riding. She attends preschool, loves books and reading,
loves to have her picture taken, and is starting to draw. Our big push now with
Ally is to get her moving. We have been working on building a foundation for
walking for quite some time now.
Three months ago Ally
could not even stand independently for more than a few seconds. Watch her now!
http://www.dropshots.com/jlrumy99
Talk about a success!!!
Way to go Ally!!! Way to go Mom and Dad for working so hard to continue to help
your daughter strive to reach her full potential!! And for Kyle who provides so
much support to his younger sister--what a great big brother you are! We can't
wait to see what Ally will do next!
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OUR ALL NEW NACD BOOKSTORE IS NOW ONLINE!FEATURED PRODUCT:
DK EYEWITNESS VIDEOS The Eyewitness Video series by Dorling Kindersley is full of fascinating facts and fun information about all different nature-related subjects. From horses to volcanoes, your child can learn all about his favorite subjects. Watch along with him--you'll learn something new too! See our bookstore for the numerous subjects to choose from.View all our DK Eyewitness Videos here
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UPCOMING EVALUATION DATES
October 2009Milwaukee Cincinnati West Chester Ogden Dallas India November 2009India (continued from October) St. Louis West Chester Sacramento Ogden Ft. Lauderdale Dallas Atlanta December 2009Los Angeles Ogden Dallas West Chester Chicago Orlando
UPCOMING EVENTS
Parent Meeting/Parent Training for St. Louis
When:
Monday, November 2
Time:
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Where:
At the home of Steve and Beth Franzen
3831 Sirah Court
St. Charles, MO 63304
Please RSVP:
marybethandsteve@sbcglobal.net
Questions or directions:
Contact Beth Franzen by email: marybethandsteve@sbcgobal.net
Parent Meeting for San Francisco Bay Area
When:
Wednesday November 11th, 2009
Time:
6:30 p.m.
Where:
Kavitha Raghunathan's Home
1 Waterside Circle
Redwood City, CA 94065
If you are interested in attending, please contact: Sara@nacd.org for more details or call us at 801-621-8606. It will be necessary to RSVP for this event!
Parent Meeting for Chicago
When:
December 7
Details TBA
Ellen Doman to Speak!
Ellen will present at the Annual Conference for the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis in March 2010.
When:
March 6, 2010
Where:
Maryville University, University Auditorium
650 Maryville University Drive
St. Louis, MO
ANNUAL NACD RENDEZVOUS 2010
The dates for the 2010 Rendezvous have been set. Mark your calendars!
June 24-28, 2010
Ogden Valley, UT
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CONTACT USNACD - The National Association for Child Development National Headquarters 549 25th Street Ogden, UT 84401 801.621.8606 info@nacd.orgwww.nacd.org
Copyright 2009 The National Assocation for Child Development. All rights reserved.
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NACD will be conducting evaluations in the following cities. 