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NACD - The National Association for Child Development Newsletter
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Volume 3, Issue 2
| April 2010 |
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WORKING ON GETTING MORE PROGRAM DONE?
 Here's a great new organizational tool: The all-new NACD Family Planning Calendar!
As we work together to find the best ways to help your child progress faster, the issue of getting more program done keeps presenting itself. Many of us wonder where the time goes as we mentally list all of the things that we did not complete in the day.
In order to address this need, NACD has developed an online calendar which can be accessed by parents and by coaches to help you work efficiently and effectively to find ways to get more program completed. This user-friendly calendar is color-coded to show you immediately how most of your child's day is spent, as well as showing when additional time is available to use to complete program. The calendar also quickly reveals your time priorities, as it shows time spent with errands, outside activities and travel time.
By using this interactive tool, you can work with your coach to sort out priorities, take advantage of times that slipped through the cracks previously and really make the most of your investment in your child's day. Won't it be great to truly know that you are spending your child's time and your own wisely, that the day is planned thoughtfully, and that you are doing your best to help your child progress?
Click here for complete instructions
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INCREASE CHORES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, INCREASE EXPECTATIONS, INCREASE INDEPENDENCE, RAISE THE BAR: IMPROVE FUNCTION! By Vidya Guhan When you see these things listed on your program, it is easy to overlook them. After all, there are no assigned frequencies or durations, nothing you can check off your daily list, and they are so vague. You are likely thinking, "My child does his chores, she has her responsibilities, my expectations are high; otherwise I wouldn't even be an NACD parent to start with! So what do these words really mean?"At least those were the thoughts that ran through my head when I was assigned to write this article way back during staff training in October 2009. It was assigned specifically to me because it was the primary focus of my daughter's program that quarter, so I would have firsthand experience as a parent. Even though I had "talked the talk" as an evaluator for a long time, it was an eye-opening experience for me to "walk the walk" as a parent and really figure out the how to accomplish this.Click here to read the rest of this article |
"BRAGS" Part IA Brag on Miss Stephany By Sara Erling Stephany is a beautiful and talented dancer who is 13 and from a rural area in Montana. She started with NACD in April of 2009. She had a rough start to her life, being diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis, and it was only after heavy supplementation that she recovered. Due to this slow start, she was behind developmentally and academically. Her family has always homeschooled her and knew that she needed some extra help. In the past nine months, this shy, low self-esteem young teen is starting to really come out of her shell! In such a short amount of time her math score has jumped more then two years. Her reading comprehension has jumped three years! Stephany's processing has come up 1.5 to 2 levels, and she is starting to type and spell. What is so cool about her changes is that she is less fearful and not afraid to try new things. This year she went to camp because she was no longer afraid to go by herself. She read out loud for the first time in church, and the other children are asking her for help. She is more confident in her abilities and is no longer shutting down. She continues to excel in her Irish dancing lessons and is overall a much happier child! More importantly, she is noticing a change in her function. Program must be working!I am very proud to work with this young lady. Stephany, you will go far in whatever you set your mind to! Keep up the great work!Sara ErlingNACD Developmentalist
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"BRAGS" Part IIMaggie's Story
My husband and I felt like deer in the headlights as we walked into Bob's office for the first time. Just a few months before, on her first birthday, our little daughter had been diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy. Bob was quite matter of fact, confident, firm in a loving sort of way, and completely open and hopeful about the possibilities for our little daughter. We walked out of his office feeling like we could suddenly see much better in the blazing light of disability. As we started the crawling portion of our program for the first time I actually felt hopeful about the possibilities of Maggie being independently mobile. But, the hours of program turned into days, and weeks, and months. Just moving arms and legs, over and, over and, over again with no sign of response or recognition in her little muscles. I have to admit that my hope of ever seeing Maggie move on her own had long since died at worst or was completely hibernating at best. But we took a chance on the comforting and confident direction of Bob and just kept at it. Then one day, in the fall of 2009 I put Maggie on her tummy in the living room and went to do a chore. I came back to find her in a slightly different spot. I cocked my head trying to remember exactly where I had placed her. A few days later it happened again. I put Maggie down, left the room, came back and she wasn't where I left her. I wish we could have taken a picture of our faces when we finally had to admit that Maggie was moving, crawling in fact, on her very own! It took about a month before anyone could actually catch her doing it. But it was real. The right stimulation, at the right duration, at the right frequency had worked. Or daughter was moving independently. What a joy and gift, especially to Maggie. In celebrating this accomplishment, we wanted to share a fabulous picture we took of Maggie on her first maiden voyage into the back yard. I placed her on a carpet in the middle of the grass, turned by back to do some yard work, and within 60 seconds Maggie had crawled to the only muddy spot in the yard. Aren't kids all the same! If you're feeling hopeless, or discouraged, or just plain tired about your child's own program and progress don't give up! Your work and commitment will bear fruits, and it will be such a precious joy and gift when it does. Trust that the seed will grow.
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APRIL ANNOUNCEMENTS NACD SACRAMENTO: NEW LOCATION The Sacramento chapter has a new location! Due to popular demand, NACD is moving its Sacramento chapter closer to the bay area in Pleasant Hill, California. Starting in May 2010, evaluations will be held at the Hyatt Summerfield Suites in downtown Pleasant Hill! New maps will be sent to those individuals that are scheduled for evaluations in May. If you have any questions, please contact Sara@nacd.org. NACD EUROPE: LONDON CHAPTER
NACD announces the opening of the European chapter!May 2010 will mark the first round of evaluations taking place in London, England. We are very excited to continue to expand our services in Europe.
NACD ANNUAL RENDEZVOUS 2010
Please note that the annual NACD Rendezvous has been canceled for this year. We hope to see you for our next one in 2011!
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UPCOMING EVALUATION DATES
April 2010Minneapolis Milwaukee Cincinnati Dallas Ogden West Chester May 2010St. Louis Sacramento Ft. Lauderdale Atlanta London NEW CHAPTER!Ogden West Chester Dallas June 2010Los Angeles Boise Chicago Orlando West Chester Ogden Dallas
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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 2010 The National Assocation for Child Development™. All rights reserved.
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