Congratulations to our NACD coaches! It has been a year since NACD added coaches to our staff, and what a successful year it has been. Our coaches have been very well received by NACD families, old and new, and have become an indispensible part of our team. But more importantly, with the addition of coaching, our clients are making better and faster progress on program, and our parents are feeling more empowered and better able to implement program.

Our coaches serve as the primary contact for our families. With frequent phone appointments, coaches monitor clients' progress, while troubleshooting and problem solving as needed. They answer questions and address parents' concerns, provide encouragement and practical strategies, break program down into manageable pieces, help with the pacing of the program, and ensure that priorities are met. Our coaches have established high standards for prompt and immediate responses and assistance.

This complimentary service by our team of dedicated coaches is available to all our clients. All of our coaches are highly trained professionals, as well as parents who have done or are currently doing program with their own children. This gives them the unique ability to combine professional advice with a personal understanding of the day-to-day challenges of implementing program.

Click here to read, in their own words, some of our families describe their experiences with coaching.

Spend your summer vacation with us! Held in the beautiful Ogden Valley, Utah, the annual NACD Rendezvous is an event that you won't want to miss! Come meet other NACD families and join the NACD staff for fun, relaxation, and free informative workshops. The NACD Rendezvous gives families a chance to interact, compare notes, share experiences, and just have a good time in a breathtaking, serene setting.

Fun events from previous years included:

• Boating
• Tubing
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Concert on the mountain 
• NACD family barbeque
• Fishing
• Arcade games, bowling, iFly skydiving, iRock rock climbing, and Flowrider surfing at the Salomon Center in Ogden

Previous workshop topics:

• Processing: The Latest and Greatest
• Program Implementation
• Down Syndrome: New Perspectives
• Autism Spectrum and Sensory Issues
• Yoga for Kids
• Intensity: Behavior and Physiological Issues
• Meeting Our Potential

To register for the Rendezvous, contact Denise at the main office: 801-621-8606.

Registration fee is $150 per family.

Other items of note:

• If you are interested in sharing a condo with another family, please let Denise know when you register for the Rendezvous.
• Speech/language evaluations with Lori Riggs are available during the Rendezvous on a limited basis.
• Health/nutrition consults with Dr. Neil may be available.

NACD arranges for special rates for condos at Moose Hollow in Eden, Utah. (See www.rmountainplace.com) Most Rendezvous activities take place at Moose Hollow, and all discussion groups will be held in the clubhouse there. To make reservations and receive the special NACD rate, contact:  

Gloria Kelley

phone: 801-451-7064

cell: 801-643-3154

Note: Do NOT make reservations for Moose Hollow online if you wish to receive the NACD discount.

Our planning for this year's Rendezvous is underway. Please check our website for updates. We will provide specific schedules and discussion topics when they become available:  www.nacd.org/rendezvous/

NOTICES TO NACD FAMILIES   

BOB TO VISIT CHAPTER IN EUROPE

Tentative dates for Bob's next visit to our NACD chapter in Europe have been set. He is currently scheduled to be in London May 19-25, 2011. Mark your calendars, and contact the national office to schedule your evaluation with Bob then!

PICTURE REMINDER FOR NACD FAMILIES

We love to keep current pictures of our clients in our files. If you have not sent us a photo in the past year, please forward it to Denise at our national office: denise@nacd.org. Thank you!

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT

Firefly Junior Visual Dictionary 

Great for program activities and great for a gift,

The beautifully illustrated, child-friendly volume contains thousands of pictures to capture your child's interest in new things.

Whether you are looking for a great picture dictionary, a springboard for new unit study ideas, or a functional dictionary to help your child learn and understand new words, this delightful book will be an asset.

With 2000 illustrations, you and your child will have many hours and years of using this helpful book.

You can find the Firefly Junior Visual Dictionary in our NACD Bookstore!

UPCOMING EVENTS
 

ANNOUNCING UPCOMING TELEPHONE SEMINARS!

Join the NACD staff and NACD families to discuss important topics that are relevant to you and your child.

Seminars are free and open to all!

UPCOMING DATES & TOPICS

January 27: Apps, Apps, and More Apps

Discuss the use of the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch with the NACD staff and NACD families, along with applications you have used that have been great for your child and family. We are really excited about the use of these new technologies and how our children are responding to them.  

Time: 7 p.m. Mountain Standard time (9 Eastern, 8 Central, 6 Pacific)

Conference Call Number: (712) 432-0075

Conference Code: 662415

February 23: The Autism Spectrum

Learn about NACD's innovative approaches to the Spectrum with discussion points including:

• DSA's Debilitating Sensory Addictions
• Spontaneous scripts
• Personal Reference Books
• Hear from NACD founder Robert J. Doman and other NACD staff members, as well as parents of children in the Spectrum.

Participants will be provided with opportunities for questions and comments.

Time: 7 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (9 Eastern, 8 Central, 6 Pacific)

March 23: Down Syndrome

April 27: To Be Announced

PARENT TELEPHONE MEETING FOR

CHICAGO, MINNEAPOLIS, AND MILWAUKEE CHAPTERS!

(Everyone is invited to participate. You don't have to be an NACD client to call in.)

When:  

February 8

8 pm Eastern

How:  

1) RSVP to Ellen Doman ellen@nacd.org

2) Call 218-339-4600  

Use the passcode:  798263#