Focus on the reasons behind the behavior and not the behavior itself.

Explore how the NTDC curriculum meets this fundamental principle below

Featured Classroom-Based Themes

Classroom-Based Training Theme

Mental Health Considerations

Classroom content explores:

Appropriately diagnosing children
The complexity of appropriately diagnosing children with mental health conditions when they have experienced separation, loss and trauma.
Accurate and sensitive language
Accurate and sensitive language to describe behavioral symptoms and diagnoses.
Resources and services
Resources and services for children who may have mental health challenges.

Explore a little deeper

Classroom-Based Training Theme

Separation, Grief, and Loss

Classroom content explores:

Losses can impact feelings and behaviors
Various losses that children may experience and how these losses can impact their feelings and behaviors currently and in the future.
Ways that children grieve
Ways that children grieve and how it often looks different than the way adults express grief.
How to support children
How to support children in acknowledging their losses and grieving them over the life cycle.

Explore a little deeper

Featured Right-Time Themes

Recognizing that adults learn best when the information is applicable to their own situation, the NTDC has created a component of the curriculum called Right-Time Training.

Right-Time Training Theme

Sensory Integration

Right-time materials explore:

Impact a child’s ability to interact successfully
How early childhood trauma and neglect may impact a child’s ability to interact successfully with their outside world.
Sensory seeking and sensory avoidant symptoms
Examples of sensory seeking and sensory avoidant symptoms that children can experience.
Proactive and new parenting techniques
Proactive and new parenting techniques that ensure children’s sensory needs are being met.

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Right-Time Training Theme

Life Story Birth and Adoption Story

Right-time materials explore:

Support positive identity development
Children’s need for clarification and integration regarding their birth story to support positive identity development.
Helping children integrate their life story
The parent’s role in helping children integrate their life story, including the periods before and after adoption.

Explore a little deeper

Let’s Talk!

Interested in implementing NTDC?

Contact Sue Cohick [scohick@spaulding.org] to schedule an in-depth review of the curriculum.

Contact Sue Cohick

Words From Facilitators

I loved the material, especially the displays of understanding and the stories!

NTDC Facilitator

I appreciated the activities that tugged on my own emotions because it took a personal experience and related it to what kids in foster care experience but to a higher degree.

NTDC Facilitator

The “Real-Life” videos and examples are also excellent tools for empowering foster/adoptive parents.

NTDC Facilitator

Theme content incorporating many podcasts and real life videos will greatly enhance foster parent training.

NTDC Facilitator

Material is well organized, rich in content for families and easy to understand.

NTDC Facilitator

Love the trauma informed material that will help parents gain a better understanding of child’s behavior.

NTDC Facilitator

The building of themes really work well together. It flows very well in the format.

NTDC Facilitator

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This product was funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under grant #90CO1134. The contents of this document are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Children’s Bureau.