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NACDD
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. (See: DD Councils) NACDD's mission is to provide support and assistance to member Councils in order to promote a consumer and family centered system of services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. www.nacdd.org.
NADS
National Association for Down Syndrome. NADS provides critical counseling and support for parents of newly diagnosed infants with Down syndrome as well as advocacy, referral and information services. In addition, NADS sponsors conferences and educational programs for parents and professionals, and conducts in-services for medical personnel and educators. Through a partnership with the Adult Down Syndrome Center, NADS delivers health, psychosocial services and therapeutic programs to teens and adults with Down syndrome. www.nads.org.
NASW
National Association of Social Workers. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 153,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies. www.naswdc.org.
NCBDDD
(see: CDC-NCBDDD)
NCDAE
National Center on Disability and Access to Education. NCDAE monitors and promotes electronically-mediated distance education policies and practices that enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families. The NCDAE is working to further the national agenda necessary to increase opportunities for participation of people with disabilities and addresses: (a) delivery of electronically-mediated content, (b) testing and assessment, and (c) administrative procedures such as registration for educational offerings. http://ncdae.org/.
NCHS
National Center for Health Statistics. The NCHS compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of America's people. NCHS collects data from birth and death records, medical records, interview surveys, and through direct physical exams and laboratory testing. The mission of NCHS is to provide statistical information that will guide actions and policies to improve the health of the American people. As the Nation's principal health statistics agency, NCHS leads the way with accurate, relevant, and timely data. www.cdc.gov/nchs/.
NCIL
National Council on Independent Living. NCIL represents over 700 organizations and individuals including: Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), individuals with disabilities, and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the United States. www.ncil.org.
NDRN
National Disability Rights Network. NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated P&As and CAPs for individuals with disabilities. Through training and technical assistance, legal support, and legislative advocacy, the NDRN works to create a society in which people with disabilities are afforded equality of opportunity and are able to fully participate by exercising choice and self-determination. www.ndrn.org
NDSC
National Down Syndrome Congress. NDSC is a national advocacy organization for people with Down syndrome. NDSC provides leadership in all areas of concern related to persons with Down syndrome. In that capacity, NDSC is a major source of support and empowerment to persons with Down syndrome and their families www.ndsccenter.org.
NDSS
National Down Syndrome Society. The mission of NDSS is to benefit people with Down syndrome and their families through national leadership in education, research and advocacy. www.ndss.org.
NEA
National Education Association. The NEA, the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3.2 million members work at every level of education-from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States. www.nea.org.
NECTAC
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center. NECTAC supports the implementation of the early childhood provisions of IDEA. The NECTAC mission is to strengthen service systems to ensure that children with disabilities (birth through five) and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate, and family-centered supports and services. www.nectac.org.
NHIS
National Health Interview Survey. The NHIS is the principal source of information on the health of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States and is one of the major data collection programs of the NCHS and has been conducted since 1960. NHIS data are used widely throughout the DHHS to monitor trends in illness and disability and to track progress toward achieving national health objectives. The main objective of the NHIS is to monitor the health of the United States population through the collection and analysis of data on a broad range of health topics. A major strength of this survey lies in the ability to display these health characteristics by many demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.
NICHCY
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities. NICHCY is the national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals. Their special focus is children and youth (birth to age 22). http://www.nichcy.org/.
NICHD
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. NICHD is part of the NIH, the biomedical research arm of the DHHS. The mission of the NICHD is to ensure that every person is born healthy and wanted, that women suffer no harmful effects from reproductive processes, and that all children have the chance to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive lives, free from disease or disability, and to ensure the health, productivity, independence, and well-being of all people through optimal rehabilitation. www.nichd.nih.gov.
NIDRR
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Created in 1978, NIDRR provides leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. All programmatic efforts are aimed at improving the lives of individuals with disabilities from birth through adulthood. NIDRR, RSA and OSEP are components of ED's OSERS. Visit the NIDRR webpage.
NIH
National Institutes of Health. NIH is the world's premier medical research organization, supporting over 38,000 research projects nationwide in diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, arthritis, heart ailments and AIDS. NIH includes 27 separate health institutes and centers. It was established in 1887 as the Hygienic Laboratory of Staten Island, N.Y. NIH is a part of DHHS. www.nih.gov.
NINDS
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. NINDS conducts and supports research on brain and nervous system disorders. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1950, NINDS is one of the more than two dozen research institutes and centers that comprise the NIH. NINDS has occupied a central position in the world of neuroscience for 50 years. The mission of NINDS is to reduce the burden of neurological disease - a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world. www.ninds.nih.gov.
NPIN
National Parent Information Network. NPIN is now known as the Parent to Parent program. It is a program implemented at the state level that connects parents and families of children with disabilities to share information, resources and offer support to each other. Visit NPIN/Parent to Parent.
NSCH
National Survey of Children's Health. This survey, sponsored by HRSA's MCHB, examines the physical and emotional health of children ages 0-17 years of age. Special emphasis is placed on factors that may relate to well-being of children, including medical homes, family interactions, parental health, school and after-school experiences, and safe neighborhoods. Data was collected between January 2003 and July of 2004 on 102,353 children ages 0-17 years old. The NSCH is a SLAITS survey. More information. NSCH Data Resource Center.
NSCSHCN
National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Sponsored by HRSA's MCHB and DHHS, the primary goal of this module is to assess the prevalence and impact of special health care needs among children in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. This survey explores the extent to which CSHCN have medical homes, adequate health insurance, and access to needed services. Other topics include care coordination and satisfaction with care. Data was collected on 750 CSHCN and at least 2700 non-CSHCN per State and DC between October 2000 and April 2002 where children were under 18 years of age. The NSCHSCN is a SLAITS survey. More information. NSCSHCN Data Center.
NSIP
National Service Inclusion Project. NSIP, a CNCS training and technical assistance provider, offers training, strategic planning facilitation, and technical assistance on disability inclusion in national service. www.serviceandinclusion.org; NSIP on AUCD's website.
NTDC
National Training Directors Council. NTDC is one of AUCD's Councils of the Board of Directors. NTDC serves as a forum for the identification, discussion, and resolution of issues affecting interdisciplinary training in AUCD and acts as a communication vehicle for the implementation of national training policies through liaison with other groups. Visit the NTDC.
