Megan Bomgaars, a young woman with Down syndrome, speaks to teachers about best practices for teaching an individual with disabilities. She has an incredible ability to capture in words exactly what teachers need to do or not do to help children with disabilites achieve their full potential. Please watch this video and send it along to those who might benefit from the information!
A study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics reports that parents, siblings, and children/adults with Down syndrome have had positive life experiences related to Down syndrome. One statistic definitely resonates with me: 79% of parents surveyed felt their outlook on life was positive because of their child with DS. Auggie has certainly changed my life view...for the best. Please check out this article:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/21/3927130/parents-siblings-and-people-with.html I just recently watched a documentary, "Shorty" about a man in his 50's with Down syndrome named Walter Simms. He worked at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, primarily with the football team. This film follows an incredible legacy that he created at Hampden-Sydney and how his presence affected students, faculty/staff, and friends of Hampden-Sydney. I recommend checking it out. It is available on Netflix through the disc rental.
I just stumbled upon this young man's blog and it is impressive and entertaining! Daniel Drinker is a twenty-something with Down syndrome and his brother, Will has been recording his adventures both on the blog and on video. I have watched a few of the video clips and for me, the relationship between Will and his brother is the special part about this blog/future documentary. Daniel is a clever young man and I am sure you will enjoy his website. A documentary about Dan has just been finished and I wrote them to find out how/where it will be accessible in the future so I will post this information when I receive it! For now, enjoy www.dandrinker.com
This is a book that will be released in September 2011 about the politics behind Down syndrome. It was written by the father of a 6 year-old son with Down syndrome. It has received great reviews from DownsEd International CEO, Frank Buckley. The author addresses debates like finding a blood test for Down syndrome and the limited knowledge that the general public and lawmakers have about Down syndrome (as well as the generalizations that exist). I am looking forward to reading it! Here is a link to the article:
http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/33132 http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/01/07/independent-living-boost/11861/
This article was just posted on Disability Scoop. It is wonderful to see a push for more facilities to accomodate adults with disabilities who would like to live independently. I am looking forward to seeing what changes will come to Southern Maryland in terms of independent living communities! I would be interested to know what areas (in Maryland or the U.S. as a whole) you have found to most progressive in terms of independent living posssibilies. Down Syndrome Pregnancy is a non-profit that works to support that have found out that their child has Down syndrome while they are still pregnant and have chosen to keep the baby. The have a free downloadable e-book as well as a regularly updated blog. This would be probably also be a valuable resource for new parents of a child with Down syndrome. The web address is http://downsyndromepregnancy.org/ and this informaition is also posted on the New and Expectant Parents page.
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