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Different early interventions have different outcomes: Responsive Teaching

From Down Syndrome Education International

Early intervention has been advocated for children with Down syndrome since the 1970s as a means to improving development during the critical early years. Yet, there is a disturbing lack of research assessing the benefits of specific interventions. Some available studies suggest that different interventions can result in substantially different outcomes, indicating that further research is urgently needed.

View all examples: www.dseinternational.org/en-us/education21/

January 18, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

Watching granddaughter Lucy singing on stage, and grateful for the moment

Advocacy, In the Media

From The Boston Globe – Globe South

There is such joy in Lucy. I don’t always see it. Sometimes I’m too focused on improving her, reminding her to stand up straight, to look a person in the eye when she’s saying hello and goodbye, to slow down her words when she talks.

“Can you say that again, Lucy?” “Where are your shoes?” “Did you brush your teeth?” “Do you have your seat belt buckled?” Always on her case but for her own good, right?

Lucy, my first-born grandchild, is 11. I worried so about her when she was born. I still do. She has Down syndrome. There are plenty of reasons for worry.

But I worry about my other grandkids, too. You love someone and you want to protect them. And you can’t. So you worry.

January 18, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

Boston School Committee’s Newest Member Is An Advocate For Children With Disabilities

Education, In the Media

From wbur.org

Regina Robinson, dean of students at Cambridge College, is the newest member of the Boston School Committee. She explains how her life has changed after…

January 14, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

Children with Down syndrome can be as motivated as other children

Cognition, Education, In the Media

From Down Syndrome Education International

Motivation is important for learning. It is often assumed that children with learning disabilities are less motivated than other children. Recent research suggests this might not be the case: children with Down syndrome can be as motivated as other children at the same stage of mental development.

View all examples at: www.dseinternational.org/en-us/education21/

January 13, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

Autism in Down syndrome is not typical autism

Education, Health, In the Media

From Down Syndrome Education International

An increasing number of children with Down syndrome are being diagnosed as also having autism or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Research is exploring the prevalence and the characteristics of autism and autistic spectrum disorders in people with Down syndrome, and informing more reliable diagnosis. More research is needed to better understand these dual diagnoses and to identify effective ways to support development and learning for these children.

View all examples: www.dseinternational.org/en-us/education21/

January 6, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

3 Big Wins for Special Education in 2014

Education, In the Media

From Huffington Post

The way that K-12 learners are taught is in rapid flux, particularly when it comes to students in special education programs. These are the students that need the most help and support and the ones where a push for higher parental involvement does not always bridge the academic gap. These students need highly-trained teachers and program resources designed with them in mind to succeed. Because of this, special education researchers, practitioners, and activists are always looking for innovative ways to serve those students that need the help the most. This year was one of many wins for special education students and the start to many great initiatives in the future.

U.S. Education Department raises special education benchmarks. Earlier last year, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the way it determines if states are meeting the needs of their students with disabilities is going to change. Factors like state graduation rates and test scores will now be considered more heavily when determining what states are helping, and what states are failing, their special education students. States that are unable to meet the new benchmarks set forth for three years or more could face losing some of their special education funding.

So just how different are the new requirements, and how difficult will it be for states to achieve the benchmarks when it comes to special education students? To put it in perspective, 41 states met the requirements of the old system. Under the new requirements, only 18 states meet the standards. It is estimated that 6.5 million children in the U.S. have disabilities.

January 5, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

Student Services: Special education focus is on inclusion in Cambridge

Education, In the Media

From Wicked Local Cambridge:

Perhaps the biggest change for parents is the level of communication they now experience, they said. Cambridge Public Schools parent Julie Messina has a son with Down’s syndrome.

Although she said she hasn’t seen much change at the school level, she’s noticed a big change in the district-wide approach to special education.

“There definitely seems to be a desire to be more responsive,” Messina said. “I understand (Dr. Greer) has taken a lot of this year to do internal housekeeping, but already we’re seeing the fruits of that labor, at least in terms of better communication to parents.”

Photo: Scokzek

December 30, 2014/0 Comments/by Other

Learning about numbers is difficult

Cognition, Education, In the Media

From Down Syndrome Education International

Most young people with Down syndrome find learning about numbers difficult and only a few acquire the number skills sufficient for everyday life. Research has begun to explore possible reasons for these difficulties but more studies are needed to better inform more effective teaching approaches.

View all examples: www.dseinternational.org/en-us/education21/

December 29, 2014/0 Comments/by Other

The ABLE Act is Law

Advocacy, In the Media

From National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC)

As 2014 comes to a close, we begin a new chapter for people with disabilities. The Stephen Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act was passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate by overwhelming majorities, and signed into law by President Obama late last week. This means families will be able to save for individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities through 529-style savings accounts, without affecting their government benefits. Below is a brief FAQ to explain more about ABLE accounts.

December 23, 2014/0 Comments/by Other

Cambridge resident receives Community Partnership Award

Education, In the Media

From the Cambridge Chronicle:

March 8, 2013 – The Federation for Children with Special Needs announced that Julie Messina of Cambridge has been awarded the Community Partnership Award for her exemplary work as founder of the Learning Program Boston.

Messina, the parent of a child with Down syndrome, started the Learning Program Boston (LPB), an organization committed to the early education of children with Down syndrome. LPB focuses on parents as “first teachers,” utilizing current, evidenced-based research on effective teaching strategies that capitalize on the learning strengths of individuals with Down syndrome.

Over the last four years, LPB has grown from a few family volunteers to more than 100 parents, educators and students meeting monthly to educate and empower students with Down syndrome. Through this innovative partnership, LPB hopes to create a world more welcoming to those that are “differently-abled.”

Messina will receive her award at the federation’s annual Visions of Community Conference, to be held on March 9, at the World Trade Center, Boston.

https://www.facebook.com/fcsnfb/posts/538923852819366

December 22, 2014/0 Comments/by Other