In the Media – Page 5 – 321Foundation

Lego unveils its first disabled figure

by Ivana Kottasova | money.cnn.com

After decades of building pirate ships, race cars and haunted castles, Lego has come up with something new: a wheelchair.

The Danish toymaker has unveiled its first ever disabled minifigure on Thursday. The figure of a hat-wearing boy in a wheelchair was first spotted at the Nuremberg international toy fair in Germany and featured on fan blogs.

The company later confirmed the tiny wheelchair will be part of a new Lego CITY set that will come out in June.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/28/news/companies/lego-wheelchair-minifigure/

January 28, 2016/0 Comments/by Other

Families raising children with Down syndrome find local, national support

Advocacy, Education, Health, In the Media

by Kara Bettis | http://newbostonpost.com

BOSTON – When Carl and Julie Stone discovered four years ago that their third child, Josiah, would be born with trisomy 21, or Down syndrome, they didn’t blink.

“It didn’t frighten us, it didn’t scare us, it didn’t make us sad,” Stone said. “We simply wanted to spend the last 20 weeks of the pregnancy doing everything we could to give this child every possibility to succeed.”

The Carver resident’s story is not unusual. But it isn’t common, either. Many expecting families who discover the child might be born with trisomy 21, a form of Down syndrome that comes from having an extra chromosome, don’t know where to turn, or what kind of life to expect for their baby.

http://newbostonpost.com/2016/01/22/families-raising-down-syndrome-children-find-local-national-support/

January 22, 2016/0 Comments/by Other

TV Show Featuring Young Adults With Down Syndrome To Return

Advocacy, Education, In the Media

by Shaun Heasley | disabilityscoop.com

More episodes are on the way for a new television show focusing on the lives of young adults with Down syndrome.

A&E Network said it has renewed “Born This Way” for a second season.

The show, which debuted in December, follows seven young adults with the chromosomal disorder and their families in Southern California.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/01/12/tv-down-syndrome-return/21757/

January 12, 2016/0 Comments/by Other

Special Ed Testing Accommodations Backfire

Education, In the Media

by Laurie Udesky, The Hechinger Report | disabilityscoop.com

Last spring, Julia Kim’s students with disabilities at Fairmount Elementary in San Francisco were ready to take a new standardized test. They were excited that it had been built especially for them.

In past years, students with visual perception disorders had test questions read out loud. This time, the students sat in front of their computers awaiting the new technology designed to help them complete the test on their own for the first time.

But as soon as the first question appeared, students complained that the print was too small.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/01/12/special-ed-testing-backfire/21760/

January 12, 2016/0 Comments/by Other

First clinical trial for vaccine targeting Alzheimer’s in people with Down’s syndrome

Health, In the Media

by Nicholas Jackson | drugtargetreview.com

Plans for the world’s first clinical trial for a vaccine targeting Alzheimer’s disease-like characteristics in those with Down’s syndrome have been announced. The study will test AC Immune’s vaccine ACI-24 and is being conducted in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) Down’s Syndrome Research and Treatment Center. Funding is provided by a significant grant from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and an additional grant from the LuMind Research Down’s Syndrome Foundation. This is the first public/private collaboration for a clinical trial in the field of Down’s syndrome.

http://www.drugtargetreview.com/8541/content-type/industry-news/vaccine-targeting-alzheimers-in-people-with-down-syndrome/#.Vo6bUU-ng2Y.facebook

January 7, 2016/0 Comments/by Other

Support Our Education and Cognition Efforts with a Gift

Education, In the Media

Consider an online gift to support our education and cognition efforts at the 3-21 Foundation. Your tax-deductible donation will go towards quality research and programming to help families and children living with Down syndrome.

Thank you.

December 10, 2015/0 Comments/by Andree Mendes

Harvard EdCast: The Evolution of Disabilities Education

Education, In the Media

By Matt Weber | gse.harvard.edu

In 1975, public schools in the United States accommodated only 1 out of 5 children with disabilities. Many states had laws that explicitly excluded children with disabilities — including children who were deaf or blind, children who had been labeled “mentally retarded,” and children suffering from certain types of mental illness — from attending public school. But thanks in large part to greater exposure in the media, along with a number of lawsuits challenging the exclusion of these children from school, federal legislation was adopted that allowed for positive change in the U.S. On November 30, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA]) into law.

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/15/11/harvard-edcast-evolution-disabilities-education

November 30, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

ESEA Reauthorization: The Every Student Succeeds Act Explained

Education, In the Media

By Alyson Klein | edweek.com

The newest proposed version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—dubbed the Every Student Succeeds Act—has officially been released.

Votes in both chambers of Congress are expected over the next couple weeks. If all goes as planned, the bill will reach President Barack Obama’s desk by the end of the year—and he’s expected to sign it.

So what is in the ESSA, when it comes to accountability, testing, programs, and more? And how does it compare to No Child Left Behind Act, Classic Edition, and the Obama administration’s NCLB waivers?

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2015/11/esea_reauthorization_the_every.html

November 30, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

New TV Series Features Young Adults With Down Syndrome

Advocacy, Education, In the Media

by Shaun Heasley | Disabilityscoop.com

The production company behind “Keeping up with the Kardashians” and other reality television staples will debut a new documentary series following young adults with Down syndrome.

The six-episode series “Born This Way” will air on A&E Network starting Dec. 8 at 10 p.m. ET.

For the show, cameras followed seven Southern California young adults with Down syndrome and their families as they navigate jobs and relationships and look to gain greater independence.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/11/16/new-tv-series-down-syndrome/20963/

November 16, 2015/0 Comments/by Other

Register Now for the MDSC 11th Annual Educators Forum

Education, In the Media

By MDSC.org

SAVE THE DATE!
11th Annual Educators Forum
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA

Register Here!*

Join hundreds of educators each fall at the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress’ Annual Educators Forum, where you will be treated to a full day of presentations by experts in the field of inclusion. A range of stimulating workshops will bring to life the best practices for educating students with Down syndrome in an inclusive classroom. Our participants will be exposed to innovative, research-based educational strategies on a variety of topics.

Sessions often cover the following subjects: technology, literacy, behavior, socialization, teamwork, differentiated instruction, the paraprofessional’s role, transition, and gaining meaningful access to the general education curriculum.

In the spirit of collaboration and inclusion, we value various districts coming together to learn, build capacity and ultimately enhance and improve the educational experiences of all students!

*Note: If you are part of the Learning Program Boston, please contact us at [email protected] for information about a group discount by October 24, 2015.

October 3, 2015/0 Comments/by Other