We will be having our second fundraising yard sale Saturday 3rd at 8am -12. It will be at 443 W. 11th St, San Pedro CA 90731. Please email Karen Ford Cull or Charlene Fairchild Bu if you can volunteer for an hour, Saturday or Friday evening.
We raised more than $1100
February 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We raised more than $1100 at our Garage Sale last weekend and we hope to raise more this Saturday at a repeat sale in San Pedro. Watch this space for news!
Included vs. Integral
February 7, 2012 By 2 Comments
The difference between being included in a classroom and being integral to the classroom.
Getting to Integral
If you are included in my class, it means your name is on my class roster. Included means I have a hook in the closet labeled with your name. Included means every day a chair will be reserved for you to fill. Included means you eat your lunch at the time designated for our class to eat it and you sit with your classmates. Included means everyone in class knows who you are and acknowledges that you all share me as your teacher.
Integral is not included.
If you are integral to my class, it means you bring something to my class that no one else can bring. Integral means everyone in the room notices when you’re gone because everyone in the room is affected when you’re gone. Integral means the flow of our daily class schedule is disrupted when you are not present. Integral means that groups have to be restructured, daily events must be modified, and the classroom experience of every child is impacted if you don’t show up to fill your place in our class.
Supporting Feeding & Oral Development in Young Children
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Support Feeding & Oral Development in young children with Down Syndrome, Congenital Heart Disease and Feeding difficulties.
FOOD PROGRESSIONS FOR BITING AND CHEWING
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Learning to bite and chew foods efficiently is influenced by the sensory properties of the food and it’s placement in the mouth. As with any new skill, progress is determined by the specific challenges presented by the food and the degree of success achieved by the learner. The challenge for the parent or therapist is to select foods that offer a “just right” challenge and a high degree of success for the child who is developing these skills. When the challenge is too great, the child will revert to familiar movement patterns that may be inappropriate for handling the food, or be at risk of gagging, choking, or aspirating un- chewed pieces. Fear and low levels of success will convince the child that learning to chew is dangerous or not worth the effort involved. Limits in food choices and textures result, creating overall limits in the child’s ability to function freely in society.
From Milk to Table Foods: A Parent’s Guide to Introducing Food Textures
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Learning to eat foods, from the first bites of baby cereal to regular table foods, is a long process. For children with Down syndrome, learning to coordinate tongue and mouth movements from the first bites of baby cereal to eating table foods takes longer and can cause parents concern.
More choline for pregnant, nursing women could reduce Down syndrome dysfunction, guard against dementia
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
More choline during pregnancy and nursing could provide lasting cognitive and emotional benefits to individuals with Down syndrome and protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a new Cornell study of mice.
Strategies to address challenging behaviour in young children with Down syndrome
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Children with Down syndrome are at an increased risk for engaging in challenging behaviour that may present problems within community, leisure, and educational settings, and, in many instances, precludes them from accessing these environments. Factors contributing to the occurrence of challenging behaviours include characteristics associated with the Down syndrome behavioural phenotype, increased incidence of illness and sleep disorders, and the way in which individuals in their environment respond to their behaviours. In this paper we describe the use of behaviourally based intervention strategies to address some of the specific challenges often seen in young children with Down syndrome. Through a series of case studies, the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions addressing challenging behaviour is demonstrated.
Strategies to address challenging behaviour in young children with Down syndrome
Addressing challenging behaviour in children with Down syndrome. The use of ABA for assessment and intervention
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Abstract – Children with Down syndrome are at an increased risk for engaging in challenging behaviour that may be part of a behavioural phenotype characteristic of Down syndrome. The methodology of applied behaviour analysis has been demonstrated effective with a wide range of challenging behaviours, across various disabilities. Applications to children with Down syndrome and the examination of behaviourally based strategies to specifically address the unique charac- teristics of children with Down syndrome are limited. However, there are several studies in which a subset of the participants did have Down syndrome. A handful of these studies are reviewed within the context of functional behaviour assessment and Positive Behavioural Supports. Drawing from these studies and the behavioural literature, as well as the authors’ clinical experience and research, suggestions regarding early intervention for challenging behaviour with children with Down syn- drome are provided.
Teaching reading skills to children with Down syndrome
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Introduction
All children with Down syndrome benefit from being read to and from taking part in reading instruction from an early age. Research evidence shows that these activities will improve their spoken language and memory skills.
Children with Down syndrome learn to read in the same way as typically developing children. They build on their good visual memory skills but find it more difficult to use phonics. In other words, they benefit from learning to read through a ‘whole-word’ learning strategy to start with, bringing in phonics knowledge at a later date.
While children who are introduced to reading in their preschool years show the highest levels of achievement, studies indicate that teenagers and young adults with Down syndrome can continue to develop their reading abilities if given appropriate instruction.
Up for Reading – Teaching reading skills to children with Down syndrome
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