Like all people, individuals with Down syndrome learn and develop at their own rate and in their own way. People with Down syndrome have varied goals for their futures and individual expectations of their roles in the family, school and community.
Down syndrome is not a blueprint for potential or a prescription for a given educational or life plan. However, people with Down syndrome often experience mild to moderate delays in their cognitive and physical development and research has shown that educational and therapeutic interventions (such as early intervention services) can greatly benefit learners with Down syndrome. Careful consideration, supports and early planning are often necessary to facilitate education and community life.
NDSS Resources
EXTERNAL RESOURCES
- The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH)
www.tash.org
Promotes the full inclusion and participation of children and adults with significant disabilities in every aspect of their community
- Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
www.aucd.org
A network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities
- Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies at Syracuse University
http://disabilitystudies.syr.edu
A network of academic programs, centers, student organizations, and affiliated faculty whose research, teaching, and advocacy seeks to promote the rights of people with disabilities locally, nationally, and globally
- Disability, Literacy and Inclusive Education
www.uni.edu/inclusion
Focused on imagining and realizing the full literate citizenship of young children with significant disabilities in inclusive early childhood programs
- Disability Resources on the Internet
www.disabilityresources.org
Extensive listings on a number of disability-related topics
- Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
www.eric.ed.gov
An online digital library of education research and information
- Federation for Children with Special Needs
www.fcsn.org
Provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities
- IDEA Resources from the US Department of Education
http://idea.ed.gov
A comprehensive guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- Inclusion Daily Express
www.inclusiondaily.com
A daily disability rights news service
- Inclusion Press - Inclusion Network - Martha Forest Centre
www.inclusion.com
Creates person centered resource materials
- Institute on Community Integration
www.ici.umn.edu
Through collaborative research, training, and information sharing, the Institute improves policies and practices to ensure that all children, youth, and adults with disabilities are valued by, and contribute to, their communities of choice
- National Center on Learning Disabilities
www.ncld.org
Website provides information and resources
- National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
www.ncld.org
NICHCY is a central source of information on pre-adolescents and teens with disabilities. It features a clear and detailed guide to IDEA, the law authorizing early intervention services and special education, and State Resource Sheets to help you connect with disability agencies and organizations in your state
- Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER Center)
www.pacer.org
Parents can find publications, workshops, and other resources to help make decisions for their children with disabilities.
- Parent Education and Assistance for Kids (PEAK) Parent Center
www.peakparent.org
Provides training, information and technical assistance to equip families of children birth through twenty-six including all disability conditions with strategies to advocate successfully for their children
- Parent Training and Information Centers - Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers
www.taalliance.org
Parent Centers provide training, information and assistance to families of children with all disabilities ages birth to 26 years and the professionals who work with them
- Office of Special Education Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html
Government agency dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities
- Special Ed Newsline
www.specialednews.com
Weekly newspaper about special education
- State Education Resource Center
www.ctserc.org
provides professional development and information dissemination in the latest research and best practices to educators, service providers, and families
- Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy
www.wrightslaw.com
Information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities
DVDS
- Inclusive Education: Rediscovering Our Right to Belong. Produced by N. Kunc and E. Van der Klift. Broadreach Training and Resource.www.normemma.com
- The Inclusion Series. Produced by Comforty Mediaconcepts for the Illinois State Board of Education, Department of Special Education.www.inclusionseries.com
BOOKS
- Activities for a Diverse Classroom: Connecting Students. 2nd Edition. Kratz, L., Sax, C. and Fischer, D. Colorado Springs, CO: PEAK Parent Center. (2003)
- Adolescents and Inclusion: Transforming Secondary Schools. Bauer, A. and Myree, G. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. (2001)
- Behavioral Support. 2nd Edition. Janney, R. and Snell, M. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. (2008)
- Creating an Inclusive School. Second Edition. Villa, R.A. and Thousand, J.S. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2005)
- The Current Legal Status of Inclusion. Published by LRP Publications. www.lrp.com
- Deciding What to Teach and How to Teach It: Connecting Students Through Curriculum and Instruction. Castagnera, E., Fisher, D., Rodifer, K. and Sax,C. Colorado Springs, CO: PEAK Parent Center. (2003)
- IDEA and NCLB Guidance: What Parents of Students with Disability Need to Know and Do.Cortiella, C. Mineapolis, MN: University of Minnesota National Center on Education Outcomes. (2006)
- Inclusive Elementary Schools: Recipe for Success. Fischer, D., Fray, N. and Sax, C. Colorado Springs, CO: PEAK Parent Center. (2001)
- Inclusive High Schools: Learning From Contemporary Classrooms. Fischer, D., Sax, C., & Pumpian, I. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. (1999)
- Inclusive Middle Schools. Kennedy, C.H., Fisher, D. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. (2001)
- LRE Compliance Advisor. Published by LRP Publications. www.lrp.com
- Individual Education Plan: Involved Effective Parents. Seyler, A.B., & Buswell, B.E. Colorado Springs, CO: PEAK Parent Center (2001). www.peakparent.org
- Negotiating the Special Education Maze: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. Fourth Edition.Anderson, W., Chitwood, S., Hayden, D. and Takemoto, C. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House. (2008)
- Social Relationships and Peer Support. Second Edition. Snell, M. and Janney, R. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. (2006)
- TASH Connections. Published by The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH). www.tash.org. Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. www.nprinc.com