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Congress Day 1 – Wednesday

The Congress launched on Wednesday 25th July with a opening speech from John Swinney – Deputy First Minister for Scotland. There were also plenary sessions from Roy McConkey and Elaine Scougal. Watch the opening ceremony and keynote speaker here.

Sessions 

  • Prof. Roy McConkey – Social Inclusion: An Impossible Dream?

  • Dr Laura Serrano – The Family Impact of Down Syndrome

    • Research/Self-Advocacy/Advovacy 
    • The presence of disability in a family members causes changes in family roles as well as in their dynamics.
    • View the presentation here.

  • Dr Melissa Parisi – The INCLUDE Project: New Down Syndrome Initiatives at the National Institutes of Health, USA

    • Research/Health
    • The INCLUDE project investigates co-occurring conditions across the lifespan to understand Down’s syndrome
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mrs Tammy Greyling – Challenging Behaviour: Using Contingency Maps as a Visual Support to Help Learners with Down Syndrome Make sense of Boundaries and Consequences

    • Research/School Learning
    • A look at how visual supports can be used for children with Down’s syndrome to appeal to their learning style and help them to understand boundaries. 
    • View the presentation here.   

  • ValueAble – The European Network of Intellectual Disability: Friendly Hospitality Employers

    • Patrice/Employment
    • The Valuable network is a effective example of work based vocational training and job inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Karen Deakin, Derek Moore & Andrew Jahoda- Children & Young People with Down’s Syndrome; Their Awareness of Down’s Syndrome and Developing Self Perceptions

    • Research/Supporting Children & Young People
    • This presentation looks at the awareness of people with Down’s syndrome about their condition and discussed research into this topic undertaken by University of Glasgow. 
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Dr Ken Courtenay – Adults with Down Syndrome Service Innovation

    • Research/Supporting Adults
    • Hear more about how a community-based clinic for adults with Down’s syndrome supports their physical and mental health.
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Ms Leela Baksi – Mind the Gap: Working with the Theory of Mind

    • Practice/Social Inclusion
    • Researchers have reported that individuals with Down’s syndrome may have difficulty with perspective taking and understanding other people’s motives and feelings. Baksi shares her research on this and explores strategies that help people with Down’s syndrome navigate these interactions.
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Dr Ester Joosa – Deep Down through the Arts: Creating Opportunities for Voice, Community Participation and Quality of Life

    • Lived Experience/Social Inclusion
    • Three presentations on how the role of arts can contribute to the lives of people with and without a disability. 
    • View the presentation here.    

  • Dr Sara Wood – Improving the Speech Communication Abilities of Children with Down’s syndrome: A New Model of Service Delivery Using Electroencephalography

    • Research/Early Learning
    • This presentations looks at the specific difficulties in speech production that children with Down’s syndrome often present and reports on new strategies that can be employed to support speech production. 
    • View the presentation here.    

  • Mr Chandramouli Kadagambadi Ragunathan – My Life Experience

    • Lived Experience/Self Advocacy/Advocacy
    • K. R. Chandramouli is 35 years old, he doesn’t let his disability stop him get where he wants to go in life.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Miss Gün Bilgin – +BiDown Independent Life and Career Academy: How it Helps Youngsters with DS to Take Control of their Own Lives

    • Lived Experience/Self Advocacy/Advocacy
    • Learn more about how an Independent Life and Career Programme was established and developed. 
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Mr Samuel Sestaro & Miss Gün Bilgin – The Triple Partnership

  • Mrs Rhona Matthews –  Talking Mats: Improving Communication, Improving Lives

    • Practice/Supporting Children & Young Adults
    • This symposium will talk about how Talking Mats grew from research into practice and is now being used worldwide.  
    • View the presentation here.      

  • Prof André Frank Zimpel – Abstract Thinking in People with Trisomy 21

    • Reasearch/Supporting Adults
    • A look at how abstract thinking develops in children with Down’s syndrome.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Mrs Fulya Ekmen – I’m Independent Because I Work, Job Coach Supported Employment Programme

    • Practice/Employment
    • Four aspects of supported employment will be discussed as well as looking at the history of this programme in Turkey.
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Ms Sajee Anuradha Gamage – Teachers’ Experience for Improving Motor Skills of Children with Down’s syndrome in the Context of Special Education in Southern Province of Sri Lanka

    • Reasearch/School Learning
    • This study aims to determine teachers’ experiences of improving Fine Motor Skills of children with Down’s syndrome. 
    • View the presentation here.

  • Heidi Crowter – My Independent Living Journey

    • Adults with Down Syndrome Programme
    • Hear from Heidi about her experiences with Independent living.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Phillip Thelin – My Life, My Choice

  • Dr Ciara O’Toole – A Systematic Review of Parent-Mediated Interventions to Promote Communication and Language Development in Children with Down Syndrome aged 0-6

    • Research/Early Learning
    • This presentation outlines the results of a Cochrane systematic review of the evidence for parent training. 
    • View the presentation here.  

  • Ms. Saira Karrim – The Health Experiences of adults with Down Syndrome and their Caregivers in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa

    • Research/Health
    • This study explores the experiences of adults with Down’s syndrome and their caregivers during health care visits. 
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Dr Marcia Van Riper – Family Life After The Down Syndrome Diagnosis: A Journey Filled with more Joy than Suffering

    • Research/Self Advocacy/Advocacy 
    • The purpose of this study was to examine how family factors influence the adaptation in families of individuals with Down’s syndrome. 
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Mrs Maxine Napal –  Down In Front, Please: How to Create a ‘Tiger Mom’ Without Even Trying

    • Lived experience/Self Advocacy/Advocacy 
    • This presentation looks at the reason for the rift between many parents and members of the medical and educational profession when it comes to looking after a child who has Down’s syndrome and suggests possible solutions. 
    • View the presentation here.   

  • Miss Eileen Dunne – Who am I?

    • Lived experience/Self Advocacy/Advocacy 
    • A presentation about the photographic exhibition ‘Who am I’.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Mr Pablo Rodriguex Herrero – The Voice of University Students with Down’s Syndrome and Intellectual Disability in Inclusive Higher Education Degree

    • Practice/Further Education 
    • The inclusion of students with intellectual disability in university environments has become a topic of growing concern in recent years. This presentation discusses the perception of students who have participated in inclusive higher education degrees.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Dr Diane Willis – Managing the Menopause in Women with Down’s Syndrome

    • Research/Supporting Adults
    • A topic which literature pays little attention to but with adults with Down’s syndrome living longer needs to be considered in more depth.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Miss Kartina Sneath – Learning to Manage My Money

    • Lived Experience/Supporting Adults
    • Hear about how adults with Down’s syndrome can be given the practical skills to manage their own money.
    • View the presentation here.      

  • Dr Cecilia Nakeva von Mentzer – Computer-assisted Phonics Training for Children with Down Syndrome: Challenging and Achievements

    • Research/School Learning
    • This presentation studies the effects of Graphogame on phonological processing skills and decoding ability in children with Down’s syndrome.
    • View the presentation here.      

  • Mrs Gillian Bird – Supporting Family Carers and people who have Complex Needs and/or Autism

    • Practice/Supporting Adults
    • Hear about Down’s Syndrome Association approach to supporting families and people with dual diagnosis and/or complex needs.
    • View the presentation here.      

  • Ms Amanda Jones – Circ8 Exercise Class

    • Practice/Health
    • This presentation looks at the importance of increasing levels of physical activity for adults with a Learning Disability and how to provide an appropriate and include exercise class.
    • View the presentation here.      

  • Mrs Tammy Greyling – It’s Not What You Can Do For Us, It’s What We Can Do For You! How Children and Young Adults with Disabilities Can Change the World Through Recycling

    • Practice/Employment
    • This presentation explores the benefits of engaging children and young people with Down’s syndrome in charitable and recycling projects.
    • View the presentation here.       

  • Mr Marcelo Varela – Ibero-American Health Program for Persons with Ds

    • Practice/Health
    • This presentation talks about the new tool used in Ibero-America to improve the detection and treatment of pathological that are most frequently associated with Down’s syndrome.
    • View the presentation here.       

  • Miss Bethany Medcalf and Mr Christopher Osunsami – Sex and Relationships Education for People with Down’s Syndrome: From Adolescence to Adulthood

    • Practice/Supporting Children & Young Adults
    • A wider understanding of the Down’s Syndrome Associations work in supporting young people with Down’s syndrome successfully through the process of puberty and adolescence.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Ms June Neil –  Vision Champion Training: A Model for Success for Supporting and Promoting Eye Care for People with Down’s Syndrome

    • Practice/Supporting Adults
    • This workshop explores the role of Vision Champion Training and explains the practical application of this training.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Ms Elizabeth Jones –  Defeating Dementia Together: Promoting the inclusion of Adults with Down’s Syndrome in Dementia Research

    • Practice/Research
    • Hear about the work of this unique research group from the University of Cambridge.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Dr Anne Jobling –  A Longitudinal Program of Research with Families and their Children with DS: Themes and Outcomes

    • Research/Other
    • Hear about the research from University of Queensland and how it has progressed since 1978.
    • View the presentation here.    

  • Ms Francine van den Driessen Mareeuw-  ‘You Just Want to be Helped Effectively’: Quality in Healthcare According to People with Down Syndrome and parents

    • Research/Health
    • This presentation evaluated the quality of Down’s syndrome specific health care initiatives.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Prof Judith Mckenzie – Perspectives on Teacher Education Needs for Teaching Children with Intellectual Disabilities in an Inclusive Education System in South Africa

    • Research/School Learning
    • Exclusion and lack of quality education for children with intellectual impairment is a major concern in South Africa, this presentation explores ways in which teachers can be supported.
    • View the presentation here.     

  • Sue Buckley – Developing Evidence Based Early Intervention and Education

  • Isla Ross – Preparing Pupils and Staff for the Journey Through Mainstream