About us

Congress- Day 3

Sessions 

  • Ms Fiona Dawson – My Life and Achievements

  • Dr Kathleen Gillespie – Why Children With Down Syndrome At Increased Risk of Autoimmunity?

    • Research/Health
    • Kathleen and her colleagues Sian Grace and Georgina Williams discuss their research into the underlying accelerated rates of autoimmune diabetes and other forms of autoimmunity in Down syndrome. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Deborah Kinnear – Multi-Morbidity In a Cohort of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities, With and Without Down Syndrome

    • Research/Health
    • This presentation looks at the results of study conducted at Glasgow University that investigated the prevalence of multi-morbidity in adults with intellectual disabilities.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mrs Amanda Corby – Key Strategies For Differentiation – Successfully Supporting Students with Down Syndrome to Access Learning Within Mainstream Schools

    • Practice/School Learning 
    • This presentation focuses on the use of inclusive strategies to enable a learner with Down’s syndrome to participate in learning experiences. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Miss Kylie Scott – How Down Syndrome Had Made Me The ‘Wonder Woman’ I Am Today …

    • Lived experience/Advocacy/Self- advocacy
    • Kylie has her own public speaking and art business, her presentations focuses on her life and her achievements and poses the question about the future of the Down’s syndrome population in the light on new testing. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Miss Olivia Hargroder – Change The Box – How You Can Help Get Down Syndrome Into the Paralympics!

    • Lived experience/Advocacy/Self- advocacy
    • Olivia talks about her perception of how Down’s syndrome is seen by the general public, and discusses how a change in the Paralympic categories should shift opinion about what someone with Down’s syndrome can achieve.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mrs Janette Lloyd  – The Role of Basic Concepts In Teaching and Learning For Young Adults with Down Syndrome

    • Research/Supporting Children and Young People
    • Janette discusses the research that has been conducted into the best ways to support learning for people with Down’s syndrome. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Karen Watchman – Non-Drug Support For People With Down’s Syndrome and Dementia

    • Research/Supporting Adults
    • Karen presents on the results of a three year study on non-drug interventions for people with a learning disability and dementia.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Prof Monica Cuskelly – Mental Health Of Adults with Down Syndrome

    • Research/Health
    • Monica presents the inclusion of mental health as part of the assessment protocol for adults with Down syndrome and evaluates the results of this. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Ms Setsuko Fujiyama – Job Experience Program By The Group of Parents

    • Practice/Employment
    • This presentation talks about a job experience programme run by parents at the Hiroshima Branch of Japan Down’s Syndrome Society.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mrs Claudia Ritzel – Improving The Environment Of Elementary Schools For A Successful Inclusion: No 2 Are Alike

    • Practice/School Learning
    • This presentation focuses on how playful activities can be used to accept difference in the human race and other teaching practices which can help foster greater acceptance and positive attitudes towards students with Down’s syndrome.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Silvana Mengoni – An Investigation of the Relationships Between Parental Feeding Styles and Eating Behaviours of Children With Down Syndrome

    • Research/Early Learning 
    • This presentation explores parental feeding styles and children’s eating behaviours in order to establish if there is a link between them, the methodology used to evaluatate and access feeding styles will also be explained. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Prof Jan Burns – Including Athletes With Down’s Syndrome In Elite Sport

    • Reasearch/Health 
    • This presentation discuses why athletes with Down’s syndrome are not participating in the Paralympics and what developments are taking place to remedy this lack of inclusion. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mrs Ailth Harley-Roberts – Speech & Language – Positive Partnerships

    • Practice/Early Learning
    • This session focuses on how speech and language groups were set up and operate through a parent led support network. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mr Alex Snedden – Speaking Up: A Leader Of People First New Zealand Talking About Disability Rights

    • Lived Experience/Self-advocacy/Advocacy 
    • Alex is an elected member of the national governing body of People First New Zealand, he talks about his role in the organisation and how it guides his life.  
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mr William Field – A Family Journey In Developing Employment Opportunities For Adults with Down Syndrome: A Case Study Involving The Hospitality Industry with Support From The National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia

    • Lived Experience/Employment 
    • This presentation focuses on an employment program in the hospitality indrusty which William and his son developed supported by the National Disability Insurance Scheme. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Miss Yana NG T. Y. – Art-based Reminiscence Activities For Adults With Down Syndrome In Hong Kong

    • Research/Supporting Adults
    • This presentation aims to explore the effectiveness of the use of therapeutic art-based activities in helping people with Down’s syndrome and their carers to review their life. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Alyssa Siegel – Not a Kid Anymore: Preparing For the Transition From Paediatric to Adult Medical

    • Practice/Health 
    • This presentation discuses the challenges of transition to adulthood process to families of youths with Down’s syndrome and presents the Trisomy 21 Toolkit for Transition to Adulthood used by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Gert de Graaf – Small Steps:  From Early Intervention Program To App

    • Practice/Early Learning
    • This presentation looks at the Small Steps programme developed in the Netherlands which enables parents to support the development of their child, this programme has now been transformed into an App. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Brian Skotko – Down Syndrome Clinic To You (DSC2U): A New Online Personalised Care Plan For People With Down’s Syndrome

    • Research/Health 
    • This presentation discusses the development of an online based Down’s syndrome clinics to reach patients with Down’s syndrome across the USA. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Elizabeth Hill- Prevalence and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea/Hypopnoea Syndrome in Adults with Down Syndrome

    • Research/Health 
    • Elizabeth shares her research into sleep disorders in adults with Down’s syndrome and suggested treatments methods. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Miss Carolyn Earle – Speak Up for Yourself

    • Lived Experience/ Self-Advocacy/Advocacy
    • Carolyn tells us about her life and her role at the Maitland Toastmasters Club. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Patrica Jackson – A Model For Training The Trainers to Cascade Information In Relation To Health Care Of Children And Young People With Down Syndrome

    • Practice/Supporting Children and Young Adults 
    • This presentation discusses the best methods for training health professionals in the management of the health needs of children and young people with Down’s syndrome.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mr Ryan Bogues – Ryan’s Cookie Box

    • Lived Experience/Employment
    • Ryan and his parents talk about the success of their employment initiative using Ryan’s natural talent and love of baking. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mrs Rachel Carr – Relationships and Sexuality Education: Supporting People with Down Syndrome Towards Safe, Healthy and Happy Adulthood

    • Practice/Supporting Children and Young Adults
    • This presentation looks at the methods behind teaching young people with Down’s syndrome about relationships and sexuality.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Karen Watchman – Jenny’s Diary: A Resource to Support Conversations about Dementia

    • Practice/Supporting Adults 
    • Karen presents on a resource developed at the University of Stirling called ‘Jenny’s Dairy’ and explains how it can be used to support adults with Down’s syndrome to gain an understanding of what dementia is and how it can effect individuals.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Klaartje Klaver – Being Attentive To People With Down’s Syndrome And Their Relatives. An Exploration Of My Experiences As a Research and as a mother of a Son with Down Syndrome

    • Research/Research Practise
    • Klaartje presents on her research into the phenomenon of attentiveness and its meaning in a modern care context. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Prof Silvia Lanfranchi – Improving Basic Numeracy In Children with Down Syndrome

    • Research/School Learning
    • This presentation focuses on using new techniques for teaching numeracy including the use of adaptive video games.
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mr Thomas Weir – A History of Down Syndrome Sport in Britain: How Patients become Athletes

    • Research/Health 
    • This presentation explores how sport can challenge negative public perceptions of people with disabilities and promote ideas of citizenship.
    • View the presentation here.

  • Dr Marcela Tenorio – Games and Technology for Cognitive Assessment in Infants and Children with Down Syndrome

    • Research/Early Learning 
    • This presentations looks at how alternative methods of assessment can work for children with Down’s syndrome to get a more actuate gauge of ability than standard testing. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Mr Duncan Souster – A Sea of Possibility

    • Lived Experience/Social Inclusion
    • Duncan from the Jubilee Sailing Trust talks about the charity and their goal to have more people with Down’s syndrome take part in the sport. 
    • View the presentation here. 

  • Dr Brian Skotko – Celebrating Life With Down Syndrome

    • Plenary Speaker
    • Brian talks about his personal experiences as a sibling and draws on research from his most recent book ‘Fasten Your Seatbelts: A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers and Sisters’. 
    • View the presentation here.