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September 4, 2012 | No. 11
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New Parent Coffee on September 15
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On Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1, 2012 at the Marriott in Burlington, Mass, the MDSC is proud to partner with Down Syndrome Education International (DSEI), the leading experts in Down syndrome education, to hold the inaugural "Northeast Down Syndrome Education Conference." Registration is now open.
REGISTER HERE
The two-day in-depth Education Conference will include intensive training over 2 days for general and special education teachers, teaching assistants, educational/school psychologists, speech and language pathologists, early intervention therapists, administrators and other health and education professionals. The tracks are also suitable for parents looking for more detailed information.
For complete information, visit our website page and look for updates on our Facebook page.
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On Wednesday Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Papa Razzi in Framingham (155 Worcester Rd.), Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome (D.A.D.S.) welcomes a trio of financial planning experts to speak at its regular meeting.
The featured guests include Leo Rotman of Eagle Strategies, Caleb Harty or New York Life and Don Cordell of Bowditch and Dewey. Topics will include: the Need for Proper Planning, Government Programs, Financial Considerations, Legal Considerations, Common Planning Mistakes, Important Steps to Take, and Resources for More Information.
Leo, a father of two, is a Sudbury resident and founder of MetroWest United Sports, a youth sports program for children with special needs. Caleb is a Gordon College Alumnus and Salem, Mass resident, who works alongside Leo providing special needs planning for families in the Greater Boston Area.
Don, a partner in Bowditch and Dewey, specializes in elder law and special needs estate planning.
To RSVP, email Jeff Roback or call him at 339-788-1460.
D.A.D.S., a proud affiliate of the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, is an organization of fathers of children with Down syndrome whose mission is to assist and support each other and their families through fellowship and action. Visit their website here.
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Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change (MFOFC) is holding a full-day statewide conference on Saturday, September 29 on "Building a Home."
The motivational conference, to be held at Holy Cross College in Worcester, will explore how families can build a home and a life for their loved ones with disabilities, giving them interdependent full lives in their communities.
The conference will also provide participants with opportunities to network and meet individuals who are making it work in their own unique way. Early Bird registration is open now for $75.
See here for complete information.
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Dear Member
Have you registered yet for our 16th Annual Buddy Walk & Family Picnic on October 7 in Wakefield? So far, nearly 100 teams (97 to be exact), along with countless team members, have. You, too, can be among those gathered on the banks of Lake Quannapowitt, lined up to meet with TV superstar Lauren Potter of GLEE fame (above), our special guest for the event.
This is an occasion you don't want to miss, whether you are looking to network, celebrate your loved one with Down syndrome, or just have a great time in a warm, welcoming, open-hearted community. This year, we welcome back American Idol Season 5 semi-finalist Ayla Brown, a local girl who now calls Nashville, Tennessee home. She will be performing on our larger-than-ever stage to accommodate her full 5-piece band who will bang out songs from her new album. "I have been doing this event every year since American Idol in 2006," Ayla says on her website. "It is my favorite event of the year. I hope you will all join me in raising money for the MDSC and hearing me perform with a full band." REGISTER NOW! If you're a Facebook user, go to Ayla's tour page to send her a message and let her know that you'll be attending. See her recent performance below on the Jesse Goldberg Show.
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A move is under way on the national level to develop a comprehensive Down Syndrome Patient Registry that has the potential to better understand Down syndrome issues and ultimately improve the lives of people with Down syndrome.
The MDSC is supporting the creation of such a registry, which is expected to help identify health gaps and challenges, improve opportunities for clinical research participation, link people to resources, facilitate recruitment for clinical trials and encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments.
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A study by Lucy Lorin at the Eunice K. Shriver Center of the University of Massachusetts Medical School is looking for child and adolescent participants with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities or Down syndrome from 7 to 21 years old.
 The research is focused on a type of attention problem where an individual "over-focuses" on only one small part of a picture, printed word, face, etc. Over-focusing (also called "stimulus overselectivity" or "overselective attention") can cause difficulties with important life skills like recognizing faces and reading. As examples, people who over-focus on isolated facial features may have difficulty recognizing emotional expressions, or they may over-focus on individual letters and have trouble distinguishing similar printed words, like "cat" and "can." Participation in the Focus of Attention study will help develop improved teaching techniques for special education classrooms to reduce the effects of this type of problem. Researchers are also looking for typically developing children from 3 to 9 years old. For more information go here or contact Lucy Lorin at 781-642-0056 or lucy.lorin@umassmed.edu with any questions. At the MDSC, our recently launched Medical and Scientific Advisory Council works directly with researchers and scientists to select a number of studies each year that are made available for the MDSC members to participate in if they choose. Visit our "Researchers" page for more information, including other studies that have been vetted for our members.
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'Advocates In Motion' Year Kicks Off
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Activities & Events Around the Corner
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Registration Open for Ed. Conference
Finance Experts To Help D.A.D.S.
