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News for Members and Friends, August 14, 2014
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Back to school. Back to school. Back to school.
Yay! Or Ugh. Either way, it's that time of year again. If you have school-age children in your family, you know what August brings.
Shopping? We love the way Katie Driscoll thinks. She couldn't find any back to school ads that pictured kids with disabilities (they go back to school, too, you know), so she held her own very cool photo shoot! Check out her blog here.
Inclusive schools?
An article from Down Syndrome News to keep you motivated to pursue the best setting for your child:
Want to make that next IEP meeting more successful?
Download these tips for effective advocacy from Wrightslaw.
Tired of people who have low expectations?
See what one smart mom says about having high expectations for people with Down syndrome in this clip from our More Alike Than Different video:
Just can't make this whole school thing work without going to due process?
As the writer says, due process should be a last resort. But if that's where you are, read this great blog post.
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Convention Workshop Recordings
Of course, it's not the same as being there, but even if you didn't attend our convention in Indianapolis, you have the opportunity to listen to more than 60 of the truly awesome workshops that were presented!  For just $70.00, you can get the lowdown on healthcare, nutrition, education, financial planning, independent living, research, employment, and so much more! See this list of topics that span the lifetime of people with Down syndrome, then decide for yourself if you'd like to experience our "convention from your couch"...or desk...or patio...(you decide where!) Even if you only listen to half of them, it's just a couple of dollars per session. It sure is hard to turn down that offer!
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Grandparents Supporting Each Other on FacebookWe are over the moon about this new closed Facebook group for grandparents who have a grandchild with Down syndrome. If you are a grandparent, check it out for yourself. If you're not, share this link with the grandparents in your life. "We are an independent group of grandparents with grandchildren with Down syndrome. We are not attached to any organization, agency, or entity. We answer to no one except ourselves. We exist to provide support, information, and education to those who want it. There are no commercial solicitations, no medical advice given, and never any derogatory comments. We welcome all grandparents worldwide with grandchildren with Down syndrome without regard to race, creed, religion, or national origin."
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Many Thanks to Our Convention Sponsors!
We are very grateful for the support of this year's convention sponsors. Together, our sponsors contributed $164,376! These dollars underwrite the world-class, multi-disciplinary education offered at each year's convention. Your registration fees cover just 55% of the actual convention costs, so the money contributed by our sponsors helps keep our convention affordable and allows us to offer some scholarship money for those who would not otherwise be able to attend. Thank you, sponsors!
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321 Dance!™ in Indianapolis raises 150% of Goal!
With your help, this year's 321 Dance!™ at the Indianapolis convention raised $37,617 (150% of our goal of $25,000)! The dance itself was a blast, with Radio Disney leading the fun.  Congratulations to our top individual fundraiser Bruce Bennett, whose "Make Me Dance" campaign raised over $17,500! Each time Bruce's fundraising campaign reached a new milestone, he posted a video on YouTube of his own unique dance style. Many of his friends made requests "How about the Hokey Pokey?" or the "Bunny Hop?" they would ask. Over the course of several weeks, he did the Twist, the Moonwalk, and the Funky Chicken (among others). You can watch his thank you video that recaps the "best of" from his dance campaign here. Jenny's Jubilant Dancers -- Jenny Stone and her aunt, Marilyn Tolbert, were the winners of the 4 one-day Park Hopper passes to Disney World. Everyone who raised $250 or more was entered into a drawing for the Disney tickets, graciously donated by Disney. If you missed the chance to participate in Indianapolis, there will be several more opportunities, including a 321 Dance!™ at next year's convention in Phoenix!
321 Dance!™ in North Georgia:
If you live in North Georgia, please join the 321 Dance!™ in Dahlonega on Saturday, August 23rd, which will benefit not only the National Down Syndrome Congress, but also Camp Glisson, a camp and retreat belonging to the United Methodist Church. For more  than 40 years, Glisson has featured a summer-long camping program for campers with special needs called Sparrowwood. There is no charge to attend the dance. You can register at this link. Call Rebecca Davis at 770.604.9500 or email rebecca@ndsccenter.org for more information.
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Just a couple of other things...
Our summer issue of Down Syndrome News is available on our website here. All current NDSC members will receive the print edition of our next issue in their mailboxes in September.
Also available (as a benefit of your NDSC membership) is our Adult Sibling Toolkit.  Be sure to request a copy for your son or daughter's siblings, to help them become more knowledgeable about the important stuff in their sib's life. Email info@ndsccenter.org for your free notebook.
You can help with a research project about coping, resiliency, the marital relationship, and hope, by taking an online survey. The researchers are trying to identify which coping strategies used by parents of children with Down syndrome lead to better relationship adjustment. The hope is that this study will identify what helps couples have better relationship adjustment, and then use that information to assist other couples in the future.
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| Making a difference. One family at a time. |
National Down Syndrome Congress
30 Mansell Court, Suite 108
Roswell, GA 30076
800-232-6372; 770-604-9500
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Fax: 770-604-9898| Email: info@ndsccenter.org | Website: www.ndsccenter.org Copyright � 2014. All Rights Reserved. |
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