REGISTRATION ENDS TOMORROW!  

featuring

RORY CALLAGHAN 

 Wellesley High School student with passion for  

Shakespeare and history to deliver Keynote Address on Saturday 

 

  

 

Rory Callaghan was born in Boston 18 years ago and his life story has been one of both inclusion and exceptionalism. 

 

Raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Rory's parents made sure he was an equal member in his family, which included his sister Jane, his brother Evan and a cousin, Allen.  

 

During most of his elementary and middle school years, he attended neighborhood schools, where he was included and thoroughly engaged. He was also home-schooled for two years by his parents who were uncompromising about Rory getting the best education possible.   

 

Today, Rory is once again in a fully-inclusive community school setting, attending Wellesley High School, where he lives out his Real Life everyday.  

 

Rory has always exhibited a love of learning that began with sign language and sight words. He indulges a passion for Shakespeare, biology and history, all the while breaking down stereotypes about people with Down syndrome.  

 

In his high school years, his appreciation for narrative and his big imagination led him to excel at creative writing. And with a passion for movies, Rory can identify actors, scenes and story lines like a Hollywood pro.

 

Rory has worked hard at home, in school and in the community, all of which has paid off in the classroom and beyond. He accomplished a major goal recently by passing the MCAS on his way to graduating high school later this Spring. Congratulations Rory! 

 

After graduation, Rory plans to take a gap year and then pursue post-secondary opportunities to further his education. He is particularly interested in business and national security.

 

Join us Saturday at our Real Lives Conference, where Rory will be our Keynote Speaker. And hear firsthand about how this remarkable young man, lives his fruitful, rewarding full and Very Real Life.  


Saturday, March 23, 2013  

DCU Center

Worcester, MA 

8:00am - 4:00pm

 STAY TUNED TO OUR REAL LIVES WEBPAGE AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE LATEST UPDATES   


 

 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS ON DOWN SYNDROME

PRESENTING MORE THAN 2 DOZEN WORKSHOPS, INCLUDING:

  

Promoting Mental Wellness for Teens and Adults with Down syndrome

Brian Chicoine (right), Adult Down Syndrome Center of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Illinois

 

Responsibilities of Sexual Expression in Romantic Relationships

Terri Couwenhoven (center), AASECT certified Sex Educator, TC Services

(For Adults with Down syndrome who are 18 and over)

 

Think College

Nancy Hurley, Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts/Boston

 

Toilet Trouble: A Stepwise Approach to Potty Training

Kim Dunn, Developmental Medicine Center at Boston Children's Hospital

Developing Communication and Language Skills

 

Keeping Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome Healthy

Brian Skotko and Allie Schwartz (2nd from right), Co-Directors of Massachusetts General Hospital Down Syndrome Program

 

Preparing Adults with Down Syndrome for a Healthy Future

Jose C. Florez, MGH Down Syndrome Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital

 

Down Syndrome and Complex Needs

Emily Jean Davidson, Director of Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children's Hospital

 

Educating Children with Down Syndrome: Applying Neuroscience to the Classroom

David Stein (left), Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School

 

Understanding how Employment Impacts your Benefits and the True Benefits of Working at a Job You Love

Barbara Lee, UMass Medical School and Kate Bartlett, MDSC Self Advocate Advisory Council and Human Resource Department Employee

 

Los Hermanos de una Persona cons Sindrome de Down: ¿Ganan o pierden?

Jose Florez, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital

(En Espanol - Presentation in Spanish)

 

Universal Design for Learning

Peggy Coyne (2nd from right), Research Scientist, CAST

 

Communication Skills in the 21st Century: Speech, Language and Technology

Libby Kumin, Loyola University Maryland

 

The What, Why, and How of Positive Behavioral Interventions in the Classroom

Joseph N. Ricciardi, Seven Hills Clinical Associates 


Thanks for all your Real Life photos... 
NOW GET ON THE COVER OF 'REAL LIFE MAGAZINE'

 

We are also excited to announce that our "Coverize Me" Photo Booth is returning to our Annual Conference this year. This time, get yourself on the cover of "Real Life Magazine." 


Come to the conference equipped with your favorite accessories that epitomize your"Real Life". Ballet or Karate Outfit? Work Uniform? Graduation Cap? Chef's Hat? Cowboy Boots? Anything at all!