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September 27, 2013 | No. 24
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DADS & DSAC Affiliates Running on All Cylinders
The MDSC is extremely proud of our two affiliates, both of which provide key resources, support and networking opportunities to key groups under the MDSC umbrella. The Down Syndrome Autism Connection and Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome hold regular meetings or calls to serve our members' needs.
Down Syndrome Autism Connection of Massachusetts
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DSAC leaders were in Denver this summer for the National Down Syndrome Congress' Annual Convention. From left, Jeanne Doherty, Erin Knyff and Charlotte Gray
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If your loved one has a co-occurring diagnosis of Down syndrome and Autism or you're wondering whether your child with Down syndrome may be affected by an autism spectrum disorder, you are not alone. The DSAC of Massachusetts, an affiliate of the MDSC, provides education, support and inspiration for the DS-ASD journey. Join their online chat group the second Monday night of every month at 8:30 p.m. For more information, contact dsac@mdsc.org.
Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome
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D.A.D.S. of Massachusetts founder Jeffry Roback with Alice Hawley at the Annual Family Outing in Westford.
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D.A.D.S. of Massachusetts has been having a banner year celebrating its 5th anniversary. In June, more than 300, its biggest crowd ever, came out to Kimball Farm in Westford to celebrate at their Annual Family Outing. It was a very special Father's Day for the dozens of Dads there. Then, in August, D.A.D.S. wrapped up their anniversary festivities with family-friendly trips to Davis Farmland and the Pawtucket Red Sox. D.A.D.S. members - fathers of children with Down syndrome - come together at monthly meetings to share insights, stories, and experiences unique to fathers of children with Down syndrome. They invite expert speakers to discuss medical, educational, financial, social and other challenges that affect their children's lives. D.A.D.S is an affiliate of the MDSC. For more information, contact dads@mdsc.org.
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Karrlsson-Willis to Chair Business Advisory Council
Former MDSC Board Chair Paul Karrlsson-Willis has taken over as Chairman of the MDSC's Business Advisory Council.
The Council is comprised of cor porate leaders from all types of industry who are dedicated to supporting the MDSC in achieving its mission to ensure that all individuals with Down syndrome are valued, included, and given opportunities to lead meaningful lives.
Acting as advisors to the MDSC management team, members of the MDSC Business Advisory Council share best practices in business, build relationships with other community leaders, and contribute and raise funds to support the critical work of the MDSC.
Current members include: Nicholas Thadaney (CEO ITG Canada), Charles Lyon (CEO INTL FCStone Securities Inc.), Gigi Szekely (Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer), Eaton Vance ( Investment Management), James Duncan (Managing Director, International Trading, Cannacord Genuity Inc.), William Regan (Senior Vice President, Global Regulatory Strategy, Navidea Biopharmaceuticals), Scott Trinque, (President, EchoStor Technologies)
The Council is in the process of organizing the 7th Annual Charity Golf-a-Thon on June 2 at the Turner Hill Country Club in Ipswich. Last summer, 62 golfers hit the links in support of the 6th Annual event, including Boston Bruins greats Ray Bourque and Reggie Lemelin (pictured below).
If you'd like to learn more about serving on our Business Advisory Council and/or how you can partner with the MDSC please contact BAC@mdsc.org.
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New MDSC Education Director Gets Right to Work for Your Family
Our new Education Director, Mo Blazejewski, is bringing a fresh perspective to MDSC's educational programs including the planning of our 9th Annual Educator's Forum.
The Forum, to be held at the Hogan Campus Center on the campus of Holy Cross College, will treat educators to a range of stimulating workshops that will bring to life the best practices for educating students with Down syndrome in an inclusive classroom.
This year's Keynote Speaker is Dr. Cheryl M. Jorgensen, PhD., an Inclusive Education Consultant and an expert in working with teachers, parents, and administrators to increase their commitment and capacity for including students with Down syndrome in general education.
This year's breakout sessions will focus on innovative, research-based educational strategies on the following topics: literacy and numeracy instruction, behavior, support with facilitating friendships, Brain Gym, planning for differentiated instruction within the Common Core Curriculum, planning for post-secondary education, strategies for supporting students with both Down syndrome and Autism, and maximizing inclusion opportunities for students in sub-separate settings.
REGISTER NOW!
Another role keeping Mo busy is consulting parents as they get ready to start school again. She is now available to provide resources and information to parents on all types of education-related topics. You can reach her with questions at mblazejewski@mdsc.org.
As an accomplished educator herself, Mo is used to the craziness of the back-to-school season. In fact, below, in her letter to parents, she draws on that experience to help parents not only survive this challenging time, but thrive during it.
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Starting the School Year Off Right - A Letter from our Education Director 
Dear Parents, It's that time of year again...lines out the door at Staples,  new backpacks flying off the shelves, parents stocking up on tissues and Lysol wipes to pass along to their child's teacher as a pre-emptive peace offering for any headaches (or colds!) that their lovely children may intentionally or unintentionally give him or her over the next 180 days! Teachers are similarly preparing...the floors are all nice and shiny in their classrooms. Their class lists are becoming dog-eared as they are used over and over again to create nametags, labels, and personalized folders for the unknown students who will become "their kids" over the upcoming school year. It's an exciting time of year for parents, kids and teachers. At the same time, it's a nerve-wracking time of year. Especially for parents who begin the year with students who have an IEP. They know that the start of the year means that both they and their kids are meeting many new people. Relationships will need to be developed with many different people - Classroom teachers, Paraprofessionals, OTs, PT's, and Speech and Language pathologists are just the tip of the iceberg. How do you, as a parent, start the year off right? I hear from many parents that they desperately want to get to know their team, but don't want to be "that parent" who comes across as too pushy or aggressive. Read more...
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Outreach Hits New High with Star Ambassadors
This fall, the MDSC is taking our message of acceptance and inclusion for people with Down syndrome to a new level. For the first time in our 30-year history, we are hosting three Buddy Walks this year. Our signature Buddy Walk & Family Festival is up next, Oct. 13.
JOIN THE EXCITEMENT!
And, with the help of our Buddy Walk Task Force, headed by co-chairs Kerri & Jon Tabasky, we have secured the support of 5 celebrity ambassadors:
- Chris Evans, star of Captain America and The Fantastic Four
- Aly Raisman, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist
- Tiffani Faison, Finalist on TV's Top Chef and owner of Sweet Cheeks BBQ
- David Soren, Director of Animated Film, Turbo
- Ayla Brown, Country Singer
These remarkable people are superheroes in their own right and have agreed to film short promos for us. You can see three of them here. Look for new ones on our Facebook page and in other communications in the lead up to our 17th Annual Buddy Walk & Family Festival on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. Join the 3,000-plus people celebrating Down syndrome around the magnificent shores of Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield.
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Don't miss out on MDSC's largest event of the year
to promote acceptance and inclusion. Join us October 13th at Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield for our
17th Annual Buddy Walk and Family Festival
REGISTER HERE
To get you psyched about the upcoming Buddy Walk,
enjoy this video we from last year's walk.
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 Of course, we never want to lose sight of why we're working so hard to get the word out far and wide about what it means to live with Down syndro me. Perhaps nobody can explain this better than the Tabaskys (right), who are working tirelessly to put on the Family Festival. Here's what they had to say in a letter to members: "Today, the Down syndrome community is facing new challenges. Whether it be prenatal testing, medical treatment designed to improve cognition, or decreased funding of jobs and education programs, the importance of the MDSC has never been greater. This is why we have set a lofty but attainable personal fundraising goal of $20,000 to support the MDSC's programs and services such as the Parents' First Call Program, Advocates in Motion (AIM), and the affiliate groups Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome (D.A.D.S) and Down Syndrome Autism Connection (DSAC)." Read the entire letter from the Tabaskys here. REGISTER NOW!
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Join MDSC All Stars vs. Past Bruins Greats
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A.I.M. Year Chock Full of Healthy Activities
A Letter from Program Staff
We hope you and your family had a wonderful summer! At the MDSC, we have been busy working on plans for another great year for our AIM: Teen and Young Adult Program for youth with Down syndrome ages 13 to 22. This year, we will focus on what it means to be healthy and AIM High! Each participant will be encouraged to set a goal for himself or herself, and we will track our progress as a group in reaching new milestones! Along the way, we will learn skills and tools that will help us to live full, healthy, Real Lives.
 We hope you can join us as we kick off this year's program with a Picnic & Open House on Saturday, September 28th from 11-1 at Verrill Farm in Concord. This event will give continuing participants and their families an opportunity to catch up and share summer stories. It will also allow those who have just turned 13, or who haven't taken part in AIM before, to get a sneak peek of the fun we have planned!
Our monthly Sunday events will take place at the West Suburban YMCA in Newton from 12:30-3:30pm. The calendar with more details is available below. We will be adding additional social events throughout the year (like dances, lunch & movie outings, volunteer projects, etc.), and we will vary the locations of these opportunities throughout the Greater Boston area to allow for as many of you as possible to participate.
If you have any questions, please give us a call at 781-221-0024 x207 or email us at aim@mdsc.org.
Colleen, Ashley, Mychelle, and Nadine
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MDSC Family Support Program Hosts Array of Gatherings -
New Family Social, Diversity Potluck and Prenatal Get-Together
Drew Thompson at a New Family Social. Drew's parents are among the top fundraisers for the Buddy Walk & Family Festival. | 
The MDSC's first-ever social event for pre-natal families was held at the MDSC offices two weeks ago. Since then, a new MDSC member has been born! | 
Cultures represented at the MDSC latest Diversity Potluck, included Puerto Rico, Guatamala, Colombia and Kenya, among others. |
First Ever Prenatal Get-Together
With the new non-invasive prenatal testing, the MDSC is connecting with more families during their pregnancies. On Sept. 11, three expectant families attended the first MDSC Prenatal Get-Together to meet Sarah Cullen, our Family Support Director, as well as Prenatal First Call Parents Terry and Ann Iandiorio. The group shared stories, asked questions, and celebrated the anticipated births of their babies. Since then, we are excited to welcome a new, tiny member into our community, Baby Elizabeth.
Bi-Monthly New Family Socials Going Strong
The New Family Socials continue every other month at the Burlington office, including last Saturday which drew more than two dozen 40 people, our biggest crowd yet! They are an opportunity for families whose children with Down syndrome are under 3 to meet others like them, share resources, and connect with the MDSC. Siblings and grandparents are always welcome, and light refreshments are served. "New parents are often a little nervous coming for the first time, but after meeting other families and holding each other's babies, they leave feeling so upbeat and connected!" says Sarah Cullen. Go here for more information, including an updated list of New Family Socials.
Diversity Potluck Dinner Brings Out Families, Flavors
The MDSC continues to support a Multi-Cultural Group for families from diverse cultural backgrounds, which meets a few times each year. On Sunday, September 15, we hosted a Potluck dinner for this group at the United Way in Boston, which was attended by seven families. See more photos here. For three families, it was their first MDSC event, and they're now excited to meet up again at the Buddy Walk and Family Festival in Wakefield. The MDSC offers complimentary round-trip transportation to the Wakefield Buddy Walk from Boston ~ please contact Sarah Cullen at scullen@mdsc.org or 781-221-0024, ext 206 if you are interested in participating.
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