Celebrate Down Syndrome: News You Ought To Know!

News You Ought To Know!

GET INVOLVED!

Here are some ways to support our families and promote awareness and inclusion!

Please feel free to take part in any of our activities by contacting the facilitator! 

• Tracey Ulrich ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) and Denise Weik ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) are creating an opportunity for conversation and information for parents of children with dual diagnosis of Autism and Ds.
• Kristen Landis ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) is a Home school mom and would like to connect with other parents who home school or are interested in homeschooling.
• Kim Roe ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) has been putting together and sending out Dress Down for DS packets to raise awareness and funds for our families.
• Jerissa Warfel ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) has made the commitment to organize information and lead a committee for medical outreach to hospitals and pediatricians.
• Kim Roe ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) is in the process of working on getting dances organized for young adults with Ds (ages 18-30)and their friends.
• Michelle Salinas ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) is working with a small committee, in conjunction with the IU#13, to organize an educator's conference for June of 2012, with author of "Stars of Success - Understanding How Children with Down Syndrome Learn".

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Dress Down For Down Syndrome!

This past fall Celebrate Down Syndrome (CDS) started blitzing many local schools, and even some  businesses, asking them to host  Dress Down Days to promote greater awareness and raise funds for CDS. We are pleased to report several schools and a local business hosted days and the money is coming in! While some of these days were proposed by parents of children with DS, many of them were coordinated by schools who wanted to celebrate their chromosomally enhanced students.

One organizer stated “It’s easy to host a Dress Down Day. Our staff and students really enjoyed wearing the stickers which help promote inclusion and acceptance of our friends with Down syndrome. We were so pleased to raise money for CDS as they do such great work.” Celebrate Down Syndrome thanks everyone who hosted these very special days!  Shout- outs to Brecht Elementary School, Camelot Schools-Phoenix Academy and Buerle, and Donegal Elementary School! Way to go! Would you like to host a Dress Down for Down Syndrome Day?  Contact us for a Dress Down Packet today!

Celebrate Down Syndrome has "Dress Down for Down Syndrome" packets available for you! Packets come with a letter explaining the activity, instructions, posters and stickers. This is a very easy way to create awareness while raising funds. Many schools and businesses have dress down days regularly, so why not for DS! We want many places to be buzzing and learning about Down Syndrome! Help us create more awareness – ask your employer, a school or a business you patronize to have a special day since we are in a special month. Let us know how many packets you need as soon as possible!

Kim Roe has the packets and you can contact her directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Helpful Hints to set up or manage your IPad:

• Restrictions – important to disable things. You do not want your child to delete apps or go on YouTube at will.
• Once you have pages and pages of Apps, you can search for apps quickly by pushing home button twice to get ‘Search IPad’ prompt. Then you can look for a specific App quickly.
• Avoid ‘lite’ versions to avoid ads.
• Install “Find my iPad’ app – if you lose or misplace it, this has a GPS to find it.
• You can control the speaking rate when the iPad reads things off the screen.
• To go to repeated websites – go to Safari, go to Website, arrow at top, drop down, “Add to Screen” –direct link
• iPad user guide online – bookmark it! http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_us/ipad_user_guide.pdf

Great Websites for Apps:

http://kindergarten.com/

http://momswithapps.com/

http://teacherswithapps.com/

http://a4cwsn.com/

http://kathyschrock.net/ipadblooms/

Square Trade – affordable warranties http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/ipad-landing?ccode=bs_war_vc_090:homepageipad

Autism Apps – google it for a list of websites 

iPowerful Tools – A place for Apps, Accessories, Cases and more!http://sites.google.com/site/ipowerfultools/bill-read-this-page/ios-for-slps

Apps mentioned by PaTTAN and other participants:

Talking Tom (c/e)                            

Sponge words(sp)                          

Artik Pix

Adventures for Kids

Talking Carl (c/e)                             

BeBot (c/e)                                        

I Hear Ewe (c/e)                                              

My First Words

Behavior Tracker Pro                     

iWriteWords (hw)                           

Touchpad (w)                                   

Mathboard

Splashtop (w)                                   

imovie                                                 

Notes (free w/iPad)                      

iBooks(inter.books)

Memoves                                          

Star Walk                                            

Air guitar                                             

I like Books

Magic Piano                                       

Moes Notepad                                

Faces I make                                     

iQuestion (comp)

What goes together                      

Comic life                                           

Balloon Free                                      

Splingo

Duck Duck Moose                           

Percentally                                        

vbooks (interactive books)         

Strip Designer

Spelling Hero                                    

My Spelling Test                              

Read2Go (interactive books)     

Little Sky Writers(hw)

Zaner Bloser (hw)(not as good)

Dexteria (hw) (stylus needed)  

Pages (w)                                           

Upad (notes)

Phatpad (notes)                                              

Talk to Me (comm.)                       

Dragon Dictation (voice to text, need internet)

Look2Learn (comm.)                     

Touchchat (comm.)

Some suggested Cases and Screen Shields for iPad –please click on the link below

http://biggrips.com/

http://www.tridenteer.com/categories/Apple-iPad-2/

http://www.otterbox.com/ipad-2-cases/ipad-2-cases,default,sc.html

http://www.target.com/p/ZAGG-invisibleSHIELD-Screen-Cover-for-iPad-2-Clear-FFIPADTWOS/-/A-13423460

Michelle Salinas will be testing the 3 sample cases and CDS will provide reviews on each. CDS in no way endorses a specific case or screen shield. It is entirely an individual preference.