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Gillian Bird, and Sue Thomas
A description of how a specialist speech and language therapist has been working with a child with Down syndrome, who attends a mainstream primary school.
Bird, G, and Thomas, S. (2002) Providing effective speech and language therapy for children with Down syndrome in mainstream settings: a case example. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 30-31.Geoff Rozen
The author describes his daughter's progress in reading and their experiences of services in New Zealand.
Rozen, G. (2002) Teaching Charlotte spoken language through reading. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 7-7.Mim Oke
A father from Turkey describes how his daughter with Down syndrome has become bilingual in Turkish and English, using reading to teach language.
Oke, M. (2002) Teaching Nazli in Turkish and English. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 8-8.Elisabetta Monari Martinez
Evidence is presented of teenagers with Down syndrome learning algebra and of one 51-year-old learning how to count and tell the time for the first time, suggesting that we need to be carefulin our assumptions about what numerical skills people with Down syndrome can attain. The authoroutlines the main approaches she has drawn from working with these individuals.
Monari Martinez, E. (2002) Learning mathematics at school....and later on. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 19-23.Jane Randell
Luke's mother describes his experiences of attending the local infant and junior schools. She discusses frustrations, successes and some of the imaginative solutions the school and family have come up with to deal with difficulties.
Randell, J. (2002) Letter: Successful inclusion for Luke. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 29-29.Sue Buckley
Editorial from Down Syndrome News and Update, Volume 2 Issue 1
Buckley, S. (2002) Editorial. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), -.Joe Kotlinski, and Susan Kotlinski
Love and Learning was founded 15 years ago to help special needs children develop language and reading skills.The authors of the scheme describe how their experiences of working with their own daughter, who was born with Down syndrome, convinced them that reading was an attainable goal for her and one which could bring her much enjoyment as well as serve as a vehicle for learning. The method is based on three concepts; (1) language learning starts from birth; (2) reading enhances language development and (3) the thoughtful use of technology coupled with parental involvement.
Kotlinski, J, and Kotlinski, S. (2002) Teaching reading to develop language. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 5-6.Laura Dickinson
The author outlines how reading has become part of her son David's life in his first four years.She outlines how reading to your child from birth has numerous and immeasurable positive effects including increasing attention span, providing opportunities for the child to hear speech, teaching the book's content, expanding the child's vocabulary and laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of reading. The written word can also be used as an effective tool in speech therapy.
Dickinson, L. (2002) The use of a reading program and signing to develop language and communication skills in a toddler with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 2-4.Claire Ewan, and Caroline Mair
A pilot study investigating the effectiveness of the Numicon scheme for teaching number skills and concepts to children with Down syndrome was conducted in Wiltshire with eleven 10-12 year olds. Result varied for individual children, but on average the children made five months gain on a standardised test of number skills over four months of training. Issues relating to the use of the scheme were also identified in the study.
Ewan, C, and Mair, C. (2002) Wiltshire Pilot Project - Numicon (March-July 2001). Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 12-14.Michele Appleton, Sue Buckley, and John MacDonald
Some early readers with Down syndrome find 'sight word' learning very easy and it appears to have very positive effects on the development of their spoken language skills and general cognitive development. This research study shows that preschool children with Down syndrome are able to learn sight words just as fast as age matched typical preschoolers.
Appleton, M, Buckley, S, and MacDonald, J. (2002) The early reading skills of preschoolers with Down syndrome and their typically developing peers - findings from recent research. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 9-10.Sue Buckley
Reading is one of the most powerful ways of helping children with Down syndrome to overcome their speech, language and cognitive delays.
Buckley, S. (2002) The significance of early reading for children with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 1-1.Sue Buckley
Many children and teenagers with Down syndrome seem to find number more difficult than reading. As with all skills there is a wide range of individual variation in progress with somechildren enjoying number and progressing well. However many children find number difficult and there is little research as yet into the reasons for this. Two new approaches to teaching number skills appear to be promising in meeting the needs of the children.
Buckley, S. (2002) Learning to count and to understand number. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(1), 11-11.
