Down Syndrome Research Forum 2026
Program · March 16-18
The Down Syndrome Research Forum is a regular international event where researchers, students, practitioners, and families meet to discuss current research and practice, and learn from each other.
Display times for:
Day 1
10:30 am - 10:35 am (CET)
Welcome to Day 1
Symposium
10:35 am - 11:55 am (CET)
Supporting Individuals with Down Syndrome Across the Lifespan: A Parent-Led, Expert guided, Community-Based Model from Down Syndrome Tipperary
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Susanna Stokes
Paper
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm (CET)
The accessibility of counselling for families and carers of children with Down syndrome
Lead Author
Sandra Redman
Paper
12:35 pm - 12:55 pm (CET)
Musical Care as a Pathway to Learning: Developmental Support for Individuals who have Down’s Syndrome
Lead Author
Kyriaki Pafiou
Paper
12:55 pm - 1:15 pm (CET)
The Role of Digital Resources in Developing Social Skills in Children with Down Syndrome
Lead Author
Tatyana Nechaeva
Paper
1:10 pm - 1:30 pm (CET)
The Impact of Prescribed Exercise on Physical Fitness, Cognitive Functioning, Self Efficacy and Mood States in an Adult Down Syndrome Population. The MinDSets Study
Lead Author
Dan Gordon
Paper
1:30 pm - 1:50 pm (CET)
Determinants of engagement in physical activity and exercise across the Down syndrome community.
Lead Author
Ruby Cain
Paper
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (CET)
The International Summit on Health Benefits of Physical Fitness: methods and outcomes
Lead Author
Nicolas Oreskovic
Paper
4:15 pm - 4:35 pm (CET)
Announcing the Down Syndrome Health Measure
Lead Author
Stephanie Santoro
Paper
4:35 pm - 4:55 pm (CET)
Delivering consistent care for children and young people with Down Syndrome: the development of the Budds pathway
Lead Author
Sandra Redman
Paper
4:55 pm - 5:15 pm (CET)
Developing a Tailored Healthy Lifestyle Intervention for Families of Young Children with Down Syndrome
Lead Author
Erik Willis
Symposium
5:30 pm - 6:50 pm (CET)
Executive function and practical implications
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Emily Schworer
Paper
7:05 pm - 7:25 pm (CET)
Changing the narrative in early childhood intervention: Bioecological theory to practice for children with Down syndrome in New Zealand
Lead Author
Susan Foster-Cohen
Day 2
10:30 am - 10:35 am (CET)
Welcome to Day 2
Symposium
10:35 am - 11:55 am (CET)
Attention and action during play in young children with Down syndrome: Insights from head-mounted eye-tracking and cameras
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Hana D'Souza
Paper
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm (CET)
Developing early number skills in children with Down syndrome: A project in practice
Lead Author
Rebecca Baxter
Paper
12:30 pm - 12:50 pm (CET)
What is the causal effect of placement in Mainstream versus Special secondary school on the health and education outcomes of adolescents with Down syndrome?
Lead Author
Julia Shumway
Paper
1:05 pm - 1:25 pm (CET)
The impact of home language exposure on development of the societal language for children with Down Syndrome in England
Lead Author
Yuko Matsuoka
Paper
1:25 pm - 1:45 pm (CET)
Sound, Meaning, and Storytelling Difficulties in Adults with Down Syndrome.
Lead Author
Sarah Curtis
Paper
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (CET)
Language Interventions for Children and Young People with Down syndrome
Lead Author
Lizbeth Finestack
Symposium
4:15 pm - 5:15 pm (CET)
Book Clubs for Individuals with Down Syndrome
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Susan Loveall
Paper
5:30 pm - 5:50 pm (CET)
Perspectives of children with Down syndrome and their mothers on reading experiences at home
Lead Author
Katie Cebula
Paper
5:50 pm - 6:10 pm (CET)
Identifying early motor and cognitive predictors of later educational and executive function outcomes in children with Down Syndrome
Lead Author
Vu Thuy Ann Dao
Paper
6:25 pm - 6:45 pm (CET)
Enhancing Infant Vocalizations: A Focus on Early Caregiver Interactions for Infants with Down Syndrome
Lead Author
Dr. Mary Jane Weiss
Paper
6:45 pm - 7:05 pm (CET)
Parent-led Language Interventions for Young Children with Down Syndrome
Lead Author
Lizbeth Finestack
Paper
7:05 pm - 7:25 pm (CET)
Play Boot Camp: A Transdisciplinary Pilot Study of Parent Training for Infants with Down Syndrome
Lead Author
Amanda DiGangi
Paper
7:25 pm - 7:45 pm (CET)
Evaluating the BabblePlay app intervention to encourage vocalising in infants with Down Syndrome
Lead Author
Tamar Keren-Portnoy
Paper
7:45 pm - 8:05 pm (CET)
Vocabulary size in 5- to 46-year-olds with Down syndrome
Lead Author
Natalie Mason
Day 3
10:30 am - 10:35 am (CET)
Welcome to Day 3
Symposium
10:35 am - 11:55 am (CET)
Mathematical Abilities of Children with Down Syndrome
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Stella Xu
Paper
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm (CET)
Menstrual health of adolescents with Down syndrome in the UK
Lead Author
Katie Greenland
Paper
12:35 pm - 12:55 pm (CET)
Assessing the acceptability and feasibility of cognitive assessments for prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease in a population with Down’s Syndrome
Lead Author
Becca Louch
Symposium
1:10 pm - 2:20 pm (CET)
How advances in machine learning and statistical modelling have changed how we should learn about and support people with Down syndrome
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Frank Buckley
Paper
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (CET)
Dual Diagnosis - Down syndrome and autism: what we know and what we do not know
Lead Author
Noemi Spinazzi
Paper
4:15 pm - 4:35 pm (CET)
Using the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) to characterize the heterogeneous presentation of social communication and restrictive repetitive behaviors in young children with Down syndrome.
Lead Author
Elizabeth Kolln
Paper
4:35 pm - 4:55 pm (CET)
Characterizing hearing in children and adults with Down syndrome
Lead Author
Heather Porter
Paper
4:55 pm - 5:15 pm (CET)
Independent Mobility in Infants with Down Syndrome: Characterizing Locomotor Development and Feasibility of Body-Weight Support Intervention
Lead Author
Ellen Sutter
Symposium
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm (CET)
Dual Sensory Impact in Down Syndrome: Unlocking Developmental Potential (alternate title: Dual Sensory Impact in Down Syndrome: Implications for Function, Language, and Learning)
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Elizabeth Boatwright
