Advancing and accelerating progress
We are reimagining early intervention and education for children with Down syndrome: how to deliver better advice more effectively, how to conduct more research more quickly, and how to improve outcomes for more people in more places.
For over 45 years, we have pioneered advances in early intervention and education for children with Down syndrome, transforming outcomes and opportunities for many thousands of young people around the world.
It started in 1979 with a belief that young people with Down syndrome could achieve so much more than many expected and a study that investigated teaching reading.
Since then, our groundbreaking scientific research, innovative services and practical resources have transformed, and continued to transform, opportunities and outcomes for many thousands of young people with Down syndrome around the world.
Today, we are reimagining early intervention and education for children with Down syndrome. We are using new technologies to develop intelligent, data-driven and highly personalised support services for families and professionals, and to scale up and accelerate future scientific research.
Advice for your child - when you need it
When parents and teachers get in touch seeking advice, they are united in one goal – how do I best support my child right now?
A carefully-considered answer to this question depends on a variety of information about the individual child – for example, health conditions, motor skills, speech skills, language comprehension and production, and many more.
A personal assessment from a knowledgeable and experienced professional is an expensive thing to provide (or to purchase) – and there are very few highly experienced professionals in the world compared to the number of young people with Down syndrome. Moreover, such assessments are soon out of date.
So, today, parents and professionals usually review the available information, advice, and research themselves, and then work out how to apply it to each individual child as they support their development and learning. This process is time-consuming and not always straightforward. In our experience, many families and educators are often unsure about what are the most appropriate teaching methods for individual children.
Can we do better? Can we deliver advice that is personalised for each child and their stage of development, regularly updated to take account of their progress, and informed by the latest evidence and data available ?
We believe we can.
Find out more and stay in touch
We are just beginning this journey. Further information and announcements will be posted here.
- Read the November 2024 update
