Online courses
Our online courses offer convenient access to up-to-date information and evidence-based, practical guidance for parents, teachers and therapists supporting children with Down syndrome.
Each course includes a series of modules, each of which includes a video presentation, handouts and an assessment. The video presentations can be viewed online, handouts downloaded and assessments completed at any time.
Features
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Video presentations
Lasting between one and two hours, available to course participants for streaming on-demand. -
Handouts
Download copies of the slides in the presentation to work through. -
Assessments
Check your learning with online assessments. -
'In practice' checklists
Guidance and checklists to assist course participants to identify how to apply what they have learned for each child that they work with. -
Further reading, references and resources
References to research discussed in each module, together with further reading and recommended resources are provided for those wishing to develop their knowledge further -
Certificates of achievement
Certificates for participants who successfully complete each module and assessment in this course
Unique expertise
Our training services are underpinned by over 40 years of research and practical experience supporting children with Down syndrome, their families and educators around the world.
Developed and led by Professor Sue Buckley OBE - a recognized leader in education research for children with Down syndrome - our courses are rigorously grounded in the scientific understanding of the learning needs of children with Down syndrome. At the same time our services are firmly focused on practical advice designed to improve outcomes for children with Down syndrome at home and in the classroom.
"It is absolutely fantastic and my husband and I have learned more from this course than we have in all the 6 years of therapies and Early Interventions we have done for our son."
"I just want to start my message by saying how unbelievably helpful and informative all of the sessions have been."
"Many thanks for such an awesome, well presented, very informative course. All 10 modules have been very interesting and delivered in a most positive and professional manner by Sue. There was a great balance of research and real life stories bringing an in-depth meaning to the reality of Down syndrome"
Evidence-based, focused on effective practice
Our online courses provide participants with an understanding of the latest research and its practical implications. They also offer extensive practical guidance on teaching and learning across the curriculum with many examples of children's progress provided in video clips and work examples from our extensive experience of supporting early intervention and education in schools since the 1980s.
Covering a broad age range, recognizing individual differences
Our courses provide practical advice and work examples for teaching children and supporting their development across the age range, and are designed to take account of the wide range of individual differences in rates of progress and educational needs seen in the population of children with Down syndrome.
"the high quality information included gives an overview of high quality practice for all young people with SEND and not just for young people with Down syndrome "
Available courses
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A parent's guide to teaching reading to children and young people with Down syndrome
The aim of this course is to help parents to teach their children and young people to read. Many individuals with Down syndrome do not get reading instruction in school and we know that many have been taught to read by their parents.
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A parent's guide to speech, language and communication for children with Down syndrome
The aim of this course is to help parents to understand speech, language and communication development for children and young people with Down syndrome and give them practical guidance on how they can help them to move forward.
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Supporting early development for children with Down syndrome from birth to 5 years
This course offers convenient access to up-to-date information and practical guidance for early years professionals supporting children with Down syndrome aged from birth to 5 years
The course is also valuable for parents seeking detailed advice, based on the latest research.
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Effective education for children with Down syndrome in school
This course offers convenient training and support for educators working with children with Down syndrome aged from 4 to 16 years.
The course is also valuable for parents seeking guidance on how to support their child in school.
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Implementing the Reading and Language Intervention for children with Down syndrome (RLI)
This course is designed for educators involved in delivering the Reading and Language Intervention for Children with Down Syndrome (RLI).
Parents with an interest in the intervention and how they can support their child's reading and language learning in partnership with their school may also benefit from the course.
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Managing behavior difficulties for children with Down syndrome
This course aims to support parents and educators to implement individualized plans to improve behavior and to secure new positive behaviors.
The course includes five modules explaining how to assess the child's needs, develop an effective strategy for changing behavior, teach new positive behaviors and move forward.
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Improving speech and language development for children and young people with Down syndrome
This online course provides in-depth guidance on evidence-based speech and language therapy, offering practical recommendations and strategies based on a detailed review of the scientific research into speech, language and working memory development for children and young people with Down syndrome.
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Supporting the Reading and Language Intervention for Children with Down syndrome (RLI) - Accredited trainer training
This online course is designed for experienced teachers, educational psychologists and speech and language therapists who wish to provide training and support to schools implementing the Reading and Language Intervention for Children with Down syndrome (RLI).
"I really find this course well structured, informative and very useful. I am glad that I took it."
"Just finished all the modules and found this course brilliant."
Technical requirements
Our online courses are accessible via the Internet using any modern web browser on a variety of computers and tablets.
We recommend using the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari web browsers. We also recommend you use a high speed Internet connection when streaming video presentations. You will need a device with speakers or headphones to listen to the pre-recorded presentations.
Our handouts, reference lists and checklists/handouts are provided in PDF format. There are a variety of applications that will read PDF documents for Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems.
