A Huge thank you to Brown Sugar; all their staff and patrons for holding a fundraiser on the 19th May at their salons in dublin. All the staff gave their time for free, and all the revenue went to their chosen charities Down Syndrome Dublin and the Mater Spinal Injuries foundation. The current total for the two charities stands at €16,500. We'll be making an announcement tomorrow afternoon about an education conference which would not be possible without the fundraiser from Brown Sugar.
Read more...The department's actions had "adversely affected" the capacity of children with the condition to engage to the fullest possible extent in mainstream primary schooling, according to a new report.
Ombudsman Emily Logan said there was "a potential for loss of opportunity given the lack of adequate consideration given to the cluster of needs for such children".
The ombudsman's criticism is in response to a complaint made by the mothers of two children with Down Syndrome attending mainstream primary schools.
Read more...The NCSE has carefully considered the submission made by Down Syndrome Ireland in this regard. Under the new model being proposed by NCSE, children will be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need rather than by disability category.
The NCSE is confident that the introduction of this model will overcome the difficulty posed by the previous example as all children with mild general learning disabilities who have additional difficulties will be supported according to their level of need and in line with their learning plan process.The above statement is completely at odds with recent decisions by the Children's Ombudsman, we'll be formulating an action plan which we will communicate to members as soon as we have digested the report.
Please see the full report here Read more...Down Syndrome Ireland and Down Syndrome Education Equality Advocates made a presentation to TD’s and Senators in Leinster House on the afternoon of Tuesday 7th May. The presentation was attended by TD’s and Senators, with over 60 members of the Oireachtas attending.(Attendance list attached) Patricia Griffin, Education Officer, DSI, and Nicola Harte Speech Therapist, DSI explained to members of the Oireachtas the current system in detail and how the system fails children with Down syndrome who have been diagnosed as having a mild learning disability. Mary Doherty and Sarah Murphy spoke as parents of children with Down syndrome. Mary again explained how the current system blatantly discriminates against children with Down syndrome (DSEE Advocates presentation attached).
Read more...The Elbow Room are running a FREE 4 week course specifically designed for chlidren with Down Syndrome aged 9+. - parents are encouraged to join in. The course runs on a Monday from 5pm to 6pm, and starts on the 20th May. The class may help with:
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Dear Parents/Members,
The last summer camp was such a sucess, demand is huge, so remember to book early.
Your Branch is organising a Playball Summer camp for the 8 – 12 age group for the following dates and times –
Week 1 commences Monday 15th July
Week 2 commences Monday 22nd July
Monday – Friday 10.00 – 2.00pm
Location – Carmelite Community Centre, Aungier St, Dublin 2
The last summer camp was such a success that demand is huge so remember to Book Early
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Sean Moncrieff of Newstalk interviews Pat Clarke CEO of DSI and Sarah Murphy about the DOE's policy on resource hours for children with Down Syndrome.
http://www.newstalk.ie/children-with-down-syndrome-want-to-achieve
Read more...What is it with boxes and why do service providers and the government love them so much; when the implication of the "box" can be huge for an individual child. If a child is boxed as having a moderate learning disability, then significant supports are avaiable from service providers, and schools. However, if a child has mild intellectual disability then the supports available to help a child in achieving their potential are defined by the ability of the parent to "persuade" the authorities that their child deserves it over all the other deserving children. So what can you do about it ?
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