Address details


Down Syndrome NSW
Level 6/410 Church St, North Parramatta
9am-5pm Monday - Thursday
T: 9841 444


Saturday 11 May 2013

Weekend reading and viewing: 11th - 12th May 2013


Shutting them out: one parent's story of disability, discrimination and our schools
Joel Deane, The Wheeler Centre, 6th May 2013
Last week, (Joel Deane) attended a public high school open day, looking for a high school for his daughter – and was sadly reminded that discrimination is alive and well in today’s Australia.

Commonwealth discriminates against people with intellectual disability, High Court rules
National Council on Intellectual Disability, 10th May 2013
Today, the High Court of Australia dismissed the Commonwealth’s application to appeal the Federal Court decision which ruled that the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT) discriminated against people with intellectual disability.Today’s decision is a triumph for the human rights of people with intellectual disability in Australia.

Tips for Helping Your Child Build Social Skills
By NCLD Editorial Team, National Centre for Learning Disabilities, undated
... Depending on the nature and severity of your child’s learning disability, he or she may need additional support from you to develop strong social skills — skills that are critical for building and maintaining friendships. Guiding your child through various social scripts will enable him or her to navigate such situations with greater ease and less apprehension, especially when he or she is interacting with other children.

Understanding speech problems in children with Down syndrome
Jennifer Bekins, Talk - Down Syndrome, 6th May 2013
... Contrary to comments I’ve heard, there is no such thing as “Down syndrome speech.” Unclear speech is a symptom of a larger problem. It is important to mention that before your child undergoes a speech evaluation, make sure they’ve had a recent hearing test (within 12 months to the test date). Even mild hearing loss can affect your child’s ability to hear sounds and produce them accurately.
The first of a series of posts on this topic - here is the second, posted on 9th May.

Vision and Down syndrome
Interview with Danielle Ledoux, NDSS
Down syndrome has effects on the developing eye, which could impact the proper development of vision. Eye disease is reported in over half of patients with Down Syndrome, from less severe problems such as tear duct abnormalities to vision threatening diagnoses, such as early age cataracts. Particular attention should be given to vision in people with Down syndrome.

Creating opportunities to connect
Sharon Williams, Resourcing Families
Our family has never been keen on respite. For a start, we don’t like the word. For us, it makes it seem like our son is a burden that we want to escape. We don’t feel that way and we don’t want George or his brother or sister to ... Recently, we have decided that we need to think more creatively about facilitating connections (for George). Surprisingly, one of the resources that we have decided to tap into is respite funding – but not in a traditional way and we don’t call it that.

NDIS Update: a summary of John Della Bosca’s Facebook Q and A
Every Australian Counts, 9th May 2013
On Tuesday, 6 May the Every Australia Counts Campaign Director John Della Bosca held a Q and A on our Facebook page to answer supporters’ questions about recent developments in the campaign and what it will mean for people on the ground.

Next steps for DisabilityCare Australia in New South Wales
NSW Ageing, Disability and Home Care media release, 9th May 2013
A clear pathway for participants to access DisabilityCare Australia in the Hunter launch area was announced today by the Australian and New South Wales Governments ... The first stage of the launch in New South Wales will cover the local government areas of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland ...

No Goodbyes
Rudely Interrupted, December 2012
Rudely Interrupted are one of Australia's truly unique indie rock acts.


In this film Maria Shriver tells the story of how her mother, Eunice Shriver, founded Special Olympics, broke through social barriers, and in doing so, showed Maria the gift of possibility.

6 secrets special needs Moms know but WON'T tell you
Suzanne Perryman, Special Needs Mom, 14th April, 2013
... I have secrets. Things I don’t talk about and stuff that other moms don’t know,or may have forgotten along the way ...


What do you really want for Mother’s Day?
Amy Baskin, Kids Grow Up, 11th May 2012
A blog on parenting young adults with special needs, from the author of  More Than a Mom (Woodbine House).

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