Weekend reading and viewing: 24th - 25th January 2015

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Mardra Sikora, Huffington Post (blog), 15th January 2015
... The general public, on occasion, puts me on edge. You see, I'm a bit paranoid and particularly attentive to how folks look at and react to us because Marcus, my adult son, has Down syndrome, and the patrons and employees at this Scooters tend to acknowledge Marcus but not bristle, are nice but not patronizing, a surprisingly tricky balance for some ...

Mardra Sikora's own blog, Grown Ups and Downs is one of the new links on our blog roll (scroll down the right hand column of this page)

Becky's New Boyfriend Darrell On 'Glee' Might Be The Only Open-Minded Person At McKinnley

Keetana Sastry, Bustle, 14th January 2015

The series that we all know and love came back in a great way as Glee tackled two important issues with powerful moments and quite a bit of class that has been inconsistent for the last several seasons ... 

Spoiler Alert: if you don't want to know what is happening with Becky's story in the new season of Glee, don't read this article.

These Are All the Things I Worried About When My Daughter Was Diagnosed With Down Syndrome
Sydnie Bell, The Mighty, January 2015
Looking back on our diagnosis day is quite surreal at this point. The feeling of having my perfect world shattered is hard to describe and painful to remember. I was scared. Could we handle raising a child with special needs? If I could write a letter to my past self, I’d say this:

Not only will you handle it, you will find your voice and your passion in it ...

Isn’t it a Pity? The Real Problem with Special Needs

Ollibean, 15th January 2015

... I could not believe how badly I had missed the boat. I was so caught up in the visual and the good feelings I had about doing this that I had not even considered that how she participated was her choice- and I had not even asked her. Without intending to, I had marginalized her ...

Education is power: An interview with Sarah Butler
My Choice Matters, 22nd January 2015
Sarah Butler discusses her passion for learning and how people with intellectual disability must be given the chance to further their education ...

Attitude - ABC TV series
Saturdays, 6.30 pm ABC 1
A showcase series on compelling stories of real people living with disability. Attitude will have 26 episodes which will air every week on Saturday at 6:30pm on ABC 1. You can view the latest episode on line here on iView.

NSW CID e-news
NSW Council on Intellectual Disability, January 2015
Find the latest news and information for people with intellectual disability - plus links to training workshops, conferences and interesting resources. Includes a link to subscribe.

Weekend reading 22nd - 23rd December

Where great art transcends disability, Amelia Rachel Hokule’a Borofsk, The Atlantic, 13th December 2012. A new article on Judith Scott, the artist whose work is the subject of Metamorphosis, featured in last week's Library Thursday post, and the studio in which she worked.

Creative arts help break down barriers for people with disability, Robyn Archer, International Day for People with a Disability Australia and FAHCSIA, 3rd December 2012

Is there reason to be averse to Down syndrome? Amy Julia Becker, Thin Places, 14th December 2012

School gadgets boost student communication, Kathleen Dyett, ABC News (online), 17th December 2012

My son the vice president, Valle Dwight, Great Schools, 24th September 2012

6 Toys and Play Products To Help Develop Gross Motor Skills, Ahren Hoffman, Friendship Circle (blog), 26th November 2012

10 toys and household items to help develop fine motor skills, Ahren Hoffman, Friendship Circle (blog), 20th December 2012

Baby benches: how sitting helps a child walk and DIY benches! Jennifer Bekin, let's talk - Down syndrome, 20th December 2012

New generation to support Down syndrome research, University of Queensland News, 7th December 2012

Is our Disability Discrimination Act a bit of a dud? Craig Wallace, Ramp Up, 21st December 2012

Pension reform key to NDIS success, Andrew Baker, Australian Financial Review, 20th December 2012

Emerging Leader's Awards,National Disability Awards 2012, International Day of People with Disability Australia, 28th November 2012.  Video of the presentation of the award to Gerard O'Dwyer, and footage supporting his nomination.

Challenging Perceptions, Callan Lawrence, The Parramatta Holroyd Sun, 1st December 2012.  Local news article about Gerard O'Dwyer's award (see above), his work, and a terrific photo.

Executive function, Bill Nason, Autism Discussion Page Series of posts on 'executive functioning' skills, starting on Monday 17th December 2012 - much of this information applies to any people with Down syndrome too.

Weekend reading and viewing 15th - 16th December

Down Syndrome: Today, more then ever, you need our kids, Sheyla Hirshon, All Born In, 6th December 2012
Living Life My Way 2 - Nathan Basha, posted 11th December 2012

186 miles of tears, Margaret (Gary) Bender, The Ordinary Life of an Extraordinary Girl, 11th December 2012

I am Peter, I am an artist and a writer, Tony Bryant, ABC Open Sunshine Coast, 26th November 2012

24 great toys for kids who don;t play with toys, Karen Wang, Friendship Circle, 13th December 2012

Down's syndrome support, Elite magazine (UK), Issue 7 (January 2013) Three family stories.

NDIS in the Hunter: Getting In Control, papers from the information day 24th November 2012

How grudging taxpayers can be responsible citizens, John Hirst, Sydney Morning Herald, 11th December 2012.  On funding the NDIS.

Special Olympics National Junior Games, Newcastle, 6th - 11th December 2012:

• Video highlights
• Photos on Facebook

Weekend reading and viewing 8th - 9th December

Walk? Dance? Dance-Walk? Joan Medlen, Practical Wisdom, 1st December 2012

Enabling and Protecting Issues Paper, Children with Disabilities Australia, on abuse of children with disabilities

The Girl with the freckles, Conny Wenk, Blurb, 2010.  Book of photographs by a German photographer, available to view online or purchase in print.

Siblings and School, Kate Stohm, Siblings Australia, 4th December 2012

Meet Maya, American Girl (magazine), November/December 2012

Advocacy in the community, Janet (self-advocate), Voices at the Table (VATTA) blog (Canadian Down SYndrome Society), 5th December 2012

(US) Senate Rejects UN Disability Treaty, Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, 4th December 2012. news report on the failure of the US to ratify the UN's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Special Olympics Junior National Games, Newcastle, Today Show, Nine MSN video, 7th December 2012

Video message from the National Disability Awards Patron Aaron Pederson who was unable to attend the Award ceremony in Canberra last week:

Weekend reading and viewing 1st - 2nd December

Katie Senior, International Day of People with a Disability Australia 2012 - 'inspiring stories'

Creating awareness around Down syndrome, Cecilia Lindgren SBS TV News,  27th November 2012

How I hope the NDIS will help us, John Walsh, Don't DIS my ABILITY (blog), 20th November 2012 .Choice and control for people with disability must be the cornerstones of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Down but not out, Paula Penfold, 60 Minutes (NZ), June 2012. 15 minute report about the introduction of a new prenatal screening policy in NZ.

Loving a child on the fringe, Cristina Nehring, Slate, 28th November 2012. Subtitled: There is an element of cowardice in Andrew Solomon’s Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity. A book review cast in the light of the reviewer's experience as the mother of a little girl with Down syndrome.

5 tips to help children with special needs feel comfortable at your holiday party, Gillian Marchenko, 19th November 2012

13 ways to enhance your child's social skills and make friends, Emma Sterland, Friendship Circle (blog),  27th November 2012

Love, caring help Crystal Barton reach 71 despite Down syndrome, Robert Sanchez, Daily Herald (Chicago), 21st November 2012

Becoming, Fiona Yaron-Field, Shifting Perspectives (a Facebook album), Portraits of seven young adults with Down's syndrome. (Fiona Yaron-Field) says: I watch my daughter and her close friends forging their identities, aspiring to the same images of beauty, of love, of popularity as their typically developing peers. These photographs celebrate their emerging strong sense of self. 

Made you look, Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign for International Day of People with Disability (3rd December), November 2012. Magazine, also available in print.

Weekend reading, listening and viewing 24th - 25th November

Never stop drawing, Digby Webster, Don't DIS myABILITY blog, 23rd November 2012

Things that you need to know about college, Matthew, VATTA (Voices at the Table Advocacy) blog, 21st November 2012. This blog is written by the VATTA Committee, a group of self-advocates that is part of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.

Why Inclusion Benefits ALL Kids in the Classroom! Podcast inteview with Sean Adelman - Inclusive Classroom , 16th November 2012

5 Ways to Support Your Child’s Literacy Development at Home, Sheryl Knapp, Open Books, Open Doors (teaching reading to children with Down syndrome) blog, 3rd September 2012

Creating A Meaningful Life for Jackson , Sally Richards, TedX Canberra, (13m 31s video) 8th September 2012

Sex, love and disability, Alecia Simmonds, Sydney Morning Herald, 19th November 2012

NDIS Feedback: Eligibility and reasonable and necessary support: ASID response, The Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability has issued a response to the issue of reasonable and necessary support required of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The society has issues with some of the eligibility criteria.

Would I want my daughter 'cured'? The dilemma of a father whose child has Down's Syndrome, Dominic Lawson, The Independent (UK), 19th November 2012. A medical breakthrough presents startling potential but ethical challenges. Read about the research referred to in this post.

Disabled workers challenge naive employers, Rachel Brown, Sydney Morning Herald, 21st November 2012

Beyond the Face,  La Fundación Síndrome de Down de Madrid. A gallery of photos from the unveiling of an exhibition in Madrid earlier this month (showing until 10th December). The billboard sized pictures form an avenue of very stylish portraits of people with Down syndrome. Click on the first photo to start a slide show of larger images from the album.

Weekend reading and viewing 17th - 18th November

Cultural representations of Down syndrome - how far have we come? Fiona Place, Disability and Culture, 11th November 2012

Seb White, 4-Year-Old With Down Syndrome, Stars In Marks And Spencer Christmas Ad, Huffington Post (Parents), 13th November 2012. Print and video

Ideas that stick, Dave Hingsburger, Rolling Around in My Head, 9th November 2012

Parenting Style Has Big Impact On Kids With Disabilities, Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, 16th November 2012 Abstract online at Science Direct

When food is the culprit, Joan Medlen, Down Syndrome Nutrition (blog), November 2012. The list of reactions, physical and behavioral, that can be due to a food allergy, intolerance, or sensitivity is endless and random.


Danceability, Ten News Thursday 15th November 2012

Weekend reading and viewing 10th - 11th November 2012

 20 Special Needs Parenting Tips For Sticky Situations, Karen Wang, The Friendship Circle, 7th November 2012

This is what disability looks like, Mama Mia, 8th November 2012 

Fears for NDIS Simon Duffy, Centre for Welfare Reform, 26th October 2012

Grant to improve weight and activity of kids with Down syndrome, Bob Shepard Uuniversity of Alabama Birmingham News 1 Nov 2012

Eleanor Bailey on the 'r' word, Northwest Down Syndrome Association (Oregon, USA), 24 October 2012 Advocate Eleanor Bailey shares her thoughts on the "the 'R' word" and its effect on those in our community with disabilities. This clip is from an interview conducted for "We All Belong", a short film about school segregation and inclusion.

Overview of the work of the Down Syndrome Center for Research and Treatment at the University of California, San Diego, 19th August, 2011

Weekend reading and viewing 3rd - 4th November

National Disability Insurance Scheme: Eligibility and reasonable and necessary supports consultation –Down Syndrome Australia response, DSA DBrief #1, October 2012

Gonski Fact Sheet: Questions and Answers, I Give a Gonski. Want to know more about the Gonski school funding review? I Give a Gonski is the Australian Education Union's campaign for implementation of the recommendations of the Gonksi Review.

Prenatal test raises ethical concerns, Editorial, Japan Times, 30th October 2012

Angela Lombardo's 31 Posts for Down Syndrome Awareness Month Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children's Hopsital Feacebook Page, 1st - 31st October 2012.  We flagged these in our first DS Awareness Week post, but thought a reminder was in order now that the series is complete. Each post is marked # (1 - 31). We hope they might reappear as a downloadable collection.

Coor Down Integration Day A very classy Italian  TV advertising campaign from World Down Syndrome Day 2012.


Just Like You  - Down syndrome (video) Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City and Just Like You, an organisation that '...makes films to answer kids' questions about unique circumstances.' October 2012. Now available on DVD and online.

Don't DIS myAbilty 2012 - Brenton  31st October 2012. NSW Don't DIS my ABILITY 2012 ambassador Brenton Ashford-Potter talks about his position as coach and trainer for the Bushrangers footy team and the importance of community. And his local regional newspaper, The Illawarra Mercury has published a feature about Brenton today, along with a series of very happy photos.


Pixel Perfect The Scientist, 1st October 2012.Winner and runners-up in the Labby Multimedia Awards 2012.   Scroll down to the image headed 'Hippocampus' in the Runners Up category -  an image of the hippocampus (a region of the brain) of a mouse model of Down syndrome, produced by Ahmad Salehi,  Stanford Medical School. Salehi has found that in Down syndrome mice, a region of the hippocampus that plays a significant role in contextual learning, shrinks over time.

Weekend reading and viewing 27th - 28th October

My child with Down syndrome is not a gift from God, Hallie Levine Sklar, published by To The Max, for (US) Down Syndrome Month, October 2012 ' ...  painting kids with Down Syndrome as innocent little angels has the potential to be dangerous, or at least to do them a disservice. It refuses to acknowledge that kids with Down Syndrome are actually human beings with issues and concerns of their very own.'  


Man with Down's syndrome achieves ambition to elected as parish councillor in Nuthal, Nottingham Post (UK), 25th October 2012. Interestingly, this article was initially headed 'Down's syndrome sufferer elected ...', but the headline was quickly changed when a number of readers pointed out that 'suffering' was inappropriate, especially for such a positive report!

Advocates find party isn't their cup of tea, Daniella Miletic, Sydney Morning Herald, 23rd October 2012 Are Australian disability advocates 'too polite'?


Child removals from intellectually disabled parents 'inhumane', Emma Renwick, ABC News online, 23rd October 2012.  While very few people with Down syndrome have children of their own, it is certainly not unknown - this is a confronting and complex issue with no easy answers.


Duty of care pays off with Down Syndrome. Inner West Courier, 15th October 2012.  Last week was Carers Week, as well as Down Syndrome Awareness Week - this local news story tells 'two in one.'

Helen Sanderson Associates - Reading Room: this web page provides a rich list of reading and other resources about person-centred planning and people with intellectual disability (called learning disability in the UK). Several of the examples feature people with Down syndrome. There is a great deal of useful information throughout this website.

Tiny Dancer, a short video on a well-thought out dance class for children with Down syndrome run by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in Colorado - a very high cute factor here. Physical therapist and writer Pat Winders appears.


Tiny Dancer from 5280 on Vimeo.

Photo album from Special Olympics Australia's DisAbilitea at Homebush, 26th October - athletes spoke about the support they need from an NDIS, including several with Down syndrome. They made it personal by holding placards giving their own names to support the campaign for the NDIS.

Weekend reading 20th - 21st October

Top attitude and ethic, Wingham Chronicle,9th October 2012 - we've heard a lot about identical twins Beau and Adam Polley as they have grown up on the NSW mid-North Coast.  The latest story in the local press is about Adam being named the Manning Valley’s Employee of the Year with a Disability.


Getting to Community: Supporting People with Developmental Disabilities in their Pursuit of the Good Life, Susan Stanfield, Spectrum Press, 2012 - extract from a new book to be published this week, and a link to another extract.

The latest issue (October 2012, Volume 35, #6) of Down Syndrome News is available on the (US) National Down Syndrome Center's website. This issue features Michael’s Story: A Brother’s Remembrance, which will make you smile and be glad that in 1946, Michael’s family had the good sense to bring their baby son home from the hospital and care for him just as they did their two older boys. Self advocates Meredith Martin and Lee Jones answer questions about preparing to live independently, and sibling Maddie Mitchell describes her experience attending her first NDSC Brothers and Sisters conference. (Source: NDSC Blog, 19th October 2012). 
Down Syndrome News archives.


Every year, the (US) National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) reminds the world in a big way about the gifts that people with Down syndrome bring to their communities through a special video presentation on a jumbo screen in the heart of the Times Square.

The Times Square Video presentation kicks off Down Syndrome Awareness Month on the morning of the New York City Flagship Buddy Walk. NDSS received over a thousand photo submissions for the 2012 Times Square Video contest and the featured photographs highlight children, teens and adults with Down syndrome working, playing and learning alongside friends and family. 

Weekend reading and viewing, 13th - 14th October

We are more than the sum of our genes, Stella Young, Ramp Up, 9th October 2012

A decisive point of transformation, Frank Crupi, Milparinka Service Transformation Paper – Family Advocacy Odyssey Conference 2012.  More papers from the 2012 Odyssey Conference are online here.

Do I Really Believe ... and Stitching Voice, Dave Hingsburger, Rolling Around in My Head (blog), 9th and 12th October - two encounters with people with Down syndrome set Dave thinking.

Designing Babies, SBS TV On Demand, Insight 9th October 2012

Special Olympics Trans Tasman Tournament, Cairns, 8th - 12th October: photos
and
First video from the SO Trans Tasman Tournament Opening Ceremony ... many terrific sports images, and just a little dancing (if dancing were a SO sport, people with Down syndrome might take home all the medals).

Weekend reading and viewing: 6th - 7th October 2012

Get me started, but let me finish!, Bill Nason, Autism Discussion Page (Facebook), scroll down to Wednesday 27th September 2012.  On supporting executive function in children with autism - very similar challenges are common for children and adults with Down syndrome.

Victorian education report has national relevance, Stephanie Gotlib (EO, Children with Disability Australia), Ramp Up, 2 Oct 2012 (The report, Held back, can be downloaded here)

Respite issues, Siblings Australia blog post, 30th September 2012

Time to stop the forced sterilisation of girls and women with disability, Lorna Hallahan, The Conversation, 3rd October 2012

What makes an awesome app?  Katie Lyon, Spectronics (blog), 3rd October 2012

Standardized testing and Down syndrome: Comparisons (Part 3), Jennifer Bekins, Let's talk - Down syndrome, 1st October


Standardized Testing - Emotions (Part 4), Jennifer Bekins, Let's talk - Down syndrome, 3rd October


Voting is now open in Nova's Focus on Ability 2012 short film competition. Many of the films feature people with Down syndrome. View all entries here, and cast your vote by 15th October

Reminder - if you would care to share a photo in our DS Awareness Week  (14th - 21st October) series of posts, send it to blogeditor@dsansw.org.au and put 'For DS Awareness Week blog posts' as your email subject. Thanks!

Weekend reading and viewing 29th - 30th September 2012

Parramatta's Riverside Theatres wins award for challenging stereotypes, Elias Jahshan, Parramatta Advertiser, 27th September 2012


From Cincibility blog (where you will find other interesting reading too):

• Words DO matter, 26th September 2012
• I’ll Fix Me – You Fix You, Kathy Wenning, 29th August 2012

NSW Government response (delivered 6th September 2012) to the final report of the Inquiry into transition support for students with additional or complex needs.  The Social Affairs Committee's web page for the inquiry (established in June 2011) is here, including links to submissions, hearings and debates, and its report (tabled in March 2012).

Why disability history should be on the school curriculum, Sarah Ismail, The Guardian (UK), 26th September 2012

From the National Center for Learning Disabilities (US) website:

• What is Self-Esteem? 
• A Parent's Perspective — Why My Son Attended His Own IEP Meetings

Countdown on to Junior National Games, Diana Bushby, NBN TV,  24th September 2012 
News story about the Special Olympics  Junior National Games in Newcastle in December

We need a sign! Comedian (and dad to Henry) Rob Snow has created comedy shows about '... the oftentimes humourous commonalities we share in raising a child with special needs, and how sometimes we just gotta laugh'. The site includes video clips.

Some singing and dancing for your long weekend:

 

• Visit our Facebook page for more stories and news that we've highlighted this week, like Special Olympics Australia's photo and story about Newcastle athlete Cooper Slabin-Gay, 14, whose mum describes him as a 'sports nut' - he's been selected in basketball for the Special Olympics Junior National Games in December.

Weekend reading 22nd - 23rd September

11th Word Down Syndrome Congress presentations, Down Syndrome international, Capetown, August 2012 - downloadable copies of speaker's presentations 

Part 2 of Standardized Testing and Down syndrome: Age Equivalents, Jennifer Bekin, Let's Talk ABout Down Syndrome (blog), 17th September 2012. Includes link to Part 1, posted last week.

Ted joined Reds for a day, but changed team forever, John Eradi, Cincinatti.com, 16th September 2012 This article and photo gallery has lit up the internet this week.

'When he came along I was just a child myself and suddenly I had a child of my own with special needs.' How 15-year-old became Britain’s youngest mother of a Down’s Syndrome child, Mail Onine (UK), 17th September 2012

Joey has opened my eyes, Stephen Unwin, The Guardian on Facebook (UK), 15th September 2012. Joey has a complex, un-labelled disability.  His father writes about the challenges and joys in a straightforward, loving, but unsentimental way.


Letter to the Daily Mail, Frank Buckley, Down Syndrome Education International, and Keiron Smith (Author of The Politics of Down Syndrome), 7th September 2012

Email, Dave Hingsburger, Rolling Around in My Head blog, 21st September, 2012. Reflections on changes in attitudes of other towards people with disabilities expressing their sexuality.

Weekend reading and viewing 8th - 9th September

Embarassed, Sterling Lynk, DS Group Therapy, 4th September 2012

Joining vs. Being Joined, Joan Medlen, Practical Wisdom, 18th August 2012

Meet the toddler who shouldn't be alive, Kerry Warren, Women's Weekly (online edition) 5th September, 2012

DSAQ Guide to Apps 2nd Edition, Down Syndrome Association of Queensland, February 2012

Embrace and celebrate the Paralympic spotlight, Stella Young Ramp Up, 3rd September 2012 (other articles by Stella Young, from London)

Insight: Breaking Point, SBS1 (TV), 4th September 2012 

Relinquishing my son into care, Pam Rogers, Daily Life, 4th September. Pam Rogers and her family appeared on the SBS Insight program listed above.

Glee fans (Gleeks?) in your household might like to see the recent series of photos on the Down Syndrome in the Arts and Media Facebook page - the actors who play Jean (Sue Sylvester's sister who died in the last series) and Becky meet a new cast member who will also play a character who has Down syndrome.

Weekend reading and viewing 25th - 26th August 2012

Planning for the future, Kate Strohm at Siblings Australia Blog

Don't play us, pay us Kate Larsen Ramp Up 22 Aug 2012

Mom still advocating for her son and others with Down syndrome, Susan Dibble, (Chicago) Daily Herald, 21st August 2012

A day with Poonchie, a short video made about a Japanese girl's day with her sister.  Poonchie dances with Love Junx - remember when they came to Sydney and performed at Buddy Walk 2009?

REMINDER:  My Great Big Adventure: Disability, ABC3, 4.40pm Saturday, August 25

Weekend reading and viewing: 18th and 19th August

Proloquo2Go Changes, Aileen Ryan, Key Word Signing and Proloquo2Go (blog)  13th August 2012

Being an Adult with Down Syndrome, Paul Sawka, Canadian Down Syndrome Society - Paul's latest blog post.

Young people with disabilities have something to say, George Taleporos, Ramp Up, 14th August 2012

Overpronation (of the ankle), Adult Down Syndrome Center, 17th August 2012  - on inward rolling of the ankle.

NSW Disability Industry Innovation Awards winners announced, Minister for Disability Services, 14th August 2012

Aukland flashmob -  4 1/2 minutes of sheer fun. A hundred young people with disabilities surprised thousands of shoppers at Auckland’s Sylvia Park shopping mall on Saturday 9th June by performing to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way.


11th World Down Syndrome Congress (Capetown, 15th - 17th August) social media:

• World Down Syndrome Congress on Facebook
• World DS Congress on Twitter 
• wdsc2012 on YouTube 

The main Congress program has now finished, but more material will be posted over the next few days.

Weekend reading and viewing 11th - 12th August

In a perfect world, none of us would belong, Beverly Beckham, Boston Globe 5th August 2012

Does learning only go in one direction? Joan Medlen Practical Wisdom (archives), 30th December 2010

Disability Standards for Education ignores inclusive education, Ben Whitburn, The Drum, 8th August 2012

Is an NDIS the sound of a new Australian settlement? Craig Wallace, Open Forum, 8th August 2012

Teacher born with Down syndrome breaks stereotype wltx.com, local US TV news item

In case you missed Friday's post with the link to the trailer for Indelible, here is the link.

Weekend reading and viewing 4th - 5th August

Are we stumbling towards a society with no children being born with Down Syndrome? Keiron Smith, The Independent (blogs) (UK), 30th July 2012

What My Son's Disabilities Taught Me About 'Having It All' Marie Myung-Ok Lee,  The Atlantic 30th July 2012

UA Established as International Center for Down Syndrome Research,  Alexis Blue, University Communications, University of Arizona, August 1, 2012

Speechless -  a very cool PSA for Special Olympics, featuring Susie Doyen, a golfer who has Down syndrome. Check out the other videos whose links appear on this page (the Special Olympics channel).

Canadian play features actors with Down syndrome - interview with director and one of the actors from the play 'Rare', Canada am, CTV News, 1st August 2012

'Heart and Sold' - brochure for a UK exhibition of the work of 12 artists with Down syndrome, held in the UK in June.  Beautiful photos and a statement about each artist's work.