Down syndrome

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month – About Speech

Submitted by Karen Prewitt, Mom/Advocate  From the National Down Syndrome Society: “There are a wide range of abilities that children with Down syndrome demonstrate when using speech. Speech intelligibility (speech that can be easily understood) is one of the most difficult areas for people with Down syndrome at all ages. Many children have difficulty with the strength, timing, and coordination of muscle movements for speech.” There are so many factors that enter into the picture for speech. It is something most of our folks have issues with, including Caleb. After he (finally) started walking (age 3), our main therapy focus turned to speech. We …

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month – About Speech Read More »

Supporting Down Syndrome Awareness Month

By Colleen Brunetti, M.Ed., C.H.C. October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and Signing Time is proud to be a long-standing supporter of children with Down syndrome and their families. Signing Time Co-founder Rachel Coleman can often be found at Buddy Walks around the country, and we’ve been working hard to build a great database of resources for you to use when signing with children who have Down syndrome. The goal of the Buddy Walk is to promote understanding and acceptance of people with Down syndrome. “My September and October weekends are filled with Buddy Walks!” says Rachel. “At each …

Supporting Down Syndrome Awareness Month Read More »

Signing Time Guide for Children with Down Syndrome

Signing can open up the world of communication for children with Down syndrome because research shows that it supports expressive language, functional communication, and social skills. We’ve written a 10-page ebook that will help you use sign language at home or school to communicate and connect with your child.   Download your guide See more free resources Shop SigningTime.com  

An Unexpected Journey

By Colleen Brunetti, M.Ed., C.H.C.   Life has a way of coming at you fast, doesn’t it? One minute you’re planning a future in a certain way, and in the next you find a completely different path before you. And sometimes there are no U-turns or do-overs. You just have to keep moving forward, finding the sunshine on a new journey.   Such was the case for Mary Ann Christo and her husband, Eric Waksmunski. Pregnant with twins, the couple looked forward to expanding their family – times two.  But when Shane and Wyatt were born early in critical condition, …

An Unexpected Journey Read More »

Join Team Signing Time for a 2012 Buddy Walk!

Down Syndrome Buddy Walks take place around the country to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Last year, 285,000 people participated, raising more than $11.2 million to benefit local programs and services as well as the national advocacy initiatives that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome. This year, we invite you to be a part of “Team Signing Time” for this fun, 1-mile walk to celebrate the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Rachel Coleman will be participating in – and performing at – the …

Join Team Signing Time for a 2012 Buddy Walk! Read More »

USA Today op-ed article: What does it mean to have a child with Down syndrome?

Responding to a new blood test that can predict with 99% accuracy if a pregnant woman is carrying a baby with Downs syndrome as early as 10 weeks into gestation, Dr. Brian Skotko, a specialist in the Down Syndrome Program at Children’s Hospital Boston, has written a thought-provoking op-ed article in the 11/15 edition of USA Today. The new test is safer than amniocentesis, so it is expected that the number of women who receive testing will rise significantly. So, too, will the number of couples who will grapple with the question, “What does it mean to have a child …

USA Today op-ed article: What does it mean to have a child with Down syndrome? Read More »

ASL leads to talking miracle for child with Down syndrome

Excerpt from “Television show leads to talking miracle” by Susan Jones of the St. Albert Gazette featuring Signing Time Academy Instructor Shelley Wywal. When Elora was born, her parents were told their new infant could have a severe language disability. The baby was kept in the hospital for a week because of the Down syndrome and Wywal remembers visiting with countless specialists, who bombarded her with information. “There were speech specialists and this specialist and that specialist, and they all said she would have a severe language delay,” Wywal said. The first day she brought seven-day-old Elora home, the exhausted …

ASL leads to talking miracle for child with Down syndrome Read More »

Join Team Signing Time for a Down Syndrome Buddy Walk!

Down Syndrome Buddy Walks take place around the country to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Last year, 285,000 people participated, raising more than $11.2 million to benefit local programs and services as well as the national advocacy initiatives that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome. This year, we invite you to be a part of “Team Signing Time” for this fun, 1-mile walk to celebrate the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Rachel Coleman will be participating in – and performing at – the …

Join Team Signing Time for a Down Syndrome Buddy Walk! Read More »

Children’s Hospital Boston teams up with Signing Time to benefit children with Down syndrome

This “Making a Difference with Signing Time” blog post is an interview with Dr. Emily Jean Davidson, director of the Down Syndrome Program at Children’s Hospital Boston What types of services does your program provide for children with Down syndrome? The Down Syndrome Program at Children’s Hospital was started in 1967 with a particular focus on children with Down syndrome from birth to age 3.  The clinic has an interdisciplinary model with each child seen every six months by a team of specialists in speech-language pathology, physical therapy, nutrition, dentistry, audiology, and developmental pediatrics.  In 2009, our program has expanded …

Children’s Hospital Boston teams up with Signing Time to benefit children with Down syndrome Read More »

Walking with my Buddy 2010 – by Robert Malone

Well it’s fall here in New England and along with the brisk morning air and colorful foliage it is once again time for our local Buddy Walk. We usually attend the Western Massachusetts Down Syndrome Resource Group’s annual Buddy Walk in Westfield, Mass at Stanley Park near the end of each October. It is always great to reconnect with friends and families we have not seen since last year and marvel in all the changes a year brings. This year we were delighted to learn that the Massachusetts State Buddy Walk would be held in Wakefield, Mass and that Rachel …

Walking with my Buddy 2010 – by Robert Malone Read More »

Scroll to Top