Final Blog...for class!

This semester has been amazing blogging, finding resources, and reading stories about Down syndrome! As I started this class on technology and counseling, I will fully admit that I was not too excited, but as the semester comes to a close I am realizing how beneficial utilizing technology is! Just by having this blog alone, I have connected to so many friends and family members on a new level. They have come to see my love and passion for individuals with Down syndrome and more importantly know how serious I am when I say that I would like to adopt when I am older and more established. The possibilities are endless with this group of people and they deserve a chance to have a fulfilling, loving life! I hope to have the opportunity to provide that environment one day to a beautiful child with Down syndrome. Specifically reflecting back on my experience with this blog I think it has also made me realize how great it is to share knowledge and resources with others! Many times people may want to know more information about something and it may be hard to find or the information may not seem too inviting. What I have hoped that I have created on this blog is a friendly, welcoming place for people to learn and grown in awareness and support for Down syndrome. In the future I am hoping to continue this blog! I may not post as often, but I do think it is a great tool for others to see. Thanks for being such a great audience thus far and I hope to continue to bring great stories and resources to those who are willing to reach out! Are you down for Down syndrome? I know I am! #downfordownsyndrome Support a great community of people who will do great things in life despite their limitations, we just need to give them the chance!

First comes LOVE then comes MARRIAGE! Exciting news!

This week I read an article that was based off an article written back in March about a couple who both the man and female have Down syndrome. The story discussed their love story in which they met when they were at the mere age of three. They had been family friends for years and years as their families always came together every Christmas to celebrate with one another. As Christmas continued year after year one special year on Christmas Austin Underwood rented a limo to take Jessica Smith to look at Christmas light and when they stepped out of the car that is when he knelt down on one knee to pop the big question! It was such a sweet story. The couple has decided to have a western themed wedding in which they got custom made cowboy boots for their foot stature which is different then typically developing individuals. It was Austin's mother who made sure thy were going to have the boots to fit the part! It is truly a beautiful story that depicts that despite the differences this couple has faced over their lifetime, love is truly universal! I just love the quote at the end of the article that puts it perfectly: "For me, it's about being apart of Jessica's life and always being together" Austin says. True love is beautiful and pure and I think this is an amazing story depicting just that! Just to note while writing this "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" Lion King came on my Pandora station. Fate? I think so. Congratulations to Austin and Jessica! You all are going to have a beautiful life together full of love and happiness that everyone only dreams of!

Check out the article HERE!!!
Check out the video at the bottom of the article especially! 

 “For me, it is about being a part of Jessica’s life and always being together,” Austin said. - See more at: http://fwtx.com/articles/match-made-heaven#sthash.nKXFwp2w.dpuf

“For me, it is about being a part of Jessica’s life and always being together,” - See more at: http://fwtx.com/articles/match-made-heaven#sthash.nKXFwp2w.dpuf

“For me, it is about being a part of Jessica’s life and always being together,” - See more at: http://fwtx.com/articles/match-made-heaven#sthash.nKXFwp2w.dpuf

Welcome to Edgewood College Noah Van Vooren!

This morning there was an article posted from theblaze.com which gave a shout out to Noah Van Vooren. Noah was overjoyed to find out that he was accepted into Edgewood College's "Cutting Edge Program" which is a program specifically for individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities in Madison, WI. His response to his acceptance is priceless! He is elated and shows what it means to be truly proud and excited for the next chapter in life. It is so funny that I came across this article because I myself have recently been accepted into University of Wisconsin's doctoral program in Rehabilitation Psychology that is in Madison, WI. During my time at UW-Madison I will spend my time learning about people with disabilities. I wonder if our program has any connection to the Cutting Edge Program. The program seems to be a great resource! It is especially impressive how well their alumni do once they graduate. The Cutting Edge Program's website reports, "The Alumni of the Cutting-Edge has reached 35 students that have completed the program. Of the 35 alumni, 70% are employed since leaving Edgewood College and 40% are continuing to pursue higher education." It is amazing to see how motivated individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities are! I am so proud and happy for Noah and all future students that are accepted into this amazing program and maybe when I move to Madison, WI I will have the chance to interact with this community!

Check out Noah Van Vooren's acceptance response HERE!
Also take a look at the Cutting Edge Program HERE!

Celebrities that support Down syndrome!

This week a random thought came to my head wondering who supports people with Down syndrome. I thought it would be interesting to see if there were any celebrities that we know that support people with Down syndrome and why they have made the effort to support this community. I found an awesome document that you can look at here! The document is not an all encompassing list, but it definitely gives a few names of people I had no idea supported individuals with Down syndrome. One of my favorite celebrities that supports Down syndrome is Eva Longoria. Eva Longoria has an older sister named Elizabeth who has Down syndrome. I have learned that Eva Longoria has founded an organization known as Eva's Heroes which provides a setting that teaches teens and young adults transitioning skills to try and be successful in society. The program is located in San Antonio, TX and seems to offer a plethora of options for teens and young adults with intellectual disabilities such as after school programs, summer enrichment programs and monthly activities. I am so happy that Eva Longoria has stepped up to help support such great people! She is truly inspiring and shows what it means to be a loving sister! Look at Eva's Heroes website here! 

Dear Future Mom...

I have to saying writing this blog has been so rewarding. Not only because of all the new information I am learning about Down syndrome, but also because of the the amazing amount of support I am receiving from my friends and family. As you know from my previous posts just two weeks ago it was World Down syndrome Day on March 21. On this day I must have received at least 5 messages via Facebook prompting me to watch a video. This video entitled, "Dear Future Mom", shared a story about a mother who recently found out that she would be having a baby with Down syndrome. The new mother reached out to an advocacy support group who put this amazing video together.

This video made my heart melt in more ways than one. First off it is remarkable how eloquent these kids are and I don't mean by the syntax of language they are using or the actual different language they are speaking (although the different languages is a cool aspect of the video!), I mean the amazing message they are sending to this mother who is worried about her child's future. As I mentioned in my first post, I hope to be lucky enough that one day I can adopt a child with Down syndrome. I could only be so fortunate to have a child so proud of who they are and loving. This video made me understand the amount of love and support children deserve no matter the circumstance they are given. It was especially touching at the end of the video when the mothers actually appeared in the video. It showed how proud they were of their children and how the future relationship of the woman and her child could be!

Top Ten Miscellaneous...a.k.a. Top Ten Pinterest Boards!

This week I will be featuring my Top Ten Pinterest Boards! Pinterest is definitely a new craze that many people look to for suggestions, resources, and fun pictures to brighten up your day. These ten boards fall nothing short of just that while talking about Down syndrome. I have definitely added them to my boards to follow and I encourage you to do so as well. I hope you enjoy!

4 out of 5 stars! This pinterest board is made by parent who has a daughter named Pip. She has amazing posts about her daughter, other blogs, articles and videos that are fun to watch and read about. I love the smiling faces on her pinterest board. There is a true love for her child and love for individuals with Down syndrome.

5 out of 5 stars! This has to be one of my favorite pinterest boards! The work of D. Park Photography works to make others understand the myths, truths and inspiring stories of individuals with Down syndrome. As “Be Inspired” seems to be one of the taglines, it is a true testament as to how this photographer looks at the beauty and strength of individuals with Down syndrome.

3.5 out of 5 stars! This pinterest board is by Downs Side Up. I like this pinterest board because it is informative in connecting pinners to different blogs that discuss Down syndrome, but I also find it a bit misleading because I don’t think all the pins actually led to specific blogs.  The board shows a variety of topics and is informative which makes it helpful to pinners who are looking for information about Down syndrome.  

5 out of 5 stars! What a nice board by SOS Inc., Resources. This pinterest board focuses specifically on resources for professionals in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology.  I love the different creative suggestions that the board provides. Professionals in these different fields can gain great ideas to use in practice.

4.5 out of 5 stars! This is truly a special board! This board showcases pictures and more outwardly the love that a mother has for her child with Down syndrome. The tagline of the board is “Keeping one’s faith when your child has a diagnosis of Down syndrome” showing how this particular woman has decided to look at her child’s genetic disorder as a blessing and not a burdern. The love is vibrant on this board!

4 out of 5 stars! This board contains many great quotes which is always my favorite part of pinterest. I will be honest the board caught my eye with the quote by Becky from the hit television series Glee stating, “I got sick dance moves, my mom says I have “Get down syndrome”.  The board has many awesome quotes and nifty ideas that could be beneficial when communicating with someone with Down syndrome. 

3.5 out of 5 stars! This is a cool board because there seems a lot of information pertaining to individuals with Down syndrome. I especially thought the video of the dancers with Down syndrome doing a routine to Pharell Williams’ song Happy was extremely heart-warming. Because this board contains information about other disabilities, which isn’t bad, my rating was lowered. 

4 out of 5 stars! This board titled Down Syndrome Support by Spectrum Speech feeding is a bit misleading as it seems like the board would be about autism due to the pinner’s name. The board however contains information about feeding issues and other sources of support for individuals with Down syndrome.  One part of this board I am going to look further into is the 21 Children’s Books to Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. 

 

5 out of 5 stars! I absolutely LOVE this pinterest board. This pinterest board is unique in that the pinner put up pictures of children who are extremely happy and or show a unique personality. The pinner in the caption of each picture calls each child by their name and describes how they are feeling or what message they’d like to send out to the viewers of that picture. It is so evident how happy each of these children are!

4.5 out of 5 stars! This pinterest board by Pedia Staff shares great stories! I especially like how they are all very positive stories that shed a bright light on the accomplishments of people with Down syndrome.  It’s wonderful that there is one central location where you can find so many stories focusing on what these people do not what they have to overcome. 

Understanding Down syndrome By: Kerry Thompson

Picture from downrightfaith.com She is SO ADORABLE!

Check out my 5 minute presentation on Down syndrome here! This short presentation is meant to orient audience members to the topic of Down syndrome. It was a class assignment we have done to mix our interests areas with technology! Prezi is a great resource for people looking to give a presentation without being present. Make sure you check the presentation out and leave me a comment!

Southwood Sound Celebrates World Down Syndrome Day!

Guess what tomorrow is....
You guessed it! It's World Down syndrome Day!

Southwood Sound in Tallahassee is going to be celebrating World Down syndrome Day tomorrow from 6-8pm at Southwood Community Center. The event looks like it's going to be a lot of fun! There is going to be food, dancing, face painting, and music therapy. It is so great to see the local community supporting such a great group of people. The Down syndrome Association of Tallahassee will be sponsoring the event and as I have shared with my fellow followers they are a great organization especially for parents who are looking for support within the community.

Thank you to my cohort member Amanda Pafford who shared this information on Facebook. I hope people can make it out to the event!

Top Ten List: Apps for your tablet, iPad, or iPhone

This week’s Top Ten List consists of 10 different apps that may be useful for individuals with Down syndrome, learning more about Down syndrome, and trying to help in teaching or counseling individuals with Down syndrome. Apps are definitely an up and coming technology that many people are using due to the increase in tablet and iPad use. Even for young children using a tablet to communicate or to learn seems to be more engaging and helpful when trying to comprehend information as it gives a viewer both a visual and audio aid. These 10 aps are just a few that I found to be interesting, but please check them out and definitely do your own research on what you think may fit best for you! 

1. My friend Isabelle
4.5 out of 5 stars! Cost: $1.99

This is a great app for parents to get for friends, family members, or siblings that have a friend or family member with Down syndrome. The app is story in which provides readers a great story-line about how "differences are what makes the world so great". The entire book shows how these two friends are similar in their interests and activities and despite the disability that Isabelle has at the end of the book there should be no reason why a great friendship can't come out of being friends with someone with Down syndrome. 

2.       iAdvocate
4 out of 5 stars! Cost: FREE

This is a great app for parents who want to get more involved with their child's educational development. The app gives parents information about the rights their child has in getting an Individualized Education Plan and also helps parents learn strategies on who to best help their child. I really liked the part of the app that gives parents additional resources to go to such as books, articles, or laws to help them understand how they can advocate for their child the best that they possibly could. 

3.       iDress for weather 

5 out of 5 stars! Cost: $1.99

I definitely recommend this app to individuals with Down syndrome or to anyone who feels it is hard to pick what to wear in the morning (which in my case happens to all my friends!). The app lets you customize how you perceive weather and what type of clothing to wear. Then each day it will give you the high and the low temperature of the day and suggest clothing for you to wear. This is great for middle school or high school students who may have to dress themselves in the morning as it provides more independence. 

4. iCommunicate

3.5 out of 5 stars! Cost: $29.99

I personally rated this app lower because of the costs that come with retrieving this app, but there are many fun tools to implement and use after making this purchase. On iCommunicate there are a variety of communication tools that may work for your child such as visual schedules, storyboards, and  flashcards jut to name a few. The highly interactive app may be good for young children who are at home pretty often as it seems that parents are going to have to put some time into using this more complex app. 

5. My Choice Board
4.5 out of 5 stars! Cost: $9.99

This app is great for individuals with limited verbal communication skills because it gives the individual the opportunity to be able to select from choices and make their own decision about what comes next in their daily routine. Choice board examples they gave in the description of the app included but was not limited to activity choices, mood choices, sensory choices. This is a great tool to use if it's difficult to communicate and especially if you are just trying out using an iPad as a communication tool. 

6. Splingo's Language Universe
5 out of 5 stars! Cost: $2.99

This app was created by speech language pathologists to help children acquire listening and language skills. The basic premise of the app is to complete language and listening activities to help the alien Splingo build a spaceship to get home. Splingo's Language Universe provides a fun interactive way to work on a difficult part about having Down syndrome which is dealing with the difficulties of speech development. I strongly recommend this app especially since the app is not too expensive and will be both rewarding as a parent or family member and fun as the individual who needs help in language.

7. The Monster at the End of This Book

4.5 out of 5 stars! Cost: $4.99

This is a great interactive book for parents to read to their child. It is so important for children to be read to when they are young as it increases brain activity and enhances development in so many ways. I especially like this book for children with Down syndrome because it has a sensory component that may be especially helpful to children. This book seems to be a hit among all readers and would be a great addition to your virtual library!

8. ABA Flash Cards & Games- Emotions

3.5 out of 5 stars! Cost: Could not find on my phone!


This app is a simple straightforward app that provides emotions on flashcards that help promote understanding social skills. My only critique is that the app only covers 20 emotions and I think it would be helpful to have different levels of emotions for the various audiences that may be viewing this app. I do think this app may be helpful for young children who are just beginning to try to understand others. 


9. SimpleSort for SmartPhones
4 out of 5 stars! Cost: $0.99

This is a great app for children who are a bit older. It is a fun interactive game that let's the app user learn how to sort items into their correct location. There is even an option to make the difficulty of the game a bit harder as you can increase the number of buckets that you have to sort. I find this to be helpful for children with Down syndrome because it increases organizational skills which as essential in school and work settings later on in life. 

10. Dexteria- Fine Motor Skills Development
4.5 out of 5 stars! Cost: 3.99


I really like this app for individuals with fine motor skills issues. The app seems to be more focused towards older children and adults as it says that this app provides different exercises rather than games for children to play. I appreciate that they are specific in who the audience would be best for because at first I assumed that the app may be for younger children. My favorite part of this app is the automatic tracking and progress feature which can help parents, teachers or occupational therapists understand how well the individual using this app is developing.