Down Syndrome Parenting 101

2012 About.com Readers' Choice Awards Winner: Favorite New Special-Needs Parenting Book 2011 ForeWord's Book of the Year Award Finalist: Parenting category Down Syndrome Parenting 101 is a savvy book for parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone who shares life with a person with Down syndrome! It's full of uplifting advice and best practices gleaned from the author's personal and professional experiences raising a son, now an adult, and teaching educators and parents how to teach children with Down syndrome to read. Down Syndrome Parenting 101 offers inspired takes on a host of important issues, from learning to recognize and celebrate your child's personality and gifts to finding a great teacher for him, and from insisting your child pull his own weight to giving your child his space as an adult. The author'equal parts mentor, humorist, enthusiast, and realist'takes readers by the hand and walks them through the various life stages, experiences, and people they will encounter with their child including: getting to know and fall in love with your child, interacting with medical professionals, literacy, discipline, school, transitioning, and independence. Chapters are short, a plus for busy parents, and can be read individually or sequentially. Throughout, many characters'the author's son, friends, and students'appear, serving as anecdotal evidence in support of the author's points and adding to the storytelling effect. As an added bonus, the book includes a Foreword by Martha Beck, parent of a child with Down syndrome and author of the New York Times bestseller, Expecting Adam. Turn to this upbeat book for credible, realistic advice and for a dose of bibliotherapy when you need validation and perspective.

About.com 2012 Readers' Choice Award Winner, Favorite New Special-Needs Parenting Book! The author-equal parts mentor, humorist, enthusiast, and realist-takes readers by the hand and walks them through the various life stages, experiences, and people they will encounter with their child. Humor, insight, information, and rock-solid advice guides the reader from birth to independent living in this diamond of a book. Ms. Hale's warm friend-to-friend voice draws in the reader with insights and experiences gleaned not only from raising her own son, but as a teacher in the broad Down syndrome community, she gives us a treasure-trove of meaningful stories from many families. Foreword by Martha Beck, mother of an adult with Down syndrome and author of the New York Times bestseller, Expecting Adam. Down Syndrome Parenting 101 offers inspired takes on a host of important issues, including a deep dive into the extraordinary abilities of individuals with Down syndrome, interacting with medical professionals, literacy, discipline, school, transitioning, independence, and much more. Chapters are short, a plus for busy parents, and can be read individually or sequentially. Throughout, many characters-the author's son, friends, and students-appear, serving as anecdotal evidence in support of the author's points and adding to the storytelling effect. Turn to this upbeat book for credible, realistic advice and for a dose of bibliotherapy when you need validation and perspective. Also check out Natalie Hale's book for teaching reading, Whole Child Reading, and her book on money management skills for young adults with developmental delays, Managing My Money: Banking and Budgeting Basics.

Discover the keys to teaching children and adults with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities how to read for meaning. Written for today's busy parents and teachers, this easy-to-use guide explains how to go in through the heart to hook beginning and struggling readers, but then how to teach to the brain; so that learning is fast and permanent. The methods in the book can be adapted for learners of any age who are reading at a third grade level or below. If you have at least five minutes a day to work on reading, you have enough time to get started using Whole Child Reading!

Help your child succeed and thrive! As a parent of a child diagnosed with Down syndrome, you may be feeling unsure of what to do next or where your child's journey will take you. In this book, authors Jen Jacob and Mardra Sikora share their experiences and guide you through life with Ds with expert advice from diagnosis to adulthood. Each page teaches you ways to support your child through major milestones; nurture their development; and ensure that they succeed behaviorally, socially, and cognitively. You'll also find valuable information on: Sharing the news with loved ones Transitioning into primary school Developing your child's social skills Discussing future opportunities, including employment and housing options With The Parent's Guide to Down Syndrome, you will have the tools you need to raise a happy, healthy, and thriving child.

Babies with Down Syndrome-- the book that tens of thousands of new parents have turned to for information and guidance-- is now completely revised and updated. Covering medical care, daily care, family life, development, early interention, learning, legal rights, and much more, the new edition is a complete roadmap to every aspect of your child's health and well being from birth through age five.

Up, Not Down Syndrome is a love letter and a map. Experience how it feels to think your life is over after having an unlovable baby. At first the loss seems impossible to overcome. Alex becomes the author's greatest teacher. Love is stronger than fear. Everyone has gifts. The book consists of three parts: the story, the lessons Alex taught the writer and Alex's perspective. Up, Not Down Syndrome is a promise to stay positive, no matter what: up, not down. Nancy's journey gets to the core of what it is to be human: * Explore what it feels like to think life, as you know it, is over. * Discover the fierce love, joy and peace a baby diagnosed with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) brings. * Learn the lessons this child taught his mom. * Understand the gift this baby brings to our world. * Realize the depth of the love this family has for the child. "A beautiful, honest account of not just accepting--but embracing--the unknown. Nancy shows us the blessing of an unexpected gift and the enormity of love." --Sara Byala, Ph.D. "This is a wonderful book to remind you that the joy of love is possible in unexpected places when you open your heart to it." --Barbara Taylor Bowman, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development "A moving and wise story of how a family navigates through hope, loss, learning and, most of all, love." --Rabbi David Wolpe, author of David: The Divided Heart "The truth and beauty of Nancy Schwartz's words tell an ongoing story of love, learning and the power of acceptance. All can learn from this family's boundless hope and from their source of joy and strength: Alex." --April Beard, Music Educator and Cellist Learn more at www.UpNotDownBook.com From Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com

This book explains the best practices and procedures for helping children master the finger and hand skills needed for home and school activities.

Newly revised and updated, this compassionate and authoritative guide is based on Libby Kumin's more than thirty years experience working with children and adolescents with Down syndrome and their families. As the founder of the Down Syndrome Center for Excellence at Loyola University in Maryland, she draws on her vast experience to show parents how they can support and encourage their child's speech and language development from birth to age 6 (or when a child can form 2- to 3- word sentences). Parents and teachers learn how to work through characteristic challenges, including hearing loss, intelligibility issues, apraxia (difficulty planning oral-motor movements), or a slower pace of development. Families soon see that many children with Down syndrome are natural and willing communicators. In a warm and conversational style, the author shares her professional expertise in parent-friendly terms. She uses specific examples of difficulties and successes to illustrate the concepts behind speech and language development, and includes the latest research supporting current early intervention and preschool approaches that can be used at home and in schools. This third edition of EARLY COMMUNICATION SKILLS features expanded information on the needs of children with apraxia, dual diagnosis of autism and Down syndrome, and updated terminology and information on special education law. A new chapter explains how technology and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) ? smartphones, iPods, iPads, and apps ? can help with speech and language, foster communication, and provide inexpensive transitional language systems. Dozens of forms are now included on a CD-ROM to be used for assessment, developing treatment plans, and keeping detailed records of progress. Teachers, speech-language pathologists, and parents will love the convenience of printing multiple copies of forms and organizing information for IEP meetings or periodic evaluations.