First Down syndrome education and research center to open in the US

Reading is a strength for many children

In the United States a new nonprofit organization established to create new opportunities for young people with Down syndrome; Down Syndrome Education USA has plans for the first Down Syndrome Education and Research Center based in the US. The new center, associated with and works closely with Down Syndrome Education International (DownsEd) will be a joint venture with the Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County and will accommodate expansion of the Foundation’s highly successful Learning Program. The center will be based in Orange County, California and is expected to open in early 2009.

The new center will offer education programs and resources to children with Down syndrome, their families and education professionals across the US. The center will also conduct and sponsor scientific research focused on practical ways to support cognitive development, language, literacy and math teaching for young people who have Down syndrome.

Down Syndrome Education International is testing a reading and language teaching program for children with Down syndrome. The nonprofit is working with researchers at the Centre for Reading and Language at the University of York in the United Kingdom (UK), to assess the impact of targeted teaching approaches when implemented in schools.

The pilot will deliver a highly structured language and reading teaching program to children with Down syndrome attending primary schools in England. The teaching will be delivered by the children's teaching assistants. By designing a targeted teaching approach that can be implemented by existing staff using regular classroom resources, it is hoped that not only will robust evidence be provided by the study, but also that adoption by schools will be simple, quick and widespread. The study will commence in 2009 in primary schools in the UK.