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Dear Friends,
Please urge Sequenom to meet all NDSS criteria for prenatal test companies. To see the NDSS Criteria to Evaluate Companies with Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnostic Tests for Down Syndrome click here.
Click here to download the customizable letter and email it to info@scmmlab.com.
Best, NDSS
Patrick Myshrall scored more than a touchdown for his team on game night.
Watch the video about his story, and the wonderful team mates on both teams.
Enjoy!
Student With Down Syndrome Scores Crucial Touchdown In His First Football Game
Presented by the Sibling Support Project, Sibling Stories features compelling essays about the sibling relationship written by those who know it best.
Please note, after clicking on the link below, you need to scroll down a bit, and you will see the essay. Enjoy!
| Email your Representative from the following states now! Urge him/her to attend an important briefing on Down syndrome research. |
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Email your Representative from the list provided on the NDSS website (link below) and urge him/her to attend a briefing of the US Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus on Down Syndrome research which is being held tomorrow, Tuesday, October 25th at 4:30 pm in room 121 of the US House of Representatives Cannon Office Building. This briefing is being organized by Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) who is a co-chair of the Down Syndrome Caucus and herself a parent of a child with Down syndrome. Take Action TODAY! Read more… |
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Wearing Jersey #30, Jake Martin is thrilled at a chance to play.
This is a great story, so we wanted to share. There is also a cool video and some pictures. Enjoy!
DSAOC was thrilled to have so many parents and educators in attendance at our Partners in Education presentation today. This special presentation, designed for parents, teachers, aides and others who serve students with Down syndrome, discussed key topics on educating students with special needs, and raising the bar on expectations.
Sandi Ames, DSAOC’s Education Consultant, described the benefits of PIE and educator collaboration, and she launched the new education section of DSAOC’s website.
Our featured speaker, Richard Peterson, LL.M., Director of the Special Education Clinic and Assistant Professor of Law at Pepperdine University, and DSAOC Board Member, shared his insights into the world of special education.
If you are an educator or parent interested in more information about this program, please contact the DSAOC Center at (714) 540-5794.
DSAOC works hard on initiatives promoting Down syndrome awareness, throughout Orange County and beyond. We ask our community to support our families and our loved ones with Down syndrome, and many of our families benefit from community programs and services.
To give back to our community, and to show people that individuals with Down syndrome care about the environment and nature, DSAOC coordinated a Beach Clean-Up activity for our teens and adults with Down syndrome.
On Saturday, October 1, some DSAOC families met up with the Surfrider Foundation at Newport Beach to learn about the importance of keeping our communities litter free, and how so much trash ends up on the beach after storms. Besides being very educational, it felt good to be out in nature on such a beautiful day, doing something good.
You can check out more photos from this activity by visiting the photo album on DSAOC’s Facebook page.
A BIG THANKS to all families who participated, and to our wonderful volunteers, Laurie and Abraham.
A nice story that gives us one mom’s perspective on raising a child with Down syndrome.
Amy Julia Becker is an author and a mom who has written often for the NY Times’ Motherlode section.
Has Down Syndrome Hurt Us? A question she answers in her story recently published on Motherlode, shared with us by a family who wanted us to share with all of you.
What a great story to share with you, especially during Down syndrome awareness month!
If you have stories that you would like to share that highlights people with Down syndrome, please send them to me at kperez@dsaoc.org.
Enjoy this touching and exciting story and video.
As parents of children with Down syndrome, I’m sure we can all agree that there are happy times and sad times, and times when having a child with a disability can pose some frustrations and inconveniences.
For me personally, I’ve definitely experienced all of the above, but I also know that my daughter has caused me to pause at times in my life so I can appreciate something really beautiful that I might have missed had she not been there to direct me. I’ve learned a new kind of patience and love, and I’ve met wonderful people I never would have known had she not been born with that extra chromosome.
The link below will take you to a story about a young lady named, Melissa, who has already accomplished so much in her young 25 years. She is loved by her family and friends, and she has that ‘extra’ something special.
ADVOCACY ACTION REQUESTED: Submit your comment on HHS Regulation by this FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011.
We urge you to visit the NDSS Advocacy Action Center at the link below. There you will find all the details on this call to action, as well as detailed instructions of what is needed from you.
Thank you!
Everyone needs to take a moment out of their day to watch this video! I had to grab some tissue, so you have been so advised.
This is a great segment that aired on The TODAY Show’s ‘Everyone Has a Story‘. Leah Stodden, the middle sister of three, is a talented pianist, she’s engaged to a handsome young man, and she’s an inspiration to her family. She also has Down syndrome.
The Down Syndrome Association of Orange County was among the 200+ Orange County Charities in attendance at last evenings event at the Anaheim White House Restaurant.
Owner, Bruno Serato, hosted the event to recognize Orange County charities, and to donate luncheons to organizations for their own fundraising events.
Mr. Serato ended the evening donating almost $800,000 in value toward these luncheons to be held at the Anaheim Whitehouse Restaurant.
Not a local story, but I’m sure many of you can relate this time of year.
Share your story with DSAOC on your child with Down syndrome’s first day in Kindergarten and it could be highlighted here, too! Email Kellie Perez at kperez@dsaoc.org.
This is the first story in an occasional series as a Colorado newspaper follows Gretchen Coon, a six-year old with Down syndrome, through her first year of school.
The Buddy Walk contests are well under way, and we are thrilled to announce the winning team of our first contest: Precious Peyton’s Posse!!
Jennifer Gonzalez, Team Captain of Precious Peyton’s Posse, and mother of Peyton (pictured to the left), was thrilled to hear the news that they will be featured on the front cover of the 2011 Orange County Buddy Walk brochure. Congratulations!
The next Buddy Walk contest is on! Raise $500 between now and September 28, or recruit 20 team members, and you will be entered to win 4 Disney Tickets! We will have multiple winners.
If you have questions about the Buddy Walk or contests, please call the DSAOC Center at (714) 540-5794. To register, visit www.dsaoc.org.
A total of 10 teams made it into our first drawing, and their efforts cannot go unrecognized. 
High school players work together for teammate with Down SyndromeAlthough this story isn’t local, it’s a great one to share! Brett Bowden’s love for the game and his teammates makes headlines in North Carolina. Read the story and watch the video about how his community rallies behind him and how his former teammates celebrate after every game – win or lose.
This is exciting news from NDSS and Lettercase! Outreach to medical professionals is extremely important because it provides OB/GYN’s and genetic counselors with resources when delivering a Down syndrome diagnosis, and it ensures our new and expectant parents are receiving the most accurate and up-to-date information available.
If you are interested in helping out with local medical outreach, please contact Kellie Perez at kperez@dsaoc.org and ask for information about DSAOC’s Hospital Outreach Volunteer Committee.
The Down Syndrome Association of Orange County is thrilled to announce the winners of our 2010-2011 Educator of the Year Award.
Our South County winner is an instructional aide at Lake Forest Elementary nominated by the Lilienthal family; Congratulations to Amy Madigan!
Our North County winner was nominated by the Pringle family. She is an adaptive physical education teacher at the Buena Park Speech & Language Development Center and she also runs the Hi-Tops dance team; Congratulations to Sandy Garcia!
Both nominations cited a number of glowing examples of how these educators have had a positive impact on their students, and how the students are achieving their goals because they have the support of people who believe in them.
A huge thanks to all families who turned in exceptional nominations this year. Each nominee receives a certificate of recognition and a letter of appreciation.
For the past 14 years, the DSAOC Educator of the Year Award has brought dedicated educators into the spotlight whose outstanding efforts and innovations have helped a student to grow and learn.
Interested in nominating your child’s educator for this award? Watch for the ‘Call for Nominations’ announcement that will go out in early Spring of 2012 for the 2011-2012 school year.
The Down Syndrome Association of Orange County, in collaboration with United Cerebral Palsy – OC, is thrilled to announce that Bike Camp 2011 has officially started in the gym at Soka University in Aliso Viejo.
There’s no delay on the first day! The helmets (generously donated by Bell) are on and the wheels are spinning as 40 campers are beginning their exciting week at Bike Camp 2011. Although the smiles are big, you can see the concentration in the eyes of the participants as they are learning to pedal, balance, turn and gain overall confidence so they can graduate to a conventional 2-wheel bike without training wheels by or before the end of the week.
With support from Nikki Haukap and Cory Bunner from Lose the Training Wheels, this group is well under way to an exciting new independence on 2 wheels.
This is the fourth year that DSAOC and UCP-OC have collaborated to bring this anticipated program to Orange County. With the help of more than 60 volunteers, and the expertise and special bike equipment from the Lose the Training Wheels staff, this will be another successful and memorable year for this program.
If you are interested in more information, please visit www.losethetrainingwheels.org or contact the DSAOC Center at (714) 540-5794.
