New on Down Syndrome Online

Special at school but lonely at home: An alternative friendship group for adolescents with Down syndrome

After a decade of inclusion and structured school programmes to facilitate friendships, many parents report that peer relationships end after school hours. In this article, Jeanne D'Haem summarises the results of her study comparing the efficacy of two school based friendship groups with a mixed age home based group. The home-based mixed age friendship group did result in significant friendships. The school-based friendship groups of adolescent peers were not successful in developing friendships for individuals with Down syndrome. When a multi-age group was conducted outside of the school, friendships formed and have continued for over two years. This article describes how and why parents and professionals should look beyond school based same age peer friendship groups and consider a community circle of mixed-age friends. Full text available at: www.down-syndrome.org/practice/2012

Handling the transfer to secondary school

The transfer from primary to secondary education can be an anxious time and planning ahead can help. This article by teacher Elaine Bull offers practical advice about what to consider, when to start planning and discusses many of the issues involved in the transition to later schooling. Written from the perspective of the English school system, many of the issues and principles are broadly applicable. Full text available at: www.down-syndrome.org/practice/2016

The voice of the child with Down syndrome

In their article, The voice of the child with Down syndrome, Julie Hooton and Anna Westaway describe a multi-agency project which aimed to remove barriers and push boundaries associated with the reduced ability to verbalise.

The project planned to give every child with Down syndrome in mainstream schooling in Buckinghamshire the chance to express themselves in an alternative way and to chart visually their own judgement of progress, enabling them to contribute in a personally meaningful and accurate way to their annual review process and beyond.

Read the article at Down Syndrome Online.

Handling the transfer to secondary school

The transfer to secondary education can be an anxious time and planning ahead can help. This article offers practical advice about what to consider, when to start planning and discusses many of the issues involved in the transition to later schooling. Written from the perspective of the English school system, many of the issues and principles are broadly applicable.

doi:10.3104/practice.2016

Special at school but lonely at home: An alternative friendship group for adolescents with Down syndrome

This article describes how and why parents and professionals should look beyond school based same age peer friendship groups and consider a community circle of mixed-age friends

doi:10.3104/practice.2012

Katrina’s progress with learning mathematics

Katrina is 10 years old and has Down syndrome. She is making good progress with learning and numbers and mathematics. We describe how Katrina has learned number concepts and arithmetic skills over several years. We highlight the influence of early learning habits, visual supports, motivation and practice, and the uses made of different number teaching schemes.

doi:10.3104/practice.2014

Sam’s progress with learning mathematics

Sam is 18 years old and has Down syndrome. He achieved a grade in the standard assessment of mathematics (GCSE) at 16 years of age. This paper describes the part played in his success in school by the Kumon method of teaching mathematics, identifies the benefits of the small steps and lots of practice built in to the method and illustrates the way Sam applied his Kumon learning in school.

doi:10.3104/practice.2019

Teaching number skills and concepts with Stern Structural Arithmetic materials

This paper discusses the use of Stern teaching materials with children with Down syndrome. The theory underlying the design of the materials is discussed, the teaching approach and methodology are described and evidence supporting effectiveness is outlined.

doi:10.3104/practice.2020

Teaching number skills and concepts with Numicon materials

This paper discusses the use of Numicon number teaching materials with children with Down syndrome. The theory underlying the design of the materials is discussed, the teaching approach and methodology are described and evidence supporting effectiveness is outlined.

doi:10.3104/practice.2018