Down Syndrome

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.

The Remedia Publications resources are ideal for students with learning differences such as ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Speech and Language Delays, Autism, and more,

Remedia workbooks feature a strong focus on basic skills and repetition, a larger type size, simple art that’s not distracting or too juvenile, simple worksheets, and a high-interest format.

Workbooks cover academics such as study skills, critical thinking, language arts, math, and social studies and life skills like budgeting, credit cards, bank accounts, and reading labels.

Help your child develop the social skills they need to make and keep friends and be polite and respectful to everyone else. With 50 engaging activities on bright, colorful pages, Social Skills Activities for Kids gives children the confidence to successfully navigate social situations at home, school, and the world in between. From keeping the conversation ball moving to learning to compromise to practicing good table manners, decoding body language and social cues and respecting personal space, these activities, which include up-to-date topics like bullying and social media, help kids develop and use their social skills super powers. 152 pages, softcover. Ages 6 to 8.

Provide occupational therapy activities in the comfort of your home and watch your child thrive. From eating meals and writing the alphabet to socializing with friends and family, Occupational Therapy Activities for Kids is designed to help children at all developmental ability levels strengthen those skills by playing their way through 100 exciting exercises that are easy to do at home anytime. This family-friendly guide offers concise information on how occupational therapy works and shows you how to apply it in a way that benefits your child. The chapters and activities are organized by the different type of therapy skill: sensory processing, motor, social-emotional, and cognitive and visual processing, starting with the simplest activities that increase in complexity, so you can customize your therapy routine to your child’s needs. 194 pages, softcover. Ages 1 to 6.

Designed to promote learning for children with autism spectrum disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, Down syndrome, developmental disability, cerebral palsy, Aspergers, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities, the Special Kids Learning Series uses the effectiveness of video to help teach important skills. Each program focuses on a specific topic through multi-associative learning (video-audio), modeling of actions/events/proper behavior, repetition, and "the human element" of host John Sprecher.  30 to 40 minute DVDs.

THEN - Follow along with the author as she learns, at only four months pregnant, that the baby she is carrying has severe heart defects and Down syndrome. Step with her into the delivery room, the hospital rooms, the operating rooms, and into her heart; into her life. Watch as her child touches the lives of everyone around her. Read along with Douglas King, MD, a prominent children's cardiologist, as he discusses the intricacies of Jenessa's heart defects and surgeries. Enter into the neonatal world of care with Georgia Ditzenberger, a dedicated neonatal nurse practitioner, as she articulates Jenessa's earliest days. Journey with the mother through the first three years of Jenessa's miraculous life.

NOW - The original Jenessa's Journey has been edited and added to, bringing you forward into Jenessa's family life eleven years (and four new siblings) later. Meet her sister and two brothers, who also have Down syndrome, and her sister from West Africa. Hear from her older brother. Listen as her father shares his biggest pet peeve. Learn about homeschooling children with special needs. Watch as God weaves together a family full of love, joy, and abounding strength. Jenessa's Journey: Then and Now, is a valuable tool not only for parents, friends, and families of children with disabilities, but for doctors, nurses, and students as well.

Meet 21-year-old Chris Nikic, the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman Triathlon! Crowds around the world have cheered him on. Now he and his father share the "how-to" behind his success: the determination to "honor God by being the best me I can be" and to "get better 1% at a time." 208 pages, softcover from Nelson.

The purpose of this book is to provide a specific group of adults living with intellectual disability, namely Down syndrome (DS), their own unique instrument to assess functional fitness. Previously, individuals living with DS were pooled with individuals living with ID without DS, even though the presence of DS negatively affects functional fitness test performance. The need arose since many adults living with Down syndrome have poor functional ability, live sedentary lives and are overweight or obese. Functional fitness includes parameters such as flexibility, balance, aerobic capacity, functional capacity and muscular strength and endurance. The 14 test items presented in this functional fitness test battery were carefully selected after numerous literature studies and consultations with scholars and specialists who are experienced in working with adults living with DS. Also, extensive pilot studies were conducted in order to select test items best suited to the needs of adults living with Down syndrome. The feasibility, reliability, and validity were determined specifically for adults living with DS. This scholarly book provides an economical and field-based list of test items that can be used to assess, evaluate, and monitor functional fitness. The book aims to contribute to the scientific discourse, reflecting on the functional limitations seen in adults living with DS.