Conferences, workshops and webinars are held throughout the year to address current topics relevant to parents/caregivers of, and professionals who work with, individuals who have Down syndrome.  Examples include topics such as behavior, education, health, child development, estate planning and other relevant issues.

Handouts from prior conferences are posted at the bottom of this page.

2011

Teaching Tools for Students with Down Syndrome - October 21, 2011

Susan Peoples, author of Stars of Success:  Understanding How Children with Down Syndrome and Other Developmental Delays Learn, provided numerous parents and educators with practical information, tips and strategies to help students with Down syndrome succeed in inclusive settings.
 

From Defiance to Compliance - October 15, 2011

Alice Belgrade, M.S.Ed., LCPC, BCBA, of Chicago Behavior Consultants presented a number of parents, educators and childcare providers from across the state with information and strategies to help them better understand and deal with behavior issues in children who have Down syndrome.  Handouts from the workshop are provided below:

• Brain Differences in People with Down Syndrome
• Choice or Chore Plan
• Chore Examples
• Compliance Shaping
• Differential Attention
• Escape Blocking
• Inhibition Shaping
• Moments of Joy
• Momentum for Compliance
• Sneaky Compliance
• Tips on Working with Children with Down Syndrome
• Two-Door Paradigm

2010

Sibling Issues - October 19, 2010

Brian Skotko, MD, MPP, co-author of Fasten Your Seatbelts:  A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers and Sisters, led a large number of parents, educators and service providers through a series of interactive exercises that explored the questions, needs and concerns commonly raised by siblings of children with special needs.  Handouts from the workshop are provided below:

• Raising Your Other Children
• La Educación de los Otros Hijos

More Than Shared Classrooms - September 24, 2010

At the 2010 DSAWM Educator Conference, a number of educators from all over West Michigan learned about topics relevant to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the general education classroom from former Special Education Director for the State of Kansas, Michael Remus.  Handouts from the workshop are provided below:

• Great Expectations
• How to Write IEPs
• Road to Inclusive Practices
• Real Students/Real Solutions

Toilet Training for Every Child - June 19, 2010

Alice Belgrade, M.S.Ed., LCPC, BCBA of The Potty People (A Division of Chicago Behavior Consultants, Inc.) provided a crowd of eager parents with the knowledge and skill they need to help their children navigate this critical step in their development.  Handouts from the workshop are provided below:

• Prerequisites to Toilet Training
• Basic Toileting Procedure
• Six Stages of Toilet Training
• Key Toilet Training Mistakes to Avoid
• Toilet Training Data Form
• Stimulus Control:  A System of Habit Training

eReadingPro - May 19, 2010

Denise MacDonald, founder and creator of eReadingPro, gave parents and educators the tools they need to teach their children and/or students with Down syndrome to read.  Click here to download the handout from the workshop.