NDSC Convention Quick Reference for Sunday 7/13

NDSC Convention Schedule for Sunday 7/13 (subject to change).

7:30am-12:30pm Kids Camp Session 5
7:30am-9:00am Grandparent's Breakfast
8am-1pm Exhibits Open
8am-12:15pm Youth & Adult Conference and Talent Show
8am-12:15pm Brothers & Sisters Off-Site Trip
8:30am-10am Workshops
10:30am-12pm Workshops
1:35pm Indianapolis Indians Baseball Game

NDSC Convention Quick Reference for Saturday 7/12

NDSC Convention Schedule for Saturday 7/12 (subject to change).

7:30am-3pm Registration Open
7:30am-12:30pm Kids Camp Session 3
8am-6pm Exhibits Open
8am-5:15pm Youth & Adult Conference (break for 12-1:30pm)
8am-5:15pm Brothers & Sisters Get Acquainted (lunch included)
8:30am-10am Workshops
10:30am-12pm Workshops
12pm-1:30pm Lunch on your own
3pm-8pm Kids Camp Session 4
1:30pm-3pm General Session
3:30pm-5pm Workshops
5:30pm-6pm NDSC Membership Meeting
6:30pm-7pm Reception and Cash Bar
7pm-9pm Banquet (by ticket only)
9pm-11pm Dance (open to all)

NDSC Convention: Workshop Recordings Available Online

If you attended our convention in Denver, you know what an awesome learning experience it was. Now, you can listen to 55 of the conference workshops - which is probably about 50 more than you were able to attend while you were there! If you were unable to attend this year's convention, here's your opportunity to learn from the best, on topics that cover the lifetime of individuals with Down syndrome.    These recordings will be available for your unlimited viewing/listening until July 2014.

NDSC Convention Schedule, Saturday, July 20, 2013

This is a summary of events for Saturday, July 20, 2013 at the NDSC Annual Convention in Denver, CO.

7:30AM - 3:00PM Registration Open

8:00AM - 6:00PM Exhibits Open

7:30AM - 12:30PM Kids' Camp Session 3

8:00AM - 5:15PM Youth & Adult Conference (lunch break 12:00PM - 1:30PM)

8:00AM - 5:15PM Brothers & Sisters Conference (lunch included)

8:30AM - 10:00AM Workshops

10:30AM - 12:00PM Workshops

12:00PM - 1:30PM Lunch on your own

12:15M - 5:00PM Film Festival

1:15PM - 5:15PM Kids' Camp Session 4

1:30PM - 3:00PM General Session

3:30PM - 5:00PM Workshops

5:30PM - 6:00PM NDSC Membership Meeting

6:30PM - 7:00PM Reception and Cash Bar

7:00PM - 9:00PM Banquet (by ticket only)

9:00PM - 11:00PM Dance

NDSC Convention Agenda Summary
NDSC Convention Home Page

Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome Co-Hosts Workshop on Cognition in Down Syndrome in Washington, D.C., on April 13-15

Workshop will bring top scientists together to share discoveries, explore collaborations
from the Herald Online:
The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome will co-host the “Workshop on Cognition in Down Syndrome – Molecular, Cellular and Behavioral Features and the Promise of Pharmacotherapies” April 13-15 in Washington, D.C. The workshop will bring top scientists together to share discoveries and explore collaborations with the aim to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome.

Katheleen Gardiner, Ph.D., a professor at the Crnic Institute and the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, is the workshop’s organizer. This is the third international workshop she has organized on Down syndrome and the biology of chromosome 21.

Gardiner received a grant from the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation to organize the workshop and the past two workshops she organized in 2004 and 2007. More than 130 experts from a variety of scientific disciplines are expected to attend the workshop.

“Our invited speakers are not Down syndrome researchers but may be interested in a specific gene on chromosome 21 or in some other type or specific feature of intellectual disability,” Gardiner said. “They may be persuaded to think about doing Down syndrome research and/or provide new ideas, research tools or perspectives to current Down syndrome researchers.”

Worker with Down syndrome aims for more independence, money

Michael Minkow, who has Down syndrome, works in a job-skills training program that works on military hats. For the holidays, he said he would like a new dresser to replace his broken one, new clothes and money to enjoy time with friends.
by Lidia Dinkova Special to The Miami Herald:
In a large room with yellow walls and fluorescent lights, 50 adults with cognitive and physical disabilities sit around school-cafeteria tables. They are putting miniature plastic pieces on strings that will later be attached to military hats.
Some are eager to show off their craft to visitors. Others prefer to decorate the Christmas tree.
In the crowd and hard at work is Michael Minkow, a 52-year-old with Down syndrome. The condition is caused when people are born with an extra chromosome, and, in Minkow’s case, may cause cognitive disabilities impaired speech.
It’s easy to notice Minkow in the crowd. He is decked out in his best clothes for a Wish Book interview. In light-gray suit coat with gold cuff links and dark-green suit pants, he is quick to make friends and is happy to explain his work
“Put them in one hole and then in the other. I do a lot,” he said.
For years, Minkow has been working at the Adult Day Training program, part of the nonprofit United Cerebral Palsy of Miami in Overtown. At the training program, he and others learn social and employment skills while on the job.
“I’d like to keep working here. I want to do more work and receive more money for the work,” Minkow said.
He said he would use the money to spend time with friends. “Because that’s my hobby – to go out.”
His favorite pastimes? Bowling, eating out, going to the movies and shopping for clothes.
But at 5 cents payment per each piece strung, the salary isn’t much. His paycheck for two weeks of work varies from $4.50 to $15.50, depending on how fast he works. On a good day, he manages to string about 30 pieces.His tight budget limits his freedom to go out as often as he would like. So this year he is asking for gift certificates to restaurants, including his favorite one, Outback Steakhouse, as well as for funds that he could use for grocery shopping, bowling and movie tickets.
In addition, he would like new clothes and a new dresser because the one he has in his apartment is broken.
Minkow lives in a Hope Center apartment building in Kendall . Hope Center is a nonprofit affiliated with United Cerebral Palsy of Miami. It provides supervised community-based living for people with cognitive and physical disabilities. Minkow’s home is about an hour-and-a-half ride on the public bus from his Overtown job. He has to get up at about 6 a.m. every weekday to be at work on time. He rides with other apartment residents, who also work at United Cerebral Palsy of Miami.
“I talk to them. I am always nice to them,” he said.
Indeed, “nice” seems to be the first word that comes to mind once you meet Minkow.
As he walks down the hall at United Cerebral Palsy of Miami, he stops to greet administrators and gives some of them a hug.
“He is very kind,” said his mother, Gloria Sheehan, 79. “He likes to help people. If he could help them do something, he would.”
On a recent visit to the Overtown center, he and others listened to a musical therapist play guitar. They began clapping along with the music and before long, Minkow joined by tapping his hands on the table.
Then, it was time to decorate their holiday cards.
Minkow said he painted a Hanukkah tree on his card. He plans to give the card to his roommate and friend John Allen. The two often go shopping together at Publix and also go bowling.
“Sometime Johnny Allen wins, and sometimes I win,” Minkow said.
But nothing makes him as happy as talking about his mother and visiting her. When asked his three wishes for this holiday season, his ocean-colored eyes brightened and his face beamed: “Go home, go home and credit cards.”
He lives in his Kendall apartment most of the time, but he refers to “home” as his mother’s Delray Beach condo where he visits every two weeks.
“We have fun. We go out, and sometimes we eat Chinese food,” he said.
While his first two wishes are already fulfilled — he will stay with Sheehan for about a week during the holiday season — he needs help for his third wish. Instead of credit cards, donations and gift cards for leisure activities are requested.
Minkow was born in Brooklyn, where he attended a public school for a couple of years before he transferred to a private Catholic school in New York, followed by another private Catholic school in Pennsylvania.
Once his family moved to South Florida, he also moved into the Hope Center. That was 33 years ago. Here he has made friends and settled into a happy life. Sheehan hopes he will stay at the center. Through the organization, he has grown to be independent.
“He is pretty much self-reliant. He manages. In the other places he was treated like a child. Now he is treated like an adult, which is what he is,” said Sheehan, adding that he made a big accomplishment by successfully transferring from the Hope Center dorms to the nonprofit’s apartments where residents are more independent. “I don’t want to uproot him. He is very happy there.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/28/v-fullstory/3117490/worker-with-down-syndrome-aims.html#storylink=cpy

NDSC Convention Schedule for Sunday 7/22

Sunday's itinerary at the NDSC Convention in Washington, DC


8:30AM-10:00AM, 10:30AM-12:00PM Workshops
The General Convention also consists of five workshop cycles, three cycles offered on Saturday and two on Sunday.  Each cycle offers a selection of 14 workshops that registrants may attend based on their interest.  These interactive workshops are provided by the experts – from those who pioneered in early childhood communication, to those who redefined the K-12 classroom and are on the frontier of adult challenges.  Each workshop is 90 minutes in length.  Some topics are repeated to give flexibility to attendees.

7:30AM-12:30PM Kids Camp - registration is closed
Kids’ Camp will provide a means for parents to leave their children between the ages of six months and 11 years (14 years for children with DS) for designated times during the weekend in a safe, structured, and fun environment.  This program will be offered to families registered for the general convention whose children are not old enough to participate in the Brothers & Sisters or Youth & Adults Conferences.  The camp will be offered in four separate sessions.  Registration is required for each session.


8:00AM-12:15PM Youth and Adult Conference and Talent Show - registration is closed
The Youth & Adults Conference really is the heart and soul of the weekend! It is designed to be a fun, empowering, enriching and safe experience for self advocates (individuals with Down syndrome) age 15 and older. With the support of NDSC’s Y&A Support Team, this conference is planned and presented by self advocates, for self advocates.


8:00AM-12:00PM Brothers and Sisters - registration is closed
The NDSC Brothers & Sisters Conference is a fun-filled weekend where siblings can share ideas and experiences and make new friends. It is a place to learn, to be inspired and grow, to be enlightened and encouraged, and to ask tough questions in a supportive environment.  Participants will learn about Down syndrome and disability related issues, including how to be an advocate for their brothers and sisters.

12:30PM-1:00PM Grand Finale
A closing General Session.
8:00AM-1:00PM Exhibits Open
There is also an Exhibit Area for vendors where you’ll find the latest in books, toys, teaching aids, apparel, software and more.


See the NDSC Convention website for complete information.

NDSC Convention Schedule for Saturday 7/21

Saturday's itinerary at the NDSC Convention in Washington, DC


7:30AM-3:30PM NDSC Convention Registration Open!


8:30AM-10:00AM, 10:30AM-12:00PM, 3:30PM-5:00PM Workshops
The General Convention also consists of five workshop cycles, three cycles offered on Saturday and two on Sunday.  Each cycle offers a selection of 14 workshops that registrants may attend based on their interest.  These interactive workshops are provided by the experts – from those who pioneered in early childhood communication, to those who redefined the K-12 classroom and are on the frontier of adult challenges.  Each workshop is 90 minutes in length.  Some topics are repeated to give flexibility to attendees.

7:30AM-12:30PM, 1:15PM-5:15PM Kids Camp - registration is closed
Kids’ Camp will provide a means for parents to leave their children between the ages of six months  and 11 years (14 years for children with DS) for designated times during the weekend in a safe, structured, and fun environment.  This program will be offered to families registered for the general convention whose children are not old enough to participate in the Brothers & Sisters or Youth & Adults Conferences.  The camp will be offered in four separate sessions.  Registration is required for each session.


8:00AM-5:15PM Youth and Adult - registration is closed
The Youth & Adults Conference really is the heart and soul of the weekend! It is designed to be a fun, empowering, enriching and safe experience for self advocates (individuals with Down syndrome) age 15 and older. With the support of NDSC’s Y&A Support Team, this conference is planned and presented by self advocates, for self advocates.


8:00AM-5:15PM Brothers and Sisters - registration is closed
The NDSC Brothers & Sisters Conference is a fun-filled weekend where siblings can share ideas and experiences and make new friends. It is a place to learn, to be inspired and grow, to be enlightened and encouraged, and to ask tough questions in a supportive environment.  Participants will learn about Down syndrome and disability related issues, including how to be an advocate for their brothers and sisters.

12:00PM-1:30PM Lunch on your own

1:30PM-3:00PM General Session
The second of two Plenary Sessions. Plenary sessions feature inspirational keynote presentations by self advocates and Down syndrome experts from around the world who present on topics of broad interest.

5:30PM-6:00PM NDSC Membership Meeting

6:30PM-11:00PM Reception, Banquet, & Dance
On Saturday evening, we will host our traditional Awards Banquet to honor outstanding achievement in the Down syndrome community in various categories.  This is a ticketed event, which includes a plated dinner and the awards presentation. 
Immediately following the banquet there will be another awesome opportunity for all attendees to dance – no ticket required.


8:00AM-6:00PM Exhibits Open
There is also an Exhibit Area for vendors where you’ll find the latest in books, toys, teaching aids, apparel, software and more.


See the NDSC Convention website for complete information.

NDSC General Convention Overview 7/20-7/22

from the NDSC:

The General Convention is a three-day program designed for parents, other family members, caregivers and professionals.  It kicks off Friday afternoon at 3:30 pm with a series of Sharing Sessions for moms, dads, grandparents and siblings.  These popular sessions, facilitated by family members, are informal opportunities to meet your peers and share your joys, concerns and strategies with others. Some sessions are also topic specific.  Please consider attending these sessions without your child with DS to allow parents to express their feelings with comfort and ease.

Friday at 6:30 pm, the first of two Plenary Sessions will officially launch the weekend events. Plenary sessions feature inspirational keynote presentations by self advocates and Down syndrome experts from around the world who present on topics of broad interest.
The General Convention also consists of five workshop cycles, three cycles offered on Saturday and two on Sunday.  Each cycle offers a selection of 14 workshops that registrants may attend based on their interest.  These interactive workshops are provided by the experts – from those who pioneered in early childhood communication, to those who redefined the K-12 classroom and are on the frontier of adult challenges.  Each workshop is 90 minutes in length.  Some topics are repeated to give flexibility to attendees.  A complete list of workshops can be downloaded from this page, as well as a workshop planner to use as a tool to help organize your selections.

The convention will close on Sunday at 12:30pm with the Grand Finale where self advocates commence the Convention’s celebration of 40 years.

Another entertaining component of the General Convention is the Film Festival,  The Film Festival is organized by Gail Williamson, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, and provides an opportunity to view the best films, film clips and documentaries featuring individuals with Down syndrome.  All films are shown during the workshop cycles.

There is also an Exhibit Area for vendors where you’ll find the latest in books, toys, teaching aids, apparel, software and more.

At registration, all registered attendees will receive the official program guide, called the Souvenir Journal.  The Souvenir Journal will detail the entire convention’s schedule and much more.  Volunteers are available on-site to review the Souvenir Journal for first-time attendees.

Select NDSC Convention Workshops Streamed Live

from the NDSC:
For the first time ever, selected workshops will be streamed live for families and professionals who are unable to make the trip to Washington, DC. While we expect this year's convention to be one of our best attended ever, we are excited about the possibilities related to extending our reach even more! For a minimal fee, NDSC members will be able to take a peek into the largest gathering of its kind anywhere in the world. Stay tuned for details about the workshops chosen for streaming, and all of the details related to accessing the content on your computer.