Books
Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents’ Guide
Susan J. Skallerup (Ed.)
Woodbine House, 2008
This book is a collection of articles written by doctors and other professionals about common topics related to Down syndrome, including the baby’s development, early intervention, and more. Also available in Spanish.
Call#: WS 107 .B114 2008
Can I Tell You about Down Syndrome?: A Guide for Friends, Family and Professionals
Elizabeth Elliott
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016
Meet David – a boy with Down syndrome. David invites readers to learn about Down syndrome from his perspective, helping them to understand what Down syndrome is and how it affects his daily life.
Call#: WS 107 .E462 2016
Also available as an eBook
Down Syndrome Parenting 101: Must-Have Advice for Making Your Life Easier
Natalie Hale
Woodbine House, 2011
This all-purpose book features a variety of parenting information about raising a child with Down syndrome, both from the author’s experiences and that of other families.
Call#: WM 300 H356 2011
Early Communication Skills for Children with Down Syndrome : a Guide for Parents and Professionals
Libby Kumin
Woodbine House, 2012
This book shows parents how they can support and encourage their child’s speech and language development from birth to age 6. Caregivers learn how to work through characteristic challenges, including hearing loss, intelligibility issues, apraxia (difficulty planning oral-motor movements), or a slower pace of development.
Call#: WS 107 .K95 2012
Fasten Your Seatbelt: A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers and Sisters
Brian Skotko and Susan Levine
Woodbine House, 2009
This book includes information on Down syndrome and answers many questions that siblings of a person with Down syndrome might have.
Call#: WS 107 .S628 2009
Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome : a Guide for Parents and Professionals
Maryanne Bruni
Woodbine House, 2016
This book describes how the characteristics of Down syndrome can impact the acquisition and progression of fine motor skills and presents a thorough overview of the building blocks of fine motor development, from infancy through to adulthood.
Call#: WS 107 .B897 2016
Gross Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals
Patricia Winders
Woodbine House, 2014
In parent-friendly language, the author explains the many physiological reasons that children with Down syndrome experience delays in their gross motor development and presents a physical therapy treatment plan from birth to age 6.
Call#: WS 107 .W763g 2014
Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son’s First Two Years with Down Syndrome
Jennifer Graf Groneberg
New American Library, 2008
A mother describes her journey of her son’s diagnosis of Down syndrome through family support, early intervention, therapy, and doctor appointments.
Call#: WS 107 G876 2008
The Parent’s Guide to Down Syndrome : Advice, Information, Inspiration, and Support for Raising Your Child from Diagnosis Through Adulthood
Jen Jacob
Adams Media, 2016
This book, written by parents, shares personal experiences and guides you through life with Down Wyndrome 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.
Call#: WS 107 .J116 2016
Videos
Down Syndrome: The First 18 Months
108 min; DVD
Woodbine House, 2004
This is a reassuring and realistic introduction to the unique joys and challenges that children with Down syndrome bring to their families. Includes information on newborns, health concerns, therapies, and expectations.
Call#: WS 107 .D748dvd 2004
Emma’s Gifts: A Documentary
56 min; DVD
Emma’s Gifts Productions, 2006
Documents the story of Emma, a little girl born with Down syndrome, her “normal” twin sister Abigale, and their parents, Mitzi and Michael. This family discovers that Emma’s differences are precious gifts that take them on a journey few families ever experience.
Call#: WS 107 .E54d 2006
Welcome to Holland
48 min; DVD
Learning Seed, 2010
Follow the journey of three families with special needs children as they share their stories and experiences. See how they became fierce advocates for their children in order to obtain the services needed for their children to flourish.
Call#: WS 107.5 .W449 2010
Organizations
Central Illinois Down Syndrome Organization
This not-for-profit organization of families and interested people works to increase public awareness, support families, and improve opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome. The organization also includes a “New Parent Outreach” program where members reach out to new parents.
National Association for Down Syndrome
This Web site features information about Down syndrome, including facts about Down syndrome, links to local support groups, and links to other useful resources. The information is also available in Spanish. (serves Chicago)
National Down Syndrome Congress
This Web site includes information about speech-language therapy, health care, and education. Also available in Spanish.
National Down Syndrome Society
This Web site features information about Down syndrome, such as current research, and issues associated with Down syndrome, including health concerns, behavior, education, and friendship. Some information is also available in Spanish.
Articles
Exceptional Parent, 27(2), 46–47
Offering Hope, Not Don’ts: Great Expectations Pay Off.
Jerry Sullivan. (1997)
A father explains how he challenged the stereotypical limited abilities of children after his son was born with Down syndrome.
Exceptional Parent, 29(2), 72
Breast-feeding When Your Baby Has Hypotonia, Congenital Heart Disease, or Down Syndrome
La Leche League International. (1999)
This article provides support for mothers nursing babies who have Down syndrome and information on adequate weight gain.
Infants & Young Children, 28(1), 18-31
Using Signs to Facilitate Vocabulary in Children With Language Delays
Susan Lederer and Dana Battaglia, 2015
The purpose of this article is to explore recommended practices in choosing and using key word signs (i.e., simple single-word gestures for communication) to facilitate first spoken words in hearing children with language delays.
Web Resources
Answering Questions About Your Child’s Special Needs
This blog post, written by Dr. Susan Fowler, discusses how to talk about a child who has special needs with other parents or children. Also in Spanish.
Children with Special Needs: Down Syndrome
This short guide created by the Head Start Center for Inclusion offers families and professionals a brief description of down syndrome, some common characteristics that a child with down syndrome may exhibit and some strategies for overcoming challenges that may be associated with down syndrome.
Early Intervention
This resource from the National Down Syndrome Society lists specific information related to early intervention for children with Down syndrome. It includes a list of developmental milestones.
EITP: Down Syndrome Resources
The Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) website offers a variety of national and regional resources related to down syndrome.
Illinois Early Intervention Central Directory: Specific Disabilities and Developmental Delays
This portion of the state directory provides information on specific disabilities and delays.
Finding Help for Young Children with Special Needs
Parents often have questions about sources of information and support. This FAQ addresses many of the questions that parents have asked the Illinois Early Learning project staff over the past few years and suggests resources that parents of young children may find useful. Also in Spanish.