Down Syndrome holds a special place in my heart due to family connections firsthand, seeing the struggles and development of my cousin and the impact it has had on my learning and education of Down syndrome. I am constnalty impression seeing my counisns grow up, figure out their life, college, while taking care and helping of their brother succeed and develop. Learning more has given me a new sense of appreciation of my privilege and what I can do to help
Problem
Down Sydrome like many other disbailities still has a stigma behind it due to outdated and inaccuarte information. This results in many with the condition to be discrimated against in a vareity of places including edcuational settings. With increased education and awarness that will help the gaps in knowledge leading to more understanding and inclusion. Inclusion of those with down sydrome lead to increased academic, social and cognitive development. In the education system specfically including those with down syndrome in mainstream classroom show postive results. When students are able to interact that have vaerity of abilities it will help them have understanding of how to include and becoming accepting of differences. Overall promoting awareness around Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities will help create a more accepting society that is focused on proper inclusion of everyone.
Buckley, S, Bird, G, Sacks, B, and Archer, T. (2002) A comparison of mainstream and special education for teenagers with Down syndrome: implications for parents and teachers. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(2), 46-54. doi:10.3104/updates.166
Sample Work
Throughout the semester we have done assignments to help resreach and create awareness towards our chosen cause. Below you find my research paper, infrographic and workshop created to help achieve the project goals.
Throughout this project I have learned a lot about down sydrome and being able to create a space that can help foster a inclsuive and accepting classroom. I think my favorite aspect of the project was creating the workshop about inclusion education. The workshop audience was created for secondary school teachers to understand and become more aware of the diffcults students face in the classroom. This was my favorite portion because I have a passion for educating others about a certain issue and this was a great way to do this in relation to down syndrome. The problems that arose during the project was finding quick statistics about the success that students with down syndrome have in mainstream in the classrom and the discrimation rates. There were qualitive data around the topics but very few quantitive data that illustrated the topic. As I start working on preventive initiatives in Ketucky I can use the knowlegde and awareness I have gained to keep learning and ensure I am being informed about how to make the programs I am creating are inclusive to those I am serving. The aspect of the project that was most helpful to me was having an oppournity to contiune to learn about a portion of identity that may not affect but affect others around me. I appreicate being able to grow my knowledge about how to create an education space for those with down sydnrome and to ask deeper questions with my family to learn more about their experience.