About Us
Guestbook
Donations
Beautiful Faces Album
NDSS
My Profile
Contact Us

	Down Syndrome Training and Resource Center Raising expectations. Creating opportunity. Building brighter tomorrows.

About Us

The Down Syndrome Training and Resource Center is a non profit organization developed by parents and individuals with Down syndrome. The organization was developed to provide unique support services and training to individuals with Down syndrome. The Down Syndrome Training and Resource Center provides:

• Assistance with identifying barriers and developing a person center plan. The individual plan will describe the steps necessary to get each individual with DS to their goals.
• Assistance with obtaining the services necessary for re-integration in the community.
• One on one staff that will serve as a personal mentor or advisor for the individual. The idea is to ensure that the individual is involved in the planning process. The individual’s concerns and dreams are included in the planning to develop a strategy for a holistic plan of care.
• Access to behavior specialists
• Access to attorneys
• Advocacy/Improved Self Advocacy Skills
• A team of experts that will provide ancillary supports to the individual and his/her circle of support.

Individuals with Down syndrome are excluded from creating connections to others and developing a true circle of friends and support. This causes social isolation for the individual with Down syndrome. This sort of division can put a huge financial and emotion burden on families. The Down Syndrome Training and Resource Center will provide a direct service and meet the needs identified by the individuals with Down syndrome. The supports and resources that the program will offer will alleviate some of that strain and burden for the family and provide a multitude of opportunity for life long integration and inclusion.

Our Mission

Down Syndrome Training and Resource Center, mission and long term direction is to create the conditions under which a persons with Developmental Disabilities and Disabilities with similar multiple service need experience:

• Opportunities to make individual choices
• Opportunities to develop and advance independence and inclusion in all areas of life
• Good health, safety and protection
• Respect and dignity
• Full and active participation in the community
• Relationships with family members, friends and neighbors
• Life long learning

Self Advocacy Skills Building

While everyone on the team has ideas and important contributions to make in developing and implementing holistic care plans, those involved must keep in mind that the individual with disabilities is the expert. The support team listens to what the person says with words and behavior about how they want to live, and act on what they say. They build an intensive circle of support with a focus on the "team approach." This unique level of support and training enables families and consumers to become an intricate part of a team which promotes independence. Becoming an independent contributing member in the community creates opportunities that  increase the number of individuals with Down syndrome who become self advocates and educators.

The Down Syndrome Training Center has self advocates and trainers who have Down syndrome on staff, working as mentors with the younger individuals. They share their successes and discuss the barriers they have faced along the way.