Down Syndrome Innovations hosts a bi-annual all-day education conference that brings together stakeholders as they attend breakout sessions facilitated by local, regional, and national experts.
Topics cover the lifespan and parents, family members, educators, therapists, administrators, and service providers are encouraged to join us for a life changing day of education.
Seeing Success: Using Visual Supports to Promote Independence
Learn more about how using visuals at home, in school and out in the community can promote suc-cess and independence. Presenter will share great examples of visuals and teach you how to up your visual supports game!
Math that Works: Multisensory Math Sup-ports for Exceptional Learners
Let’s face it, math is hard for people with Down syn-drome! But it’s a critical life skill so we have to teach it. Participants will learn how number sense is ac-quired, how brain based instructional strategies and intentionally designed supports can boost math pro-ficiency while reducing frustration. Participants will also learn how to work with their child’s educational team to improve math outcomes.
Living Healthy with Down Syndrome
The directors of the pediatric and adult Down Syn-drome Clinics at Children’s Mercy Hospital and Kan-sas University Health System will share important medical updates and review suggested healthcare screening guidelines to help families ensure their loved ones receive appropriate preventative care.
Setting the Stage for a Good Life!
Families that have a vision for the future and a plan for achieving that vision are more likely to accom-plish their agreed upon goals. Learn how to create a vision statement and build a support team that will embrace and support your long term plan. The Charting the LifeCourse framework was developed to help individuals with disabilities and families at any age or stage of life develop a vision for a good life, think about what they need to know and do, identify how to find, or develop supports, and dis-cover what it takes to live the lives they want to live. This session will help you organize your ideas, vi-sion, and goals, as well as problem-solve, navigate, and advocate for supports.
Functional Skills for Adulthood
Would you like to encourage your loved one to live a more independent and socially active lifestyle while building their confidence level in the process? Many life skills needed to function in the world are easily attainable if you know where to start. In this session we will review important functional skills we all use on a daily basis as adults and how to teach people with Down syndrome to generalize these skills across settings.
Happy and Loving All the Time? Not!
The myth that people with Down syndrome are so happy and loving will be debunked very quickly in this session as we review common behavioral chal-lenges and how to address them through proactive strategies with consistent implementation across settings.
Fostering Independence
Is your loved one prompt, praise, and reward de-pendent? Do you spend a significant amount of the day trying to find ways to motivate the person you support to stay on task, engage in non-preferred tasks, try new things or make transitions successful-ly? This seminar will highlight strategies for fostering independence and how to address and reduce chal-lenging behavior. Attendees will also learn how to help their child learn to manage their emotions and self-regulate while developing coping strategies
Improving Speech and Communication in Children with Down Syndrome
This presentation will address ways to inspire com-munication through natural opportunities within the home by using children’s interests and motivation. We will explore ways to increase motivation through both likes, dislikes, and natural opportunities. We will explore Assistive Technology tools that aid in motivation and provide fun communication opportu-nities. We will discuss language expansion tech-niques and how to use them naturally in the home setting. We will discuss myths associated with AAC/AT use and we will cover how to get support and services within the school district.
Toilet Training: One Size Does Not Fit All
Toileting is like almost everything else in life – one size does not fit all! It is important to remember that what may work for one learner, may not work for another learner. Taking a holistic view of toilet training can increase understanding of how to adapt toilet training techniques to meet individual strengths and challenges. Come learn a variety of tips and strategies from an occupational therapist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) that can be individualized to your learner with Down syndrome.
Financial Planning for Families With Loved Ones With Special Needs
Are you losing sleep at night trying to plan for your child’s future? This workshop brings together sev-eral key issues families may face regarding their financial goals as well as transitional planning for their loved one. Participants will learn more about Special Needs Trusts and the responsibility a trus-tee takes on, how to maintain your child’s standard of living and how to develop a plan that includes all members of the family. We will also cover ABLE accounts and how they can protect your child’s future.
Will My Child Work?
Research tells us that the more active adults with Down syndrome are, the better their quality of life will be. Employability starts at an early age and parents will be integral to their children’s workforce readiness. Learn important skills you can teach your child at every age and stage to help them successfully find and keep jobs in adulthood. If you are thinking my child is too young, I don’t need this session, think again! Preparing your child to be workforce ready starts at an early age.
I Can Write! Enhancing Early Writing Skills
Do you need ideas for how to get your little one’s hands busy in meaningful activities at home? Are age-level fine-motor and writing skills difficult for your child? Does your child have a tablet but you are unsure which app to choose to help your child’s writing skills? Come to this session to learn creative, easy-to-implement strategies to support your child’s development in fine-motor and writing skills. This session is presented by an occupation-al therapist with 20 years of experience working with kids with Down syndrome.
Chris Ringot
Carissa Myers Ringot was born and raised in Kansas City Missouri. She graduated from Parkhill High School. Carissa has worked ever since graduating and has had various jobs, working in a print shop, cleaning at Hy-Vee and in the cafeteria at North Kansas City Hospi-tal. Her current job and favorite of almost 10 years, is at Children’s Mercy Hospital. At Children’s she is a hospitality ambassador where she helps with various tasks. Last August her dream of getting married was fulfilled when she married Chris Ringot. The couple live in an apartment in Kansas City North. When not working, Carissa enjoys spending time with Chris, watching movies, participating in Special Olympics and playing the piano.
Carissa and Chris’s parents will share their thoughts on the joys and challenges of raising children with Down syn-drome, how they navigated special education and launched them out to be independent adults who are working, con-tributing in their community and now living with support as a happily married couple. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been full of amazing people who have come alongside to ensure Chris and Carissa are living their best life.
Registration Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM—8:45 AM
Keynote Speakers
9:00 AM—10:00 AM
Break
10:00 AM—10:15 AM
Breakout Sessions
10:15 AM—11:45 AM
Lunch
1:00 PM—2:30 PM
Break
2:30 PM—2:45 PM
Breakout Sessions
2:45 PM—4:15 PM
Closing Remarks Door Prize Drawing
4:15 PM-4:30 pm
$65 Per Person. Includes Continental Breakfast and Boxed Lunch.
Registration Deadline: November 4, 2021
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