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TRANSCRIPT
School Age Matters E-Newsletter
December 2018
Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC)
By American-Speech-Language—Hearing Association
Does your child struggle with communicating with others? If so and if they haven’t already been assessed for
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication), now may be a good time ask the question to your
child’s academic team. Please continue reading to learn more about AAC:
About AAC
You may have seen someone write in a notebook to answer a question. Maybe you have seen people using
sign language or other gestures. You may have seen someone push buttons on a computer that speaks for
them. These are all forms of augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC.
AAC includes all of the ways we share our ideas and feelings without talking. We all use forms of
AAC every day. You use AAC when you use facial expressions or gestures instead
of talking. You use AAC when you write a note and pass it to a friend or coworker.
We may not realize how often we communicate without talking.
People with severe speech or language problems may need AAC to help them
communicate. Some may use it all of the time. Others may say some words but
use AAC for longer sentences or with people they don’t know well. AAC can help
in school, at work, and when talking with friends and family.
Types of AAC
Do you or your loved one have difficulty talking? There are options that might help.
There are two main types of AAC—unaided systems and aided systems. You may
use one or both types. Most people who use AAC use a combination of AAC
types to communicate.
Click here to read the full article.
Joanie Elfers
School Age Matters
Coordinator
Empowerment Classes
Teen Kitchen Skills (ages 13 - 17)
January 23-February 20 (Wednesdays) | 6-7pm
DSAGC Hatton Foundation Community Room
Instructed by Chef Miles Meeden
Chef Miles and volunteers will help participants
learn to cook a new recipe each week! Teens will
learn basic kitchen and cooking skills while
interacting with same age peers.
**This class if FULL. Email Emma Ganiban to be
put on a Waiting List: [email protected].
Sky Zone (ages 6—22)
Monday, March 18 | 5:30-6:30pm
Sky Zone, 11745 Commons Drive, Springdale, OH 45246
Come jump with friends on Sky Zone’s wall-to-wall trampoline courts! $10 for 1 hour, socks not included.
Payment will take place at Sky Zone.
Register
Social Opportunities
21 Series
Securing your Family’s Future
Monday, January 21 | 6:30-8pm
DSAGC Hatton Foundation Community Room
Presented by Jim Singler, Calfee
Do you find yourself asking questions like: How can I start now to prepare for my child’s future? Why do I
need a will? What is a power of attorney? Should I have a trust or an ABLE account? What kind of trust
should I set up? What is a letter of intent?
Join us as Jim Singler covers topics such as:
Estate Planning: Discussion of Healthcare Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, General Powers of Attorney,
Last Wills and Revocable Living Trusts
Special Needs Trusts: What are they? What different types are there?
Able Accounts
Guardianship
Register
Racial Disparities in Health Outcomes among
African- Americans with Down Syndrome
Thursday, February 21 | 6:30-8pm
DSAGC Hatton Foundation Community Room
Presented by Dr. Anna Esbensen and Dr. Lauren Wang
African-Americans with Down syndrome are reported to experience significantly shorter lifespans than their
Caucasian peers. This presentation provides the audience with updated life expectancies based on
Tennessee administrative databases, and an understanding of how racial disparities in health and
hospitalizations contribute to these disparate life expectancies. The doctors will discuss ways to promote
better health outcomes.
Register
Winter Dance
Our Annual Winter Dance has become one of our signature
celebratory events of the year! Attendees range from
couples on a date night to groups of friends, to teens and adults with Down syndrome out with their social club. We encourage you to
join us for an evening of good food and drinks, dancing, and of course, fun!
BUY TICKETS
Friday, February 1st 6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Newport Syndicate
Ticket to the dance includes
admission, light appetizers, buffet dinner, soft drinks, dessert and 2 drink tickets for beer or wine.
Don't forget, unlimited live music and dancing with our favorite band
Candygram!
$25 per ticket
$300 VIP table of 10
Cash bar for all other beverages. We respectfully request ages 15
and up to attend the dance.
After you buy your ticket to the dance, you can sign-up for our Let's Get Fancy event for some pre-Winter Dance pampering! Ladies can get their hair, nails and make-up done by professionals. Gentlemen can get their
hair gelled, get tips on how to tie a tie and learn about appropriate cologne application.
After getting *glam*, a limousine will escort the group to the dance in style. Please note, the limo will only transport TO the dance. Participants must have purchased a ticket to the Winter Dance and have a parent/guardian meet
them at the Newport Syndicate.
Friday, February 1 Females arrive at 3:30 PM; Males arrive at 5 PM
4623 Wesley Avenue, Suite A Cincinnati, OH 45212 *ages 15 & up
"Let's Get Fancy" is FREE to attend, but you must RSVP to Emma Ganiban at [email protected]!
There are only 20 spaces available (10 female & 10 male) and will fill on a first come, first serve basis.
Michael Beerse, age 16, is the 7th of eight children of Peter and Lisa Beerse. He is a sophomore at Little
Miami High School, Morrow, OH. He enjoys basketball, swimming, church activities, music, and plays the
bass drum in the high school marching band. But one of his
favorite activities is drawing. His interest in drawing started very
young by using a Magnadoodle toy. This simple toy gave him
the freedom and creativity to not only draw pictures, but also
practice his fine motor skills as well as penmanship. He is
especially good at drawing logos using sidewalk chalk. Several
of the pieces of artwork included with this bio are projects from
his high school art class.
In the SPOTLIGHT!
Michael Beerse, age 16
DSAGC Family Resources
Support at Every Age
Community Participation Fund
Hospital Care Packages
Community Groups
Our School Age Matters Coordinator, Joanie Elfers, is available to assist parents and help provide direction
as they learn about the IEP process, effective teaching strategies and making social connections. She can
serve as an advocate at any school or IEP meetings your child has throughout the years. She can be reached
Joanie and our Outreach Coordinator, Mariclare Hulbert, are available to deliver “Peer Presentations” in the
classroom setting to enhance both the student and teacher’s understanding of Down syndrome. You can also
access our “More Alike Than Different” video here.
We have a limited amount of scholarships available for individuals with Down syndrome to participate in
community activities (such as camps, soccer, swim lessons) and therapies. There is also funding available
for parents to attend educational meetings or conferences. We pay half of the request (up tp $200 per
year). You must live within our 12 county area to be eligible. Please contact Lisa Steele
at [email protected] for more information.
Is your child (18 years and younger), with Down syndrome, spending three or more days in the hospital? The
Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati would love to support you during this difficult time. Click
here to receive a Hospital Care Package.
The vision of the ‘Community Groups’ is to provide support, connections, information, and be a resource to
families while creating a warm, welcoming, empathetic environment. A Community Group is designed to
create opportunities for families that have children with Down syndrome to network and share common
interests, concerns, challenges, and information.
Each Community Group is considered an extension of the DSAGC, but autonomy and decision making
authority is given to the groups so they can effectively meet their unique purpose and goals for serving
families and individuals in their community. Click here to see a full list of Community Groups.
DSAGC Teen Club: Serving teens ages 13 - 18 through social opportunities and networking
$5.7 million NIH Research Funding to
the Thomas Center and Colleagues The Thomas Center for Down Syndrome at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is proud to announce receipt of two federal
research grants supporting children with Down syndrome. Both grants were awarded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Anna Esbensen, PhD, Research Director of the Thomas Center,
received a 5-year, $2.6 million grant to continue her work on evaluating cognitive outcome measures for children 6-17 years with
Down syndrome. If you are interested in more information, please contact us as 513-803-3641 or email Emily Hoffman at
[email protected] (see information flyer below). Dr Esbensen is also collaborating with Angela Thurman, PhD, at the
University of California-Davis MIND Institute, on a 5-year, $3.1 million grant to evaluate language outcomes in children 2-8 years with
Down syndrome. More information will be coming soon on how to participate in this project.
Dr. Susan Wiley, co-director of the Thomas Center for Down Syndrome, also partnered with Drs Raouf Amin and Stacey Ishman from
the Divisions of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine/Sleep Medicine and Pediatric Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Cincinnati
Children’s Hospital. They received funding to expand their current study on the neurocognitive and school performance effects of
removal of adenoids and tonsils for snoring to focus on children with Down syndrome. This study will enroll children with Down
syndrome undergoing tonsil and adenoid removal for snoring or sleep apnea. This study includes 7 centers across the U.S.
(Philadelphia, Cleveland, Dallas, Boston, Ann Arbor, Norfolk, and Cincinnati). If you are interested in more information, please contact
us at 513-636-0607 or email Belinda Carter at [email protected].
These projects could not have been funded without the strong collaboration between families, the DSAGC and the Thomas Center.
We are honored to work in a city with so many dedicated families, a strong Down syndrome association, and a wonderful partnership
Research Studies
Webinars
1.5 Professional Training Contact Hours - Certificate of Participation Provided.
30% Group Discount Available when Registering 5 or More Participants
Contact Seneca for Group Discount Information
Sexual Harassment Prevention & Response
Monday, January 14th 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Friday, January 18th 11:30 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Thursday, January 24th 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Tuesday, January 29th 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Preventing Abuse, Neglect & Exploitation Webinar Dates & Times
Friday, December 14th 11:30 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Tuesday, January 8th, 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Wednesday, January 16th 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Thursday, January 17th 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Sexuality & Developmental Disabilities Webinar Dates & Times
Monday, December 17th 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Friday, January 4th, 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Wednesday, January 9th, 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Practical Approaches to Behavior Management Webinar Dates & Times
Thursday, December 13th 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Tuesday, December 18th 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Wednesday, January 16th 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
NEW WEBINARS ADDED DAILY
Don't see a date or time that meets your needs?
Contact us at [email protected] and we will schedule a time that fits into your busy day!
Click here to register!
Community Opportunities
The DSAGC does not endorse, recommend or support any particular regime,
therapy, activity, camp or treatment. We welcome articles and information from
parents, professionals and other interested parties.
Safety Training: Self-Awareness and Self-Care
Learn what is public versus private behavior, how to dress for the weather, first aid, how to be aware of your
surroundings and more!
Register by contacting Bri Combs at 513-785-2884 or [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, February 5 at 10:30am
Tuesday, February 5 at 6:00pm
Location: Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilties
282 N Fair Ave, Hamilton, Ohio 45011
Free Live Webinar from Social Security Administration
Are you interested in more information about the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability benefit? Who
can receive it? What to report? On January 8, 2019 @ 10:00am, I will present a LIVE 30 minute webinar
devoted totally to the SSI program to answer these questions. Please join me, and invite others you think
may be interested by sharing the link below.
Please register for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)- What is it and Who is it for? on Jan 8, 2019
10:00 AM EST at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3709788911248563457
Join Public Affairs Specialist Kelly Draggoo in Cincinnati for a 30-minute webinar devoted to the
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability program. Learn what it is, who can get it, eligibility factors,
what, what you have to report when you receive it, and more!
Sensory-Friendly Performance: Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 10:30am
In our continuing mission to bring dance to every member of our city,
sensory friendly performances accommodate children, families and adults
who have found visiting the theater overwhelming due to their specific
needs.
Location: Arnoff Center for the Arts (Procter & Gamble Hall)
$20 per ticket!
Click here for the full schedule and to purchase tickets
December Calendar
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
AAFN - Holiday
Celebration
2
Holiday
Party
3 4 5 6
7 8
9
TEEN CLUB -
Let's Go
Doodlin
Hispanic
Groupa -
Holiday
Party
10
TEEN CLUB -
Ballroom
Dance Class
11
DADS -
Holiday
Dinner
12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
DSAGC Office Closed
January Calendar
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
Office Closed
2 3 4
Movement
Class (ages 2
- 5)
5
6
TEEN CLUB - Painting
7 8 9 10 11
Movement
Class (ages 2
- 5)
12
Advocates In
Action (ages 18
& up)
Buddy Up
Tennis (ages 5
& up)
13 14 15 16 17 18
Movement
Class (ages 2 -
5)
19
AAFN - Open
House and
Resource Fair
20 21
21 Series -
Securing Your
Family's
Future
22 23
Teen Kitchen
Skills (ages
13 - 17)
24 25
Movement
Class (ages 2
- 5)
26
Motivation in
Education
Conference
Buddy Up
Tennis (ages 5
& up)
27 28 29 30
Teen Kitchen
Skills (ages
13 - 17)
31