CCDSN

To celebrate Down Syndrome month (October) and World Down Syndrome Day (3/21), local Penn Station restaurants will offer Deals for Down Syndrome coupon books for a $5 donation.

Each book includes more than $30 in Penn Station deals, and 100% of proceeds benefit local Down syndrome organizations in the communities Penn Station serves. The CCDSN directly benefits from this great program.

Coupons are valid through March 21, 2027 - making the books a great way to enjoy Penn Station throughout the year.

Stop by an area Penn Station (Champaign, Danville, or Springfield) to purchase your coupon book and support our organization.

💛💙 Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! 💛💙

Every person with Down syndrome is unique. They have their own personality, interests, talents, goals, and life experiences. A phrase often heard in the Down syndrome community is, “If you have met one person with Down syndrome, you have met one person with Down syndrome.” This reminds us that no two people are exactly alike.

At the same time, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals have noticed that many people with Down syndrome have some common behavioral characteristics and traits. This is sometimes called the “behavioral phenotype” of people with Down syndrome. These common characteristics include self-talk, the “groove,” empathy radar, strong visual memory, and concrete thinking.

Understanding these characteristics can be helpful when supporting individuals with Down syndrome in optimizing their health and promoting their overall well-being. When we appreciate both the person’s unique qualities and the characteristics they may share with others, we can provide more thoughtful support. We can build on strengths, respond to challenges, and help each person work toward their own goals.

More information about common characteristics is available in our Resource Library: https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/common-characteristics/

💙💛 Join us in celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month this October! Follow us to see our daily "Did You Know?" posts. 💙💛

Do you have questions about how to support an individual with Down syndrome in becoming more independent with personal hygiene tasks?

Check out the recording of our webinar featuring Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, occupational therapist at the Adult Down Syndrome Center. Katie shares tips and strategies for a wide variety of tasks including:
🚽 toilet hygiene
🛁 bathing/showering
🦷 brushing teeth
🧴 caring for skin and nails
➕ and more!

The recording and slides are available at the link below.
🔗https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/personal-hygiene-webinar-12-12-2024/

Incorporating shorter periods of physical activity throughout the day can be more manageable than doing longer periods of exercise all at one time.

During our Healthy Lifestyles group for individuals with Down syndrome, we brainstorm ways to be more active such as:
🧘‍♀️ stretching when we wake up in the morning
🛗 taking the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator
💪🏾 doing jumping jacks, arm punches, or squats during commercial breaks
📱 setting reminders to take movement breaks

A ten-minute walk in the morning ➕ a three-song dance break in the afternoon ➕ a ten-minute yoga video in the evening 🟰 the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity for the day!

Our Resource Library has a visual and template that can be used to make a plan for being active throughout the day. They are available for free at the link below.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/be-active-throughout-the-day-visual/

A serving size is a recommended amount of food or drink. While measuring every piece of food or ounce of liquid we consume is unrealistic and unnecessary for many of us, we can get a general sense of serving sizes by using the size of our hand.

For example, a 1 cup serving of vegetables 🥦 is about the size of a fist ✊🏼. A 3-ounce serving of meat 🥩, fish 🍣, or poultry 🍗 is about the size of a palm 🖐.
These are general guidelines. Each person has unique nutritional needs. A registered dietician or other healthcare professional can help determine individual dietary needs.

Our Resource Library has a visual and video that share tips for eating appropriate amounts of foods and how the size of our hand can be used to estimate serving sizes. They are available for free at the link below.

🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/serving-sizes-video/

Thank you to Avenues to Independence for providing a filming location and assisting with coordination and filming of the video!

For people with and without Down syndrome, our needs may change as we age and/or develop health issues. We may need to make challenging decisions about where we live. Some questions that we may need to consider include:
▪ Should we stay in our current home?
▪ Should we seek in-home support?
▪ Should we move to an assisted living setting or nursing home?
▪ When is the optimal time to move?

In the article linked below, Brian Chicoine, MD, shares information that individuals with Down syndrome and their families may want to consider when answering these questions.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/increased-need-for-services-and-support/

Change can bring a lot of emotions. Whether it's starting a new job, moving to a new home, welcoming a new staff member, or facing another life transition, it's normal to feel uncertain. The good news is that having a plan can help us feel more prepared, supported, and confident.

We're excited to share My Change Plan, a new free resource in our online library. Developed by our occupational therapist, Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, this worksheet helps individuals with Down syndrome think through upcoming changes and identify ways to navigate them successfully.

The worksheet encourages us to:
✅ Identify what is changing
✅ Explore how we feel about the change
✅ Think about who can support us
✅ Choose one thing we can do to help us feel better
✅ Remember the things that will stay the same

Access My Change Plan for free: https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/my-change-plan/

Community Organizations can have a tabletop display in the Resource Showcase at the 2026 Buddy Walk.

Know an organization that can benefit share this information with them.

Sign up for a FREE table at https://www.champaigndsn.org/buddywalk/showcase

Birth control includes a wide range of strategies and medications. Women with and without Down syndrome may use forms of birth control to:
➡ to treat common symptoms of menstruation such as heavy and very painful periods and/or
➡ prevent pregnancy

There are some factors that are unique to women with Down syndrome that are important to consider in discussions about birth control to ensure that women with Down syndrome receive individualized and optimal care.

In the article linked below, Hannah Graham, MD, discusses different forms of birth control and the benefits and risks associated with each form. The article also includes links to resources on other women's health topics.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/birth-control/

Buddy Walk Silent Auction - We are looking for donations of items to be packaged together or stand-alone items for Buddy Walk attendees to bid on. To learn more and donate, go to https://www.champaigndsn.org/buddywalk/silentauction. Thank you in advance for your generous contribution.