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What: D.R.E.A.M. (Down syndrome research, education, advocacy in Montana) was started as a local support group for families of children with Down syndrome. The goal of D.R.E.A.M. is to provide financial grants to families in need of medical, educational and therapeutic assistance. It also helps to provide and distribute "New Parent Packets" to families with infants diagnosed with Down syndrome. The Bozeman Buddy Walk is the primary fundraiser for D.R.E.A.M. and a portion of the money raised will also go to the National Down Syndrome Society. The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. When: September 24, 2011 Registration begins at 10 AM.. The walk begins at 11 AM and will be followed by a complimentary lunch donated by many local businesses.  Contact: For more information, contact Ryan Robinson at dreambuddywalk@gmail.com

Jessica Green dares to dream.

Sharing her dreams and hopes for herself and others with Down syndrome in a recent speech helped Green win a seat on the board of directors of the National Down Syndrome Congress. triggerAd(1,PaginationPage,11); In her "Dare to Dream" speech, given at a congress event in Sacramento, Calif., the 26-year-old Indianapolis woman talked about her abilities and how people with Down syndrome should "stand up for themselves."

Sharing her dreams and hopes for herself and others with Down syndrome in a recent speech helped Green win a seat on the board of directors of the National Down Syndrome Congress.

March 21st marks World Down Syndrome Day on the Special Needs Calendar. World Down Syndrome Day is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The day is is focused on raising awareness for individuals with Down Syndrome. In preperation for World Down Syndrome Awareness Day we gathered together 42 Down Syndrome resources.

This past Wednesday, March 21 was World Down Syndrome Day. Down syndrome organizations throughout the world organized and participated in events to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.

Down syndrome, more commonly known as "trisomy 21" is very often accompanied by pathologies found in the general population: Alzheimer's disease, leukemia, or cardiac deficiency. In a study conducted by Professor Stylianos Antonarakis' group from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva (UNIGE), researchers have identified the genomic variations associated with trisomy 21, determining the risk of congenital heart disease in people with Down syndrome. The targeted and specific study of chromosome 21 revealed two genomic variations, which, in combination, are the hallmark of hereditary cardiac deficiency. These results are being published in the journal Genome Research and add to other research conducted by the same team about chronic myeloid leukemia, a severe form of leukemia that often affects people with Down syndrome. The journal Blood is publishing these advances in the understanding of a disease which, like hereditary cardiac deficiencies or early Alzheimer's, affects the general population.

Down Syndrome International (DSI) has officially earmarked 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD). The date was chosen to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome in the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome and is used synonymously with Down syndrome. Commemoration of World Down Syndrome Day started on 21 March 2006, it has " grown " manifold globally.

On Saturday September 11 the local non-profit group D.R.E.A.M. (Down syndrome research, education and advocacy in Montana) will hold its 1st annual Buddy Walk in Bozeman. The walk is a 1-mile loop around the Gallatin Regional  Park which is located off of Oak Street and right down the street from the Dinosaur Playground. The event is the main fundraiser for D.R.E.A.M. and a portion of the funds raised goes to the National Down syndrome Society.

We are a diverse group of parents in the Gallatin Valley and surrounding areas with young children with Down syndrome. Initially, we connected to celebrate the joys and concerns that come with having a child with Down syndrome. Since then we have all realized the importance of having a network of friends and resources and wanted to reach out to others who may be in our same situation. We like to meet once a month to get our kids together to play and to visit with each other about Down syndrome specific topics.

The local nonprofit D.R.E.A.M. (Down syndrome Research, Education and Advocacy in Montana) is pleased to announce the start of a new grant program to help people with Down syndrome and their families. D.R.E.A.M. was the vision of a few parents with children diagnosed with Down syndrome recognizing the need for a local support system. The success of the 1st annual Bozeman Buddy Walk held in September allowed D.R.E.A.M. to grow from a group that organized monthly support meetings into a nonprofit charity. Thanks to the wonderful community support at the Buddy Walk we are offering grants to families and individuals struggling with medical, therapy and equipment expenses associated with Down syndrome. Grant money will be available three times per year with deadlines for applications due January 5, May 5 and November 5. For more information and to apply for funding please visit the D.R.E.A.M. website at www.dream-mt.org or contact Julie Kleine at jkleine200@yahoo.com or 599-2556.

Full brochure and registration information (PDF) Please join us to help support the first annual Billings Buddy Walk.  The Buddy Walk (www.buddywalk.org) was established by the National Down Syndrome Society to help celebrate Down syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.   We have teamed up with YESKIDS (www.yeskids-mt.com), a local organization who's mission is to raise awareness and support for families that have loved ones with Down Syndrome and other genetic disorders here in Yellowstone county and Eastern Montana.   The Billings Buddy Walk will be at Dehler Park on Saturday October 2nd. Registration begins at 10AM and the WALK starts at 11AM.  There will be food and fun activities for the kids and adults. Our goal is to walk one mile together to raise awareness and meet others who's lives have been changed by someone "Xtra Special".   The cost to register is $10 per person and includes a Buddy Walk T-shirt. There is no cost for "Xtra Special" individuals to register and they will receive a free T-shirt. Please register by September 5th in order to get your t-shirt ordered. Registrations received after September 5th may not receive a T-shirt.      

You might be surprised to learn there's been an increase in the number of children born with Down syndrome in recent years. The conventional wisdom holds that with more prenatal screening, the rate at which children would be born with Down syndrome would have fallen.

"I was so naive, with no experience with anyone with Down syndrome," she said. "I got a huge education about that later."

Click here to download the registration form for this event (PDF) What: Recent studies indicate that the rate of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children with Down syndrome (DS) is higher than previously reported. Early detection of ASD is critical because early intervention has been associated with more favorable child outcomes and therefore, the presence of ASD in a child with DS has implications for treatment and special education decisions. However, identifying ASD in children with DS is difficult because of overlapping symptoms, the presence of cognitive and language delays and deficits, and other developmental factors. Moreover, little is known about what autism assessment measures are valid for use with children with DS. This talk reviews the various issues surrounding the accurate identification of ASD in children with DD and presents a set of considerations to assist evaluators in selecting appropriate screening and diagnostic assessment protocols. When: May 18, 2011 1:00-2:30pm Mountain

A heartwarming message from 15 people with Down syndrome to a future mom.

ASHLAND — About 20 students demonstrated Thursday at Southern Oregon University to protest an administrative decision to withdraw a student with Down syndrome.Eliza Schaaf, 20, a graduate of Ashland High School, was auditing a ceramics class as a way to share the college experience with her friends from high school, her parents said.

She already had completed two-thirds of the class when she received a letter Nov. 8 notifying her she would be withdrawn because she was not qualified to meet academic standards, even with accommodations, and disrupted instruction in the class. The letter also said the family would be given a full refund of tuition and fees.

Members of Schaaf's class and the university's Student Senate have formally opposed the administration's decision through petitions and a resolution.

Alexandra Codina's Monica & David (pictured) is the documentary account of a young couple with Down syndrome--their romance, their marriage, their first year together. At first blush, it sounds like the worst kind of crass exploitation (a kind of nonfiction version of The Other Sister, perhaps). But it adopts exactly the right voice and perspective--one that carefully avoids cutesiness or sympathy, but sees these two (and the people around them) exactly as they are.

Palin appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show Monday to promote her book “Going Rogue.” She spoke about her run for the vice presidency, her daughter’s pregnancy and learning that her son would have Down syndrome.

Autism on the Seas has been in collaboration with Royal Caribbean International since 2007 in developing cruise vacation services to accommodate adults and families living with children with Special Needs, including, but not limited to, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and all Cognitive, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.  These services quickly expanded to other cruise lines.   We provide Cruises with our Staff (selected from regular cruises throughout the year) that assist adults and families in accommodating the typical cruise services, as well as providing specialized Respite and Private Activities/Sessions that allow our guests the use of the ships entertainment venues in an accommodated and assisted manner. Our professional Staff (educated, experienced, background checked and sanctioned by the cruise lines) accompanies you on your cruise to provide these amazing vacation and travel experiences onboard Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Disney and Carnival Cruise Lines. We also provide a "Cruise Assistance Package" (Cruises without our Staff) on all of the major Cruise Lines to help accommodate guests who wish to cruise on their own.