Our medical director, Brian Chicoine, MD, presented recently for the Convention From Your Couch organized by the National Down Syndrome Congress. His presentation was called "Common Questions (and Answers!) about Health Conditions in Adolescents and Adults with Down Syndrome." He highlighted a number of resources in our Resource Library. Links to the resources have been provided below. 

• ADSC Health Questionnaire
  • New patients at the Adult Down Syndrome Center are asked to fill out this questionnaire. It has sections on a variety of areas of health. It may help you think about questions to ask your health care provider.
• Normal Abnormal Lab Values
  • When running routine blood tests, sometimes abnormal values are flagged by the lab or computer system. Some of these values, while outside the normal range, are still typical and/or acceptable for people with Down syndrome. This resource shares information about what we have seen and typically recommend at the Adult Down Syndrome Center. 
• Sleep
  • This page contains resources for individuals with Down syndrome about topics such as getting good sleep, going for a sleep study, and using a CPAP machine.
• Hydration
  • This video helps individuals with Down syndrome understand the importance of drinking water. There are corresponding handouts at this link and this link. 
• Self-Talk in Adults with Down Syndrome
  • In general, self-talk itself is not a problem, and it can be very beneficial for some people with Down syndrome. However, an increase in or change in type of self-talk may indicate an issue as the two articles linked below describe. 
    • Article 1
    • Article 2
• Behavior Change
  • Any and all behavior change is a possible form of communication. This article and this webinar recording share information on what behavior changes may indicate. 
• The Groove
  • Many (but not all) people with Down syndrome strongly prefer repetition and routine. This preference can have advantages and disadvantages as this article describes.
• Mental Health
  • Link to all mental health resources in our Library
• Visual Supports
  • We all use visual supports to help us get through our days - calendars, to do lists, smart phone apps, etc. This article describes different types of visual supports and their benefits. 
• Health Information Forms
  • This article shares links to forms that can be filled out and brought to hospital or clinic visits so that the health care providers know how to best support the individual receiving medical care. 
• COVID-19 Resources
  • Link to all COVID-19 resources in our Library