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For people with Down syndrome, family members, caregivers and professionals.

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Showing 25 - 48 of 121

Information Forms to Share with Hospitals and Clinics (Health Passports)

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center - Resources

Visiting a hospital or clinic can be a stressful or frightening experience for some individuals with Down syndrome. The stress and fear can be increased if the healthcare providers are unfami

Fear of Heights

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD and Abby Rowley, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

We have seen people with Down syndrome with a variety of phobias. Concern about heights is one we see more commonly. For this fear in particular, we often ask if it is indeed a phobia or if it is caus

Steps to Accessing Adult Services and Supports

Author: Ann Garcia - Patient Advocate, Adult Down Syndrome Center

While special education services are an entitlement, adult services are based on eligibility and availability of funding. In the adult developmental disabilities system, Medicaid is the primary paymen

Guardianship

Author: Ann Garcia - Patient Advocate

Whether you decide to obtain guardianship for your child is an individual family decision that should be considered carefully. If your child is 18 years old and is unable to make decisions about finan

Alternatives to Guardianship

Author: Ann Garcia - Patient Advocate

Families trying to decide what level of support would work best for their adult family member with Down syndrome may want to look at options besides guardianship . Individuals with Down syndrome and t

Contingency Maps

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Contingency maps can help an individual visualize their behavioral choices and the outcomes/consequences of their behaviors. They can help make the problem-solving process more concrete. The individua

Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adult Down Syndrome Center

The handouts linked below were developed to teach individuals with Down syndrome how to think more positively. If an individual has an automatic negative thought (or ANT), they can squish it or brush

How to Cope with Stress

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Coping with stress is an important and necessary part of life. There are some strategies that can help us manage our reactions to different life stressors. The steps below are strategies that I use wi

Behavior Changes in Individuals with Down Syndrome Webinar Recording (2/23/2023)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD, Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, and Abby Rowley, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

The video below is a recording of a webinar presented by Brian Chicoine, MD, Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, and Abby Rowley, LCSW, on February 23, 2023. In this webinar, the presenters define, iden

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD, and Dennis McGuire, PhD, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

*This article was adapted from  Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome: A Guide to Emotional and Behavioral Strengths and Challenges, 2nd Edition . What is attention-deficit/hyperactivi

Obsessional Slowness

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is obsessional slowness? Obsessional slowness is an apparent form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that appears to be more common in people with Down syndrome. At this point, much more needs to b

Mental Health at the Holidays for People with Down Syndrome and Their Families Webinar (11/30/2022)

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Abby Rowley, LCSW, presented a webinar called "Mental Health at the Holidays for People with Down Syndrome and Their Families" on November 30, 2022. The webinar was hosted by&nbs

Plan For Managing My Emotions

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center - Visual Handout

When we talk about emotions during our social skills groups for adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, we explain that it is ok to feel any emotion; however, it is not ok to have negative

Long COVID in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

A complication of having COVID-19 infection is a condition called long COVID (it has also been called long-haul COVID, chronic COVID, post-COVID conditions, and others). The National Task Group on Int

Things I Can Do to Help Me Calm Down

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center

This visual handout shares activities you can do to help yourself calm down.

"I" Statements

Author: Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L - Occupational Therapist, Adult Down Syndrome Center

"I" statements are a way to share how we feel in a clear, calm, and respectful way. The handouts pictured below explain the components of "I" statements. There is a

Electroconvulsive Therapy, Catatonia, and Regression in People with Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment that involves sedating an individual with anesthesia and then inducing a seizure with a short electrical stimulation of the brain. ECT can be frightening

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition in which an individual develops psychological symptoms in response to an extremely distressing experience. The symptoms can vary and

Impact of Physical Health Conditions on Mental Health

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Every thorough mental health assessment should include an assessment of physical health to ensure that physical health problems are not affecting mental well-being in any way. This is true whether or

Recommendations for Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Infection

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD, Erin Dominiak, MD, and Hannah Graham, MD - Adult Down Syndrome Center

We have only seen or heard of a few cases of severe COVID-19 infection in our patients with Down syndrome who have received COVID-19 vaccines. Our experience has been consistent with the data

Stereotypies: Repetitive Movements or Sounds

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - "Ask Dr. Chicoine" LuMind IDSC Foundation

A parent of an individual with Down syndrome asked a question about stereotypies and self-stimulatory behavior. The parent shared that the individual made noises while watching videos on their iPad an

Ableism at the Bedside: People with Intellectual Disabilities and COVID-19

Author: Chicoine et al. - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine

Abstract People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a higher risk of mortality from COVID-19 than the general population. Providers may assume that this is due to the burden of comor

COVID-19 Vaccination of Individuals with Down Syndrome - Data from the Trisomy 21 Research Society Survey

Author: Huls et al. - Vaccines (2022)

Abstract Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are among the groups with the highest risk for severe COVID-19. Better understanding of the efficacy and risks of COVID-19 vaccines for individuals with DS

Managing Anxiety During Storms

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center - Resource

We received a question from a family member of an individual with Down syndrome who is anxious and fearful of bad weather, particularly thunderstorms. Thunder, lightning, strong winds, heavy rain, hai

Showing 25 - 48 of 121
 

 

Please note: The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for a medical, psychiatric, mental health, or behavioral evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment plan by a qualified professional. We recommend you review the educational material with your health providers regarding the specifics of your health care needs.

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