THANK YOU, EDUCATORS!

First and foremost, thank you for all your hard work and for caring about our children. It is appreciated. Click below to download helpful tips and information that you can use in the classroom and share as training information for staff working with students with Down syndrome.

DSACT is dedicated to providing information and materials that empower you to teach your students with Down syndrome. As you plan your approach, remember to focus on their ABILITIES versus disabilities.

If you believe people with Down syndrome can learn, they WILL!

Please help your students and their families connect with DSACT by sharing the brochure at right.

Have questions or concerns?  Contact Jami Dean at jami.dean@dsact.org or (512) 323-0808.

Presentations and training

We offer presentations to educators and local school districts, community groups, and others to build understanding of the needs of students with Down syndrome. Our Education Manager, Jami Dean, offers educators and school administrators information, resources, and verbal consultation regarding inclusion and best practices for students with Down syndrome. As a former teacher, Jami understands the demands of your job and the hard work necessary to provide a topnotch education to all students.

Contact Jami at jami.dean@dsact.org for more information and presentation options.

resource Downloads and links

We’ve put together several additional resources available for download, including notable websites, tips for the classroom, communication strategies for educators, and more! Find each of these using the buttons below.

Peer presentations

Peer presentations help parents provide age-appropriate information about Down syndrome to their’s child’s classmates. If you have a student with Down syndrome in your classroom, you can welcome a parent to use these presentations to help all students feel accepted and valued.

Conference Stipends

As allowed in our budget, we award stipends to conferences such as the annual Inclusion Works conference. Applications are reviewed by DSACT staff and board members. To be informed of such opportunities, be sure to become a DSACT member here!

What our previous stipend recipients say about their experience:

“What I learned at the conference has surely impacted my perspectives on inclusion, how I will communicate with parents, general education teachers, administrators, how I will plan instruction, and how I will advocate for a more inclusive community at my school… The major takeaway from the conference was seeing first-hand the benefits of inclusion for all and the how- specific steps, proven successful, for schools to become more inclusive. The conference allowed me to meet and learn along-side individuals with a variety of perspectives on inclusion. Being exposed to these perspectives opened my mind and sparked ideas for how I can shape inclusive environments in my classroom and inspire others to do so campus-wide. I've had this feeling that more can be done on my campus and the movement at the conference was validation. How I will share the information with others in the district? I plan discussing my major takeaways with our assistant principal in order to catalyze plans for a more inclusive environment at McNeil.” - Dana Rathbun, Round Rock ISD

“Having the opportunity to attend Inclusion Works! 2019 was an eye-opening experience. As a non-SPED classroom teacher, it allowed me to have conversations with parents and special education teachers that I do not usually have the opportunity or time to have. There is a beautiful level of learning of that happens on the part of everyone in the class because they learn from each other. This conference gave me ideas on how to restructure student groups, the benefit of manipulatives and tangibles to use, and opened my eyes to a whole other side of the parent-teacher-student conversation. In the future, I hope more general education/elective teachers will attend the workshop. I think it provides a safe and neutral place for brainstorming to occur between parents, teachers, and experts to create the best learning experiences for all students!” - Jennifer Clar, Leander ISD

DSACT Podcast

DSACT has a podcast!

Finding time to attend an in-person or virtual presentation can be challenging. With our podcast series, we hope to support you while on your daily walks, while running errands, or during short breaks in your day. Join Jami Dean, DSACT’s Education Manager, as she delves into topics alongside professionals in our community. Each episode has information that will help navigate your child's/student's development.

Find the podcast on Buzzsprout and Spotify.

If you would like to hear about any specific topics, send an email to Jami at jami.dean@dsact.org