“Find heart, mama love me”
This post was written by Gina Alternburg, mother to Gracyn and Gage. Thank you so much for sharing your special story with us! There were two things I always knew I wanted to be when I grew up. One was to be a special education teacher and the other was...
FINDING THE BEAUTY WITHIN LIFE’S CHALLENGES
Written by Jen Sexton MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014 This blog post was written by one of our families whose little 'peanut' as they call her, is now two years old. Thank you for sharing the story of your prenatal diagnosis with us! I’ve always imagined myself having children. Sure, there was...
Spreading the word on world down syndrome day!
1. Showing videos that demonstrate that people with Down syndrome are "More Alike Than Different". Such as #11 on this webpage: https://www.babble.com/babble-voices/world-down-syndrome-day-21-ways-to-celebrate/ scroll to #11. 2. Sharing 21 facts about Down syndrome 3. Read an age-appropriate book about Down syndrome in the classroom, ask kids to share experiences they might have with...
preparing for an iep meeting
It is important to always keep an open line of communication with your child’s IEP team, especially in the weeks leading up to your meeting. Be sure to touch base with your child’s teacher and each therapist to discuss areas of strength, concern, progress on goals, and their thoughts for...
Six Tips to help learners with Down Syndrome be their best of all
Children with Down syndrome are capable learners who are excited and eager to learn. They just need to be given the opportunity to excel. They may learn at a slower pace, but are more than capable of learning. They are strong visual learners. This means that they understand what they...
Wisconsin Stories
By Michaela Wagner Wisconsin is home to many wonderful things such as Summerfest, cheese, brats and the great outdoors. Wisconsin is also home to two GiGi's Playhouses, the Madison location and the Milwaukee location. Here at Milwaukee we LOVE to share up lifting news and heartfelt stories with you, our readers. Sticking...
october 1 begins down syndrome “awareness” month but awareness is not nearly enough.
By: GiGi's Playhouse INC Awareness is simply acknowledging an existence, a challenge, etc. Human beings are so more than an existence or a challenge. Acceptance is an ACTION and a commitment to extend consistent value, approval, and empowerment. I’m very fortunate to work at GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers and...
Ten Questions You Always Wanted to Ask a Person with Down Syndrome
By Johannes Musial Jonas is 22 now and lives with his parents in the town of Rangsdorf, just outside Berlin. He used to want to be James Bond or a paleontologist, but after doing an internship at Berlin's RambaZamba theater, he grew passionate about acting. Since then, he's appeared in...
MY SON, BIG-C, HAS DOWN SYNDROME
by: Kim My husband and I were expecting our second son. I was pregnant and enjoying my pregnancy. This pregnancy was different from my last in that my leg cramps at night were so much worse, I wasn’t able to rest as much ( I was chasing my first born...
GiGi’s Playhouse Tinley Park- A Follow up about Jeff
At almost 40 years old, Jeff’s dream is to get a job at McDonald’s. His sister brought him to GiGi’s for literacy tutoring in an attempt to retrieve some dormant skills. From day one, Jeff has come to weekly tutoring with a pen in his pocket and a smile on...
Best of All Moments
BEST OF ALL is the daily challenge to do a little better than you did the day before. It is continual, measurable, celebrated and it never ends. I have asked some of our families to share their best of all moment with us and here are their stories: Brittany and Ethan:...
five instructional strategies for children with down syndrome
Children with Down syndrome are capable learners who are excited and eager to learn. They just need to be given the opportunity to excel. They may learn at a slower pace, but are more than capable of learning. They are strong visual learners. This means that they understand what they...