· New Parent Support - Volunteer members are on call to talk with new parents of babies with DS to help ease the stress during this time of adjustment by offering support and information. We also provide "New Parent Packets" filled with the latest information on DS.
· Social Events for teens and adults - We provide a variety of social gatherings for our teens and adults throughout the year. Teens and adults are part of the Club 21 which offers Dances, Bingo and Spaghetti nights, Movie nights, The Social Club, computer classes and many more monthly activities.
· Social Events for children - For all of our young ones we offer a variety of programs such as Gymboree, Art Classes, Fundamentally Music and Respite nights.
· DSAH Social Events - For all of our members we offer the following events as an opportunity to network and learn more about Down syndrome. Some of the events are The Pool Party, The DSAH Gala, The Christmas Party, World Down Syndrome Day Celebration, The Gathering of Friends and annual conferences.
· Education for Life Program - This is the first program geared towards the continuing education of adults with Down syndrome in the Houston area. Students meet three times a week to continue their post-high school education as well as an opportunity to improve their vocational and social skills.
· Conferences - Conferences are held 2-3 times per year in which nationally recognized experts share their knowledge with our families and communities
· Outreach Program - Provides information on an Educational and Medical level to our community. Our group seeks to increase the awareness of people with DS and some of these groups include health professionals, high school faculty and students, graduate students, and so on.
· Community Groups - We currently have 7 groups under the DSAH umbrella-these are the Katy Group, the Woodlands Group, the Pearland Group, the Spring Group, the Pasadena Group, the Spanish Group and the Baytown Group.
· RESPITE Program - Provides childcare to kids with disabilities 18 years of age and younger once a week at the Down Syndrome Resource Center.
· Camp Ability - We offer 3 sessions for camp ability during the summer. Each session is one week long for a specific age group and they are offered in half and full days.
· Reading Clinic Program - Joanne Mothes provides a one - one reading clinic with kids of all ages to jumpstart their reading abilities. Her reading workshops are available every months.
· Adoption Awareness Program - DSAH works with local and international adoption agencies to provide the accurate information an adoptive parent needs.
· Behavioral Analysis Counseling - Parents have the opportunity to meet with behavioral counselors regarding their children's behavior on a monthly basis.
· D.A.D.S. Group - Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome, or D.A.D.S., is a committee or community group of fathers of children who happen to have Down syndrome. The 3 foundational pillars of D.A.D.S. are Support, Action and Fellowship. The cornerstone of D.A.D.S. groups is the monthly meeting where members come together to share insights and experiences.
· Diversity Group - These group focuses on the needs of our diverse members.
· Teddy Bear program - Provide a stuffed animal to comfort a child with Down syndrome who is experiencing a hospital stay.
· DSAH Today - produce and mail a monthly newsletter to over 1,200 homes and businesses.
· Gathering of Friends - annual festival/picnic attended by over 3,000 members and friends.
· Sibling Social - provide a monthly forum for kids who have a sibling with Down syndrome to safely talk about their feelings and experiences.
· Camp For All - an annual event for our families held in the spring.
· New Baby Baskets - our Executive Director delivers our New Baby Basket to the hospitals and provides much needed support to new parents.
· Socializing on Saturdays (SOS Program) - respite for parents/caregivers. |