Volume 1 Issue 9 | September 2020
What has NCDSA been up to?

  • 10 Welcome Baby Bags delivered in 8 NC counties
  • 2 New to the Community Packets
  • 2 New families connected to trained Parent Mentors
  • 8 Moms participated in Moms' Night In
  • 5 Moms participated in Noche de Mamas
  • 27 BINGO participants
  • 10 Parents participated in the Teen and Young Adult Parent Support Group
  • 126 Volunteer hours
All Things Buddy Walk
Fundraising
Tip of the Week

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and NCDSA wants to feature your loved one as part of NCDSA's Just Like You Campaign. Down syndrome myths and truths and frequently asked questions share factual information. However, NCDSA wants to highlight what those facts look like in real life. Individuals with Down syndrome reach milestones everyday and are accomplishing more now than ever before as new opportunities present themselves. Let's show the world what Down syndrome really looks like!
Email a photo and description to: info@ncdsalliance.org
Families interested in information on available tutors, please email Mahala Turner at mahala@ncdsalliance.org
Looking for a way to give back to your community? Want to help NCDSA families? Be our volunteer!
I just want to say thank you for keeping the membership going to Reading A to Z. It is tremendously helpful. In fact, I had subscribed years ago and had NO IDEA how many different resources it provided. I am now homeschooling E. in the middle of all this chaos and she is doing terrific. It goes to show me how much she wasn’t being taught at “school”.  A large part of her day is working on reading, vocabulary, and comprehension and we use the Reading A to Z program. It has it all.
Thank you again!  Kristine F.

Learn more about Reading A-Z and email info@ncdsalliance.org for log in info.
Volunteer Spotlight
The Monahans moved to Raleigh five years ago from Denver. Joanna is a writer and Millie is a sophomore at Wakefield High School. They became involved in NCDSA's Buddy Walk in 2019 through family friends, the Turners. They began volunteering in the summer of 2020 as a way to spend time together and they have enjoyed bringing smiles to people's faces and raising awareness of NCDSA through the Flocking Fundraiser.

Thank you Joanna and Millie
Monthly Research Focus
Care coordination needs of caregivers of children with Down syndrome

If you are the parent (18 years of age or older) of a child (birth to 5 years old) who has Down syndrome, you are invited to take part in a research project. The purpose of the study is to understand parents’ care coordination needs and to develop a mobile health application to meet those needs. Participation involves answering a survey that takes 20-30 minutes to complete. In addition, parents participating in the study will be asked if they are willing to be interviewed. Five to ten parents will be interviewed.  If you are interested in learning more about the study, please email Beth Skelton at beth11@email.unc.edu or call/text at (703) 725-9194. Beth is a PhD candidate at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under advisor Marcia Van Riper.
Connect with NCDSA
NCDSA families, are you connected? NCDSA staff continues to update our constituent database. Please take a few minutes to assist us in this necessary task by updating your family's information. To keep up with NCDSA throughout the month, follow NCDSA on social media. Thank you!