Testimonials We Are Honored to Share
This group has been like a big hug for me ever since my daughter was born. They have provided knowledge, confidence, and friendship, which has tremendously improved the quality of life for my daughter and me. I’d be lost without the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area, and I’m quick to share their mission in my personal life.
The Communication Readiness Program has been life-changing to say the least! My son is speaking so clearly that we hardly recognize him. His confidence is through the roof, and he is doing things thanks to this program and the efforts of the Down Syndrome Connection that we never thought possible in this short of a time. We are blown away.
The kids that our daughter has met in Peer Development classes along the way make up her social circle today. Not only has our daughter derived so much in the way of learning and enhanced self-esteem from her involvement in the classes, she has also been given the opportunity to ‘give back’ by volunteering as a teacher's aide at the DSCBA.
I fortunately made the phone call to the DSCBA and didn't feel so alone. There was an immediate 'connection' and a community that welcomed my daughter and actually congratulated me on her birth. No one had actually congratulated me before the call. The DSCBA taught me that she's your baby, she's your daughter first. I'll never be able to express how important this nonprofit is to my family.
I'd had no previous experience with children with Down syndrome, and DSCBA allowed me to be a part of their community and enjoy the company of some amazing people. Down Syndrome Connection has built a community not only for families with children who have Down syndrome, but for everyone in this area. It's really amazing what an impact DSCBA has on the community in the Bay Area.
Thank you for offering information and techniques to Bay Area school districts that I can apply in my everyday interactions with my student who has Down syndrome.
The DSCBA has assisted in guiding and preparing us for our journey. Everywhere from appointments, to milestones, to introducing us to other amazing families, to simply giving us advice on how to tell our family and friends about the diagnosis. But most of all, they have provided us with resources to allow us to become the best advocates, parents, teachers, and students.
When my youngest grandson was born ten years ago, this group knew what my daughter, son-in-law, and I were going through—how this child would be raised, what would be needed to help him get through school and life in general. All the tools (classes, support groups, and individual counseling, etc.) were found at the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area. This group is a phenomenal charitable organization.
We are so thankful to have the Down Syndrome Connection as a resource in our lives. Recently we were able to have an AAC evaluation at our school with DSCBA’s AAC Specialist, Kati Skulski. Because of this evaluation, our school district approved and paid for an iPad Mini for our daughter, and she is using it in class and in speech.
This organization has been a huge part of our lives since my daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome. They have provided our family with early start classes, music therapy, emotional parent support, networking capabilities with other parents, and IEP and goal assistance.
I would like to say that without the valuable insight and support provided by the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area, our journey through education would be a nightmare. Today’s lay-parent is ill-prepared to interface with school districts, let alone fight for the rights of a child with a learning disability. Kudos to the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area!
One of the greatest assets of my support network is other DS parents I have met through the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area. They are there for me when I need to vent because they understand in a way even my closest family members and friends won't or ever could. That's why the DSCBA is so valuable. It's not only there to support families, but it also has programs like Early Connections and parent support meetings so parents can meet other parents, make connections, build a support network, and share challenges that another parent may have already navigated successfully.
One of the most important things the DSCBA does is provide high-quality training and education to the community about Down syndrome and inclusion. They partner with other organizations, businesses, schools, and individuals to break down misinformed, preconceived notions about people with Down syndrome and other challenges. They remind people (and me!) that everyone has challenges and strengths. We are all human, and no one is less important than another. Thank you, DSCBA!
This summer, my son participated in the DSCBA Communication Readiness Program. At the end of the program, they meet with the kids’ parents and go over the strategies they developed over the six weeks to support the participants in school. Then they meet with the kids’ education teams to share those strategies to encourage success. I am optimistic about my son’s inclusion because of the support of the other parents and professionals at the DSCBA that helps me fight for my son’s educational success.
From the very beginning, when we first received our baby’s diagnosis of Down syndrome, Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area has been a wonderful support for our family. We received support and resources before my son was born, and hospital visits from DSCBA staff while he was in the NICU and after his heart surgery, and we continue to have connections with them and other families through their support groups. We can't say enough about how wonderful the DSCBA has been for our family.
I have a son with Down syndrome who has benefitted tremendously from this organization, as well as services for me. I don’t know what I would have done without them. The DSCBA staff is on fire for our kids and goes above and beyond to make things happen so they can thrive in the community.
Without this wonderful organization, we would not have found all the resources and tools that we currently have for our daughter. Our world is bigger and our future is brighter because of their tireless efforts to journey with us in raising our child.