Group Learning:
Each child attends with a parent or carer and the maximum number of children in each group is 6 – this allows the children to observe and turn-take whilst still holding their attention.
| The aims of the group are to develop communication skills through group activities and to coach parents to develop communication skills within everyday activities at home. There is an emphasis on using sign language to aid communication. The language used is Makaton which has been developed by professionals at the Makaton Vocabulary Development Project since its first appearance in 1976. The activities should be engaging and fun to maximise the children's learning ability. | |
Group Leaders
From the beginning of 2008, the Early Development Groups has been lead by two people: Thildie Peacock, a specialist Speech and Language Therapist, leads the groups for the older children on Wednesday mornings. The youngest children, who attend the group on Fridays, are lead by Michelle Blackstock, who is supported by Thildie in this role. Michelle also coordinates the registration and attendance for all groups (see below).
Michelle is a parent of three children, her son Theo has Down's Syndrome. Michelle has first hand experience from attending early development sessions with her own son, as well as being a Nursery Nurse and having past experience of working in a special needs school for ten years before having her children. Michelle has attended the co-worker training course at the DSA.
Thildie has been working with children with complex special needs since qualifying as a Speech and Language Therapist and Audiologist at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 1999. Alongside her independent practice as a Speech and Language Therapist, she is also currently employed part-time by the Buckinghamshire NHS PCT. Thildie has attended a further DSA course in 2008 to specialise further in working with people with Down Syndrome. She has two little boys of her own who you will see running around at the centre while their mummy works!
| | Where possible we aim to liaise regularly with the NHS services such as such as Speech and Language Therapy, to ensure that we can work together on the same targets and use supporting approaches. This will ensure that each child makes maximum progress in their development.
The groups are attended occasionally by the Oxfordshire DS Service physiotherapist, Kate Gills and also the Children's Continence advisor Charlotte Mawby. Other professionals such as individual children's support staff or EYSENITs are also welcome to attend with prior notice. |
Reviews and forward planning:
Review meetings are held once a year, in the summer with as many representatives from each group attending as possible. Feedback helps to plan groups for the following term in order to take account of all parents views and ideas.
What Time and Where?
- Sessions are run every Wednesday during term time, with each group meeting fortnightly at 9.45 am and 10.45 am. The groups cover children between 23 months and 5 years 0 months of age.
- There is also a group running on Fridays, fortnightly during term time at 1:15 pm, for the youngest age group, 15 months -2 years.
- All the sessions run at the Roundabout Centre, Waynflete Road, Headington, Oxford.
The children are grouped according to a combination of both their ages and their current communication strengths and needs with the aim of maximising the benefit of the groups to all children involved. Places are offered as they become available and childcare for pre-school siblings can be offered during group session times, on request.
How to Register:
Downs Syndrome Oxford has an open referral policy, allowing parents to refer their child to join the communication groups. Referrals are also accepted from any professional working with a child, with the consent of the parents/carers.
If you would like to register your child to attend our Early Development Groups please complete the registration form and send it to Netty Lings at the address given on the form. We need these details so that we can plan for your child to attend as soon as a place is available, from the age of fifteen months onwards. We do offer a crèche for siblings.
If the groups are full, a waiting list is held, but parents will be invited to observe a session running or take part in organised training as it is available.
Should you have any questions regarding our Early Development Groups, please contact Netty.
