The Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas is dedicated to ensuring that individuals with Down syndrome receive quality education that help them reach their utmost potential. Through our education outreach, we help educators and parents understand best practices for teaching students with Down syndrome in an inclusive setting through a variety of programs.
Presentations & Training
We offer presentations to educators and local school districts, community groups, and others to build understanding of the needs of students with Down syndrome. Previous presentation topics have included: Down syndrome 101, Behavior 101, All About IEPs, Inclusion, and Social-Emotional Development.
To request a presentation for your child’s school, your school’s team, or your community group, please email us at admin@dsact.org.
Annual Conference
Our annual conference takes place in the fall. Topics change from year to year so we are able to provide you with the most up to date educational practices. This conference is designed to provide general and special educators, administrators, paraprofessionals, support professionals, and parents with practical strategies and evidence-based approaches that will support them as they work each day to meet the educational needs of their students.
Our 2025 conference falls on November 4th and will dive into ways to support literacy across the lifespan, accessing general education curriculum, goal writing, and transition.
1:1 Consultations
Please do not hesitate to email us with any questions you may have on your child or student’s education. We are able to provide support on a variety of topics such as behavior, classroom modifications, inclusion support, supporting literacy and math skills, and more.
Education Podcast
Check out our podcast that covers topics like Learning Through Play, Inclusion in the Classroom, Behavior 101 and more!
Legal Consultations
DSACT is pleased to offer to DSACT members a free, one-time legal consultation on special education issues only. A consultation will last up to two hours. Our consultations generally focus on inclusion/placement in the least restrictive classroom environment and provision of appropriate supports and services, including modifying the curriculum. The consultation’s purpose will be to help you be a better advocate for your student by giving you legal information about your special education issue. DSACT does not provide legal consultations about placement in private schools, preschool services or services after 12th grade.
Our services do not include help with mediation, due process hearings or complaints to state or federal agencies. The DSACT attorney does not accompany you to meetings with school staff, including ARD meetings.
To request a legal consultation, please email admin@dsact.org.
World Down Syndrome Day Kits
In 2022, DSACT created a World Down Syndrome Day Activity Kit program to provide a way for teachers to facilitate a discussion about Down syndrome on or around World Down Syndrome Day. These kits include:
- A hardcover book featuring a character with Down syndrome or inclusion
- Discussion questions based on the book
- Educational resources about Down syndrome
- A hard copy of the activities to share throughout the school
DSACT families can request a free activity kit for their child’s classroom or teachers can request for their classroom.
This year we are excited to offer options for Middle and High School classrooms. With a goal of reaching 100 classrooms across Central Texas schools.
Our World Down Syndrome Day Kits are made possible thanks to a generous donation from Halff, supporting inclusion and awareness in classrooms across our community. Thank you!
DSACT Reading Program
DSACT is excited to announce the launch of a new reading program designed for early readers. With a 2:1 student to teacher ratio, the DSACT Reading Program will give children with early emergent (approximate ages 3-5) and emergent reading levels (approximate ages 6-8), the opportunity to develop their reading & literacy skills. Each session will consist of large group and small group play-based activities. Additionally, between sessions, children will continue to practice these skills at home with the given assignments and development ideas.
Peer Presentations
Peer presentations help parents provide age-appropriate information about Down syndrome to their child’s classmates. If you have a student with Down syndrome in your classroom, you can ask their parents if they’d like to use these presentations in their child’s classroom.
Conference Stipends
Several large Down Syndrome organizations host annual conferences throughout the United States. These conferences welcome renowned experts in the field who share their wealth of knowledge with the community. Specifically, we have stipends for NDSC’s Convention, NDSS’s Adult Summit, and NDSS’s Advocacy Conference. We are very proud to offer these opportunities to our members. To apply for a stipend, keep an eye out for details in our newsletters and social media accounts.