CCDSN

CCDSN Building a network of friends & families in Champaign County & East-Central Illinois We hope you will join us!

The DSN partners with families, educators, therapists and local agencies to create an environment in which individuals with Down syndrome are welcomed with fairness, enthusiasm, and encouragement in the community. We embrace inclusion at all levels of community life: schools, workplace, neighborhoods and places of worship. We envision a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportu

nity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations and become valued members of welcoming communities. Through our various community outreach programs, educational workshops, support groups & fun member activities, we hope to build a diverse, thriving network of friends & families sharing deep relationships while working together to achieve success for those in our world with Down syndrome.

06/04/2026

There are many reasons why bathing and showering can be a challenging personal hygiene task for some people with Down syndrome including:
▪ having difficulty getting into and out of the bath or shower
▪ not knowing how hot to make the water
▪ lacking the strength or fine motor skills to open/use shampoo and soap bottles
▪ and others

Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, the occupational therapist at the Adult Down Syndrome Center, shares tips for supporting people with Down syndrome to become more independent with bathing and showering in the article linked below. She offers suggestions for managing water temperature, increasing safety and accessibility, and improving washing and rinsing.

🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/bathing-and-showering-tips/

06/03/2026

Coming Soon :)

05/31/2026

Today, we are featuring a webinar hosted by the National Down Syndrome Society in February called "Building Lifestyle Wellness Strategies for Individuals with Down Syndrome." The presenter was Shelly Verma, DO, MSGPH, DipABLM, a physician at our Adult Down Syndrome Center. Dr. Verma shared a wealth of information about key pillars of lifestyle medicine including:
🍎 Nutrition
🏃 Physical activity
😴 Restorative sleep
🧘‍♀️ Stress management
👫 Social connections

The recording, slides, and additional resources for supporting healthy habits are available in our online library at the link below.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/building-lifestyle-wellness-strategies-webinar-2-11-2026/

05/26/2026

"It's just Down syndrome."

Unfortunately, many families have heard this statement after describing a behavior change or new symptom that they have noticed their loved one with Down syndrome experiencing. In medical care, this is called diagnostic overshadowing.

When a healthcare professional overshadows with regards to Down syndrome, the professional focuses primarily (or only) on the fact that the person has Down syndrome and less on the possibility of a co-occurring health condition. Diagnostic overshadowing can lead to misdiagnosis or underdiagnosis of potentially treatable health conditions. When a person with Down syndrome has a change in their health, it is important to do a thorough assessment for physical and/or mental health conditions.

Learn more about diagnostic overshadowing in the article by Brian Chicoine, MD, linked below.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/diagnostic-overshadowing/

05/24/2026

We use the phrase "appropriate touch" to refer to knowing who we can hug, kiss, shake hands with, fist bump, wave at, etc. The forms of touch that are appropriate to share with someone often depend on the type of relationship we have with that person. Our Resource Library has a video and visual on appropriate touch that feature several individuals with Down syndrome and describe the types of touch we can share with:
▪ family
▪ friends
▪ boyfriends and girlfriends
▪ people we do not know well
▪ children not in our family
▪ safe strangers (e.g., police officers, firefighters, etc.)
▪ other strangers

Understanding these boundaries is important for having safe and comfortable social interactions. We encourage individuals with Down syndrome who participate in our social skills groups to talk to their families about this topic because some families have different rules or boundaries for touch. The video and visual are available at the links below.
Visual ➡ https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/appropriate-touch-visual/
Video ➡ https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/appropriate-touch-video/

05/16/2026

Heading to camp this summer? Taking a summer vacation?

Our online library has a resource for you! Check out the recording of our webinar Preparing for Camp and Beyond! An occupational therapist, physical therapist, and two physicians shared strategies and tips for:
👕 what to pack
🧳 how to pack
🪥 hygiene skills
💊 medications
⛺️ shared living spaces,
👍 consent,
✋ asking for help
➕ and more!

The recording and slides are available for free at the link below.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/preparing-for-camp-webinar-8-29-2024/

Hi! One of our members, Suzie Burgin, is looking for one of these books. She loaned hers to someone years ago- if you h...
05/15/2026

Hi! One of our members, Suzie Burgin, is looking for one of these books. She loaned hers to someone years ago- if you have one or maybe even it’s her copy, please reach out to Suzie or Kim Woolridge. Appreciate it!

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Champaign, IL

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+12177786702

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