Down Syndrome Connections Nevada

08/25/2026

Join Cortnee's team by donating to 3-2-1- Bowl for Down Syndrome Connections!

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/team/cortnees-bumper-brigade

08/24/2026

08/24/2026

8/24 CURRENT FUNDRAISING LEADER: Sterling's Strikers

Do you know someone at your work who loves to bowl?

Consider inviting your company to sponsor a team for 3-2-1 Bowl on Sunday, Nov. 8 to benefit Down Syndrome Connections.

If you'd rather create a team yourself, DSCNV is also accepting family teams with up to 5 bowlers ($321 minimum in donations collected to secure a lane - all donations to a team go towards the minimum and most teams are getting there in less than a week.) You can register at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/peer-to-peer/3-2-1-bowl-for-dsc

To invite your company to participate, simply copy and paste the information below. Make sure you include a cute photo of your person with Down syndrome in the email!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
3-2-1 Bowl on Sunday, Nov. 8 to benefit Down Syndrome Connections is a fun opportunity to bowl at Santa Fe Lanes and compete for 2026 Corporate Champion. The event starts at 1 pm.

Teams of up to 5 bowlers will compete!

Two ways to participate:
- Corporate teams can be sponsored for $500 or more (some higher levels have multiple teams included in the donation). To sponsor a corporate team go to
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/321-bowl-for-dsc

- You can also create a corporate team and collect donations to reach the $500 needed to secure a lane. (So, you donate some amount as a company, and raise the rest to secure a lane from smaller donations.) You can do that here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/peer-to-peer/3-2-1-bowl-for-dsc

Either way, Down Syndrome Connections can help edit the team page how you would like it to look, add your logo or whatever - you don't have to do it yourself. Simply send them an email at [email protected].

There will be a prize for the team that raises the most money, highest team score, highest individual score and some prizes for fun categories like most gutter balls.

Each team will bowl two games, the registration includes shoes and prize drawing ticket and tshirt for each bowler. There are some great door prizes like a SouthPoint staycay, dinner at the Silverton and Chicken and Pickle Gift Certificate. It should be a fun day :)

Down Syndrome Connections Nevada's mission is: Nurturing people with Down syndrome, and their families, through community and connections.

Thanks for considering this!

08/14/2026

📣🎉Whoo hoo!!!! Down Syndrome Connections Nevada has been awarded a Global Down Syndrome Foundation grant for Connect26, the 5th Annual Las Vegas Down Syndrome Conference scheduled on October 3 at Faith Lutheran Middle & High School.

We're so grateful for winning this competitive grant in acknowledgement of our commitment to provide families with amazing annual programming.

Registration for this one day, NDSC-style conference is now open at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-las-vegas-ds-conference

Connect26 keynote speaker is Professor Sean Smith, a national expert on teaching people how to use AI to help learns with Down syndrome of all ages. He will also present an IEP-focused session. Many more speakers and topics to be announced!

General conference runs concurrently with a full day of teen/adult programming.

08/10/2026

💙💛 Drop your first day pics below!

08/08/2026

Come join Down Syndrome Connections and GiGi's Playhouse on Wednesday August 19, at 10 am, for our quarterly new families meetup. Bring your kiddos! We will be at GiGi's Playhouse for this session. This is for families who have children with Down syndrome who are 3 or under.

The speaker will go over the basics of ABLE Accounts, a tool families can use to meet the financial needs of their person with Down syndrome - without endangering supplemental government benefits they might qualify for now, or in the future.

🗓 Next meetup is scheduled for 9:30 am on Sunday November 15, and we will cover speech and feeding issues with Maria Brandon from The Speech House.

You can easily sign up to get notified of these events via text and/or email at https://forms.gle/updcb9gWuYcN4tJJ9

https://downsyndromeconnections.org/events/meetup-for-new-families-ages-0-3

Time: 8/19/2026, 10:00 AM (2 hours) Playhouse: Las Vegas Ages: All Ages Description: Join GiGi's LV and DSCNV for a New Baby Meet up! Topic: ABLE NV Accounts with guest speaker Monico What to expect: Community Connections ABLE NV Presentation Q & A Session Refreshments

08/06/2026

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT Check out what's new at the 5th Annual Las Vegas Down Syndrome Conference, Connect26!

This year's keynote speaker is Education Professor Sean Smith, Ph.D., from the University of Kansas. He is fresh from his "deep dive" session at the NDSC Conference in Orlando last month.

If you're not familiar with Sean, he is the premier expert on using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help learners with Down syndrome of any age. He will give two sessions at the conference:
using AI to write IEP goals that are customized to the individual learner,
and the keynote, which will focus on simple tools and strategies to support learning and independence across all ages and stages.
(Note: Education professionals are welcome to attend this conference - share with your teacher friends!)

Details:
📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
🕗 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
📍 Faith Lutheran Middle & High School Campus
2015 S Hualapai Way, Las Vegas, NV 89117
🎫 Get tickets at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-las-vegas-ds-conference

Who should attend?
👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 Teens and adults with Down syndrome
👩‍👩‍👧 Parents/Caregivers whose person with Down syndrome is any age
👨‍⚕️ Medical and therapy providers and 🍎education professionals

What else will be covered: Topics, information and tools to meet the needs of individuals with Down syndrome whether they are children, teens or adults including: sleep apnea research, healthy adult routines, financial dos and don'ts for the new parent, navigating government benefits in adulthood, becoming an effective advocate for people with Down syndrome in Nevada, and much more.

Teens/adults conference will have a full day of fully supported, hands-on sessions to promote independence and healthy lifestyle. The conference committee includes two adults with Down syndrome, who are making sure everyone will have fun and get to know some new friends at the conference.

We're very excited about the using the auditorium for our main speakers: The conference will again be at Faith Lutheran Middle and High School campus in Summerlin, but we've added an acoustically amazing venue so you can follow the speakers more easily. General conference will again have three sessions to choose from in each of four time slots.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is Connect26? It's a conference focused on Down syndrome, providing people in the Down syndrome community news about ongoing research, new research findings, treatments, services and social activities aimed at elevating your skills as a parent, caregiver, adult sibling or provider of services to children and adults with Down syndrome. We bring in national speakers and local experts.

Can people with Down syndrome attend? Teens and adults with Down syndrome can register at a reduced rate, and can attend either the programming specifically developed for people with Down syndrome or any general track session they have an interest in. Plenty of fun volunteers are on hand to assist where needed.

Is there certification available for teachers and other providers? Yes, we can provide a certificate of attendance upon request.

Is Connect26 just for Nevadans?
Nope! While some of the speakers will share information specific to Nevada, most content is relevant to anyone in the US.

Is there childcare available? No, but you are welcome to bring your child with the understanding that you may be asked to step out of a session to allow the others attending to hear. Lunch is not provided for unregistered attendees.

Are there hotels near the venue? Yes, there are several hotel options within 2 miles of the venue in various price points. Be aware that October is a busy month in Las Vegas, so if you need to book airfare or accommodations please do so before purchasing your nonrefundable conference ticket.

This event promises to be an uplifting conference, filled with inspiring speakers, special guests and a way to be more connected to each other. More importantly it will give you tools for shaping the future together.

We look forward to seeing you at Connect26 on Oct 3, 2026 and sharing the day together.

Announcing the 5th Annual Las Vegas Down Syndrome ConferenceCONNECT26Presented by Down Syndrome Connections Nevada 📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026 🕗 8:00 am -…

08/04/2026

Connect26, the Annual Las Vegas Down Syndrome Conference is a bite-sized, affordable way to learn from Down syndrome experts!

🗓️ Connect26 on October 3, 2026
🕣 8 am - 4 pm
📍 Faith Lutheran Middle/High School
🎟️ $75 general conference
🎟️ $50 teen/adult conference

More info and register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-las-vegas-ds-conference

⭐ Big speaker announcements coming soon ⭐

Look at this long list of our past speakers who presented at the NSSC convention in Orlando last month:

Natalie Hale (pictured below), Sarah Mann, Jennie Dopp, Lena Patel, Brian Chicoine, Dennis McGuire, Brian Skotko, Bryn Gelaro, Lake Murray.