Down Syndrome Network of Arizona

Down Syndrome Network of Arizona DSNetwork offers an array of programs, events, and resources to serve all age groups of the Down syndrome community.

06/20/2026
Students with disabilities are students first, not patients.
06/17/2026

Students with disabilities are students first, not patients.

Today, the Administration announced plans to move the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice (DOJ). These proposals turn back the clock on decades of progress for students and adults with disabilities.

Moving OSERS to HHS would undermine decades of progress by treating disability primarily as a healthcare issue. Moving OCR to the Department of Justice could distance civil rights enforcement from the education system it is designed to oversee.

NDSC is calling on Congress to stop this move, conduct immediate public hearings, and protect the rights of the 8.6 million students with disabilities served under IDEA and millions of youth and adults with disabilities rely on vocational rehabilitation services.

An NDSC Action Alert is forthcoming. Read NDSC’s full press release here: https://bit.ly/4a0jXki

Many individuals with Down syndrome have lower muscle tone, which can make certain movements or activities a bit more ch...
06/15/2026

Many individuals with Down syndrome have lower muscle tone, which can make certain movements or activities a bit more challenging. It can affect balance, coordination, and posture — but it doesn’t limit potential.

With patience, repetition, and encouragement - strength grows, skills improve, confidence builds.

And understanding this helps us create fitness spaces where everyone can thrive.

If you’d like to be part of our fitness challenge for the 321 Knockout in August, you can sign up here: https://dsnetworkaz.org/events/321-knockout/
All abilities welcome.

To all the families who participated in the Arizona Educational Foundation and DSNetwork Literacy Survey - we thank you!...
06/13/2026

To all the families who participated in the Arizona Educational Foundation and DSNetwork Literacy Survey - we thank you! Your input will directly shape the materials and resources AEF creates.

And congratulations to Eric and Sandy - our winners for the Phoenix Mercury tickets!

06/13/2026

🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️ We strongly encourage adolescents and adults with Down syndrome who come to our clinic to exercise and be active. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise per week. One way to define moderate and vigorous intensities is as percentages of a person's maximum heart rate.

Many people with Down syndrome have lower resting and maximum heart rates, which means they also have lower target heart rates for moderate and vigorous intensity exercise. This is important to consider when supporting people with Down syndrome in setting feasible and beneficial exercise goals.

Brian Chicoine, MD, shares additional information in the article linked below.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/heart-rates-and-exercise/

06/13/2026

FREE Webinar 👉 Puberty in Down Syndrome

Puberty is a normal part of growth and maturation that comes with its own challenges. People with Down syndrome experience many of the same challenges as individuals without Down syndrome but may require additional supports to understand and accept the changes that puberty brings.

In this webinar, Hannah Graham, MD, and Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, will describe how puberty in people with Down syndrome is similar and different to puberty in people without Down syndrome and share resources to support individuals with Down syndrome during this time of transition.

Date: Tuesday, June 30
Time: 11:30 a.m. CDT
Location: Zoom

Learn more and register ➡ https://adultdownsyndrome.org/events/puberty-in-down-syndrome-webinar

Can't attend live? Register to receive a link to the recording!

Address

1445 E Guadalupe Road, STE 103
Tempe, AZ
85283

Telephone

+14807599150

Website

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