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Skills

For the December issue of Voice we are sharing success stories of people with Down syndrome who have mastered a skill.

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Featured stories from the current issue

  • Alex’s journey to Black Belt thumbnail.
    Alex’s journey to Black Belt

    Nearly five years ago my husband John and I were looking for an extracurricular activity to enrol our three children into.

  • Film making master chefs thumbnail.
    Film making master chefs

    Friends Joshua Pleydell-Bouverie and Maddie Gothard Fox have lived together for four years in Western Australia, and love learning new skills. Through arts organisation DADAA they have recently started creating a series of videos about cooking. The future master chefs…

  • Let’s go ride a bike thumbnail.
    Let’s go ride a bike

    Most parents would do anything to avoid scraped knees, tears and tantrums. But when your child is learning to ride a bike for the first time, any combination of those three might be hard to avoid.

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If you have tested positive for COVID-19 you have to: ➡ Isolate immediately ➡ Let close contacts know ➡ Look after yourself ➡ Monitor your symptoms ➡ Use a symptom checker ➡ Test before leaving home. After self-isolating for 7 days if you no longer have symptoms, you do not need to have a negative test to exit isolation. If you develop severe symptoms call Triple Zero (000) and tell the ambulance staff that you have been diagnosed with COVID-19. More information here https://bit.ly/3A7G1Gx

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 you have to:➡ Isolate immediately➡ Let close contacts know➡ Look after yourself➡ Monitor your symptoms➡ Use a symptom checker➡ Test before leaving home. After self-isolating for 7 days if you no longer have symptoms, you do not need to have a negative test to exit isolation. If you develop severe symptoms call Triple Zero (000) and tell the ambulance staff that you have been diagnosed with COVID-19. More information here ... See MoreSee Less

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The disability sector is highly concerned that disability support workers and other supporters of people with disability, who are close contacts of people who have been COVID-positive, will not have to isolate for the period required of Australias general population. This change means that people with an active case of COVID will be around people with disability and could pass it on. This is unacceptable. People with disability are at much greater risk than the general population from the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular older people with disability, First Peoples with disability, people with intellectual disability, people with psychosocial disability and those with chronic health conditions, co-morbidities, dependence on ventilators and compromised immunity. Australia’s peak disability representative organisations have written to National Cabinet to detail the unacceptable risks to the lives and health of people with disability caused by the response of Australia’s federal, state and territory governments to the Omicron and Delta variants of COVID-19. The organisations call for three key policy responses from Australia’s federal, state and territory governments to protect the lives and health of people with disability: ➡Ensure continuity of support by disability support workers by requiring NDIS disability support service providers to develop and maintain COVID-19 emergency care plans that respond to the issue of staff shortages. ➡Provide free and accessible access to personal protective equipment (PPE), especially N95 or P2 face masks, oximeters, as well as rapid antigen tests (RATs) on an ongoing basis for people with disability as well as their support workers and carers. ➡Ensure priority access and processing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for people with disability as well as their support workers and carers. Read the full statement here: https://pwd.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Disability-Sector-Omicron-Statement.pdf

The disability sector is highly concerned that disability support workers and other supporters of people with disability, who are close contacts of people who have been COVID-positive, will not have to isolate for the period required of Australia's general population.This change means that people with an active case of COVID will be around people with disability and could pass it on. This is unacceptable.People with disability are at much greater risk than the general population from the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular older people with disability, First Peoples with disability, people with intellectual disability, people with psychosocial disability and those with chronic health conditions, co-morbidities, dependence on ventilators and compromised immunity.Australia’s peak disability representative organisations have written to National Cabinet to detail the unacceptable risks to the lives and health of people with disability caused by the response of Australia’s federal, state and territory governments to the Omicron and Delta variants of COVID-19.The organisations call for three key policy responses from Australia’s federal, state and territory governments to protect the lives and health of people with disability:➡Ensure continuity of support by disability support workers by requiring NDIS disability support service providers to develop and maintain COVID-19 emergency care plans that respond to the issue of staff shortages.➡Provide free and accessible access to personal protective equipment (PPE), especially N95 or P2 face masks, oximeters, as well as rapid antigen tests (RATs) on an ongoing basis for people with disability as well as their support workers and carers.➡Ensure priority access and processing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for people with disability as well as their support workers and carers.Read the full statement here: https://pwd.org.au/wp-content/uploads/… ... See MoreSee Less

10 hours ago
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My daughter was due back at her day program on the 10th January. She remains home with me. I'm just not willing to risk it. We have been so careful, she has had her 3 jabs. Trouble is I don't know where or who the Support Workers have been with. I know 3 young adults with DS who caught covid from their Support workers over Christmas.

As some states and territories are starting off the school year at home again, here are ten top tips for teaching your child with Down syndrome at home from Associate Professor Rhonda Faragher: https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ten_top_tips_teaching_at_home_PDF.pdf

As some states and territories are starting off the school year at home again, here are ten top tips for teaching your child with Down syndrome at home from Associate Professor Rhonda Faragher:https://downsyndrome.org.au/wp-content/uploads/… ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago
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Are there any ideas/ coping mechanisms to help older people who are not attending their programs? I have my daughter at home until things settle, but she is struggling.

Love this photo. Great memories.

Google search kids education phone apps i just did lots of fun apps for kids

Gayle Ashdowne !