Early Steps of SWFL “Almond Eyes” “Almond Eyes” Springs at 407/939-1020. Remember to tell them that your are with the Family Café to get the special rate. Even if you apply for financial assistance, they still advise you to make a reservation as soon as possible. Completed forms can be sent to The Family Café by fax 850/224-4674, by mail to 1332 N Duval St. , Tallahassee, Fl 32303. Online Registration will offi- cially begin on February 14, 2011. At that time, you will be able to register on www.familycafe.net If you don’t qualify for financial assistance with Family Café , you can re-apply with us with the denial letter from the Family Café. For more infor- mation , contact FRS Eliana Tardio (239) 919-4295 or email [email protected]THE 13th ANNUAL FAMILY CAFÉ For those who are new at this Community, the Family Café began in 1998 as an attempt to meet an urgent need among person with disabilities and their families : the need for information . To meet that need, The Family Café created an annual Family Café event that would serve as a clearinghouse of information. The Annual Family Café would provide a unique environment, where families could connect with peers, commercial service providers, and public entities to find out what services were available to them, which best met their needs, and how to go about securing those services. The guiding principle of the Family Café has always been the belief that well informed people make the best decisions for themselves and their loved one. The Annual Family Café provides the opportunity to put that principle into action. The 13th Annual Family Café is scheduled for June 3-5, 2011 at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center. There’s a full slate of events and activities, with dozen of breakout sessions, a full Exhibit Hall and much more! Limited Financial Assistance is available for individuals with disabilities and their families, so make sure to note your request in the ap- propriate place on the registration form if you wish to apply. Rooms are available at the event hotel for the negotiated rate of $109 per night. You can contact the Coronado Special points of interest: 13TH FAMILY CAFÉ EVENT RESOURCES BABY SIGN REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES IN COLLIER AND LEE , is open! Why “Almond Eyes”? Sharing, educating and getting ready for the future! This is a place to share your story while educating others about the experience of being a parent of a child with Down syndrome. Your experience can make a big difference in someone else life! Inside this issue: Non-Assistive Technology 2 Baby Sign for you child 3 New Baby Sign Classes 3 SSI How to apply? 4 children with Down Syndrome. There are many ways to participate, You can send us pictures, stories, resources or information you would like to share with other parents in your area. We are also willing to create parent support groups in every Early Steps of SWFL is actually serving 45 children with Down syndrome under 3 years old in the four counties. This is how we decided to start this new and exciting project to provide specific resources and information for parents and families of county. It’s very important to grow together and become advocates for the ones who are just beginning this experience! Please contact me at anytime! I will be more than happy to help ! Feb/March/ April/May 2011 “Almond Eyes” A special publication for parents of children with Down syndrome.
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Transcript
Early Steps of SWFL “Almond Eyes”
“Almond Eyes”
Springs at 407/939-1020. Remember to tell them that your are with the
Family Café to get the special rate. Even if you apply for financial
assistance, they still advise you to make a reservation as soon as
possible.
Completed forms can be sent to The Family Café by fax 850/224-4674, by
mail to 1332 N Duval St. , Tallahassee, Fl 32303. Online Registration will offi-
cially begin on February 14, 2011. At that time, you will be able to register on
www.familycafe.net If you don’t qualify for financial
assistance with Family Café , you can re-apply with us with the denial letter from the Family Café. For more infor-
For those who are new at this Community, the Family Café began in 1998 as an attempt to meet an urgent need among person with disabilities
and their families : the need for information .
To meet that need, The Family Café created an annual Family Café event
that would serve as a clearinghouse of information. The Annual Family Café would provide a unique environment,
where families could connect with peers, commercial service providers,
and public entities to find out what services were available to them, which
best met their needs, and how to go about securing those services. The guiding principle of the Family Café has always been the belief that well
informed people make the best
decisions for themselves and their loved one. The Annual Family Café
provides the opportunity to put that principle into action.
The 13th Annual Family Café is scheduled for June 3-5, 2011 at the
Disney Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center. There’s a full slate of events and activities, with dozen of breakout sessions, a full Exhibit Hall
and much more!
Limited Financial Assistance is available for individuals with
disabilities and their families, so make sure to note your request in the ap-propriate place on the registration
form if you wish to apply.
Rooms are available at the event hotel for the negotiated rate of $109 per
night. You can contact the Coronado
Special points of interest:
13TH FAMILY CAFÉ EVENT
RESOURCES
BABY SIGN REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES IN COLLIER AND LEE , is open!
Why “Almond Eyes”?
Sharing, educating and getting ready for the future! This is a place to share your story while educating others about the experience of being a parent of a child with Down syndrome. Your experience can make a big difference in
someone else life!
Inside this issue:
Non-Assistive Technology 2
Baby Sign for you child 3
New Baby Sign Classes 3
SSI How to apply? 4
children with Down Syndrome. There are many ways to participate, You can send us pictures, stories,
resources or information you would like to share with other parents in your area. We are also willing to
create parent support groups in every
Early Steps of SWFL is actually serving 45 children with Down
syndrome under 3 years old in the four counties. This is how we decided to
start this new and exciting project to provide specific resources and
information for parents and families of
county. It’s very important to grow together and become advocates
for the ones who are just beginning this experience!
Please contact me at anytime! I will be more than happy to help !
Feb/March/ April/May 2011
“Almond Eyes” A special publication for parents of children
with Down syndrome.
Early Steps of SWFL “Almond Eyes”
Although they have some delays, children with Down syndrome have a
very natural development.
I can tell this from my personal experi-ence raising two of them, my son who’s
6 and my daughter who’s turning 4 years old by the end of February.
The two of them were Early Walkers,
Emir started walking by 18 months and Ayelen by 14 months. Emir had a really
low tone when he was born and was able to hold his head by 8 months, but, after that, his development popped-up and the sitting, crawling and walking
came right after.
Ayelen was always very close to the regular charts of development and her tone was good since the first day I saw her looking at me with those beautiful
almond eyes.
How they did it? We spent few money with great results in the followings helpers that are con-
sidered non-assistive technology or just regular helpers for regular children.
Take a look!
To Start : Create your tummy time space by using Kids Floors, they pro-
tect your child and are also easy to clean and transport. From the begin-
ning, give your child the opportunity to be at the floor by using his tummy to
control his head and have the opportu-nity to explore and improve his or her
muscle tone.
When they have acquired Head Control, and they can hold their head while you
are pulling them up by their arms, is time to try the BUMBO SEAT. Start slow
and increase the periods of time responding to your child’s reaction.
Once your child enjoys been sitting in his bumbo chair, is time to incorporate the trail and introduce him to seat play
and finger grasp feeding by using cheerios or small pieces of soft fruit.
How to help him develop his oral muscles?
By letting him play using safe and stimu-lating products like a Fruit Munchkin and doing gums and teeth massages by using a tooth finger brush for babies.
Talk to your physical therapist about the possibility of using Hip Holders to keep the legs or your child closed if he has tendency
to keep them open. It will help him get balance and use the proper muscles for his
development.
And a very new and interesting help MOONWALK, that help them find balance when they are ready to give their first steps.
All these products have an affordable price and are available online.
Talk to your team and start implementing them in the daily
routines of your child and family.
Non– Assistive Technology that help natural development!
Page 2
Early Steps of SWFL “Almond Eyes”
Registration for BABY SIGN classes are OPEN
BABY SIGN “A good resource for children with Down syndrome” www.babysigns.com
Page 3
Using Baby Signs provides many benefits for children and their parents. Using the Baby Signs Program… Reduces tears, tantrums
and frustration Makes Learning to talk
easier Boosts self-esteem and
self-confidence Stimulates intellectual
development Strengthens intellectual
development Strengthens the
parent-child bond
By the time babies are 9 to 10 months old, they are quite capa-ble of knowing what it is they need or want. What they don’t
know is how to tell us with words-which leads directly to frustration to baby and parent alike. All this changes when a baby is able to use signs. With signs like “eat”, “drink”, “hot”
and “cold”, literally at their fingertips, babies can make
their known quickly and quietly without becoming frustrated and resorting to tantrums and tears. That’s how using Baby Sign can change the daily life
of you and your child.
Baby Signs makes learning to talk easier! Some parents may worry that encouraging their
child to use sing language might slow down learning to
talk. Baby signs helps babies to learn to talk . Babies gain a lot of language knowledge when
they are able to actively engage in communication with
signs-knowledge that lays a good foundation for learning to talk. And, just as a child who
learns to crawls is more, rather than less, motivated to learn to walk, so also a child who learns
to sign is more, rather than less, motivated to learn to talk!
Early Steps of SWFL “Almond Eyes”
If your child has Down syndrome, he meets automatically the definition of disabled for the Social Security Office. It means
your child can probably qualify for SSI (Social Security Income) , that are monthly payment to children younger than age 18, if his or her income resources fall within the eligibility limits. In Florida, Medicaid comes automatically with eligibility. Receiving at leas $1 of SSI is important in Florida, since receipt of any amount benefits triggers full eligibility for Florida Medi-
caid pursuant to Florida Statute, Section 409.903(2) and Section 1634 of the Federal Social Security Act.
Down Syndrome is one the medical conditions for which SSI start making payments right away and up for six months while the State agency decides if the child is disabled, so you don’t need to wait the three to five months that it usually takes for
them to determine the disability of the child.
If your income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private health insurance, call 1-877-543-7669 or visit:
www.insurekidsnow.gov
SSI (Social Security Income) How to apply, when to apply?
8961 Daniels Center Dr. Suite 401 Fort Myers, Fl 33912