Participated in the international Down Syndrome day (2023) program also supported by Mount Everest Rotary club, Lalitpur.
Join the common cause for all to create a single global voice for people with Down syndrome on 21 March every year!
World Down Syndrome Day is observed on 21 March each year in order to raise public awareness of Down syndrome. The day has been celebrated since 2012 with the recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly.
Nepal lacks access to the special health care, education, or security that DS people require. With proper education and care, many people with Down syndrome could fend for themselves to a certain degree, but lack of care and education has forced them to be entirely dependent on family members. Family members also require counselling and guidance to help those with Down syndrome. But only few families have access to such counselling services. There is a need of generating more professional psychological therapy or counselling services and professional health service providors.
Visual supports, such as photos, drawings, objects, gestures, and print and environmental cues, can help. They are sometimes paired with verbal explanations. They help children know what to do, learn new skills, and feel included. Visual strategies are considerate of diverse learners. Gestures and signs are more momentary than objects and pictures, but they are essential in supporting your child’s language development.
Children can also learn about speech sounds using ‘visual supports’. Some children with Down’s syndrome can recognise written words from an early age, and will begin to learn to read. When you use photographs, pictures, line drawings or symbols, you can write or type/print the written word underneath.
Lot of guidance is available in YouTube channels and caregivers of persons with Down syndrome (DS) should be clever enough to take help from such technical guidance. They should share their experience of seeking educational, social, and health care services for the persons with DS. Improving the availability of specialized services, the delivery of guidance and counselling, and social integration may help overcome challenges of raising a person with Down Syndrome.
The intellectual capability of these people can be developed under well informed and trained caregiver groups. If given proper care and opportunities they can excel as any other person. People, directly or indirectly involved in Down Syndrome, parents, and youths should be more sensitive towards caregivers and the DS community.
Government should prioritize education for special needs. People With disabilities should take advantage of essential Digital Tools for empowering them. They should get integrated with professional ICT experts for empowering themselves through technology. The people with Down Syndrome should be given job opportunities. The Constitution of Nepal should provide space for empowering such communities supported by adequate budget allocation.
