1979 - Reading research

In 1979, the father of Sarah Duffen, a child with Down syndrome, wrote to Sue Buckley at the University of Portsmouth about his success in teaching his daughter to read from the age of 3 years and the positive impact this had had on her spoken language skills.

Leslie Duffen’s letter led Sue Buckley, a psychologist researching early intervention and also the parent of an adopted daughter with Down syndrome, to initiate a research project to investigate reading development in children with Down syndrome. This project marked the starting point for a continuous, and ongoing, programme of research into the learning needs of these children.

This early research demonstrated that most children with Down syndrome can learn to read and that they should start in their pre-school years. In the early 1980s these were radical suggestions. Subsequent research by the Trust proved that early reading leads to permanent improvements of speech, language and short-term memory abilities, and that inclusive education results in better outcomes for children with Down syndrome.

1987 - Support and advice

The parents brought together by this first research project formed a support group. This support group later founded a charity (The Portsmouth Down’s Syndrome Trust) in July 1987 to develop research and support activities. This marked the beginning of the Trust’s direct support services to parents and schools, and its individual consultancy services.

1992 - Expansion

In 1992, the Trust moved into its current base - The Sarah Duffen Centre in Southsea, Hampshire, UK. The building was named after Sarah Duffen to mark the contribution Sarah and her father had made to inspiring the early work of the Trust.

1997 - Global reach

In 1996, the Trustees of The Portsmouth Down’s Syndrome Trust established a new charitable company limited by guarantee to reflect the organisation’s increasingly wide geographic reach and to highlight its educational focus. In 1997, The Down Syndrome Educational Trust received charitable status and the Portsmouth Down’s Syndrome Trust was wound up at the end of the same year. The objects of this new charity were to promote research, disseminate information, provide advice and organise educational activities.

Since 1997, the activities of The Down Syndrome Educational Trust group have steadily expanded in scale, scope and impact. Members of the Trust’s staff team receive regular requests to present lectures and workshops in the UK and around the world. Parents, teachers and other professionals from around the UK and overseas visit the Trust’s base at The Sarah Duffen Centre for workshops, conferences and consultations.

2000 - Comprehensive information resources

To improve the availability and reach of up-to-date, evidence-based information and advice, the Trust initiated a range of publishing initiatives in 2000, including the comprehensive Down Syndrome Issues and Information series. This dissemination focus remained central to the Trust's work for several years.

The Trust’s printed publications are now distributed to individuals and organisations from across the world, and each day the Trust’s web sites provide information to thousands of global visitors.

2007 - Expanded research programme

In 2007, the Trust launched a new and reinvigorated programme of research to further improve development and education for people with Down syndrome. This expanded programme of research will complement continued and extensive publishing and training activities.

Read more about our strategy from 2007...