Education

Few people would disagree with the premise that education is a right for every child and that quality education influences all aspects of children's development.

Children with Down syndrome only achieved a right to any education in the 1970s in developed countries and they were then offered special education in disability settings. In the 1980s and 1990s, some countries began to develop inclusive education opportunities, enabling the child with Down syndrome to be a full member of an age-appropriate class and to learn with brothers, sisters and others in their neighbourhood.

The benefits of inclusive education are not accepted without debate in even the most developed countries and even when they are, there is still a need to develop the most effective inclusive practices.

Research

The charity pioneered the development of inclusive education for children with Down syndrome from 1988 and has worked continuously to support children through an outreach service in the local school districts since that time.

Benefits of inclusion

The charity collected research data in 1999-2000 which demonstrates that teenagers with Down syndrome educated from preschool years in inclusive classrooms show large gains in speech, language and literacy achievements when compared with teenagers of similar ability educated in special education classrooms^[1,2]. The teenagers in inclusive classrooms had been supported by psychologists from the charity and teaching and learning strategies had been adapted to take account of their specific cognitive and learning profile.

Changing the cognitive profile

The outcome data not only demonstrates the benefits of learning in an inclusive environment, it also shows that it is possible to remove the expected gap between the speech, language and literacy skills (usually a weakness) and the social and practical skills of the teenagers (usually a strength)^[3].

Future plans

The charity plans to conduct a larger, cross sectional study in order to see if the benefits for speech, language and literacy for teenagers are replicated in inclusive education provision in other parts of the UK. In addition this study will include primary school age children and will indicate at what age the benefits emerge. This may have significance for designing the most effective inclusive educational approaches for each age group.

Impact

The charity's inclusion work since 1988 has had a significant impact on education practice in the UK and across the world. The charity receives more requests to provide presentations and training on inclusive education for children with Down syndrome than on any other topic. The evidence of the benefits of inclusive education has increased pressure on school systems to develop effective inclusive provision. The charity's experience  in providing and supporting inclusive education for some 20 years makes their expertise second to none.

Education

The charity has published 6 books on educational topics for teachers and parents. It has recently published a DVD which illustrates the keys to successful inclusion in practice through the experience of parents and educators  involved in the education of 5 children with Down syndrome in primary education.  On education issues and practice, the charity staff have published 2 book chapters, 2 papers in refereed journals, 12 articles in other publications and presented 18 keynotes and papers at peer-reviewed conferences

References

1. Buckley, S.J., Bird, G., Sacks, B. & Archer, T (2006). A comparison of mainstream and special school education for teenagers with Down syndrome: Implications for parents and teachers. Down Syndrome Research and Practice 9 (3), 54-67. [Open Access Full Text ]
2. Buckley, S., Bird, G., Sacks, B., & Archer, T. (2002). The achievements of teenagers with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome News and Update, 2(3), 90-96.
3. Buckley, S., Bird, G. & Sacks, B. (2006) Evidence that we can change the profile from a study of inclusive education. Down Syndrome Research and Practice 9 (3) 51-53. [Open Access Full Text ]

A full list of publications related to work in this area is also available.