061 334023 | info@downsyndromelimerick.ie
Our school supports are varied and available across all school age groups.
At Down Syndrome Limerick we offer pre-school groups to work on language skills, while also developing the independent skills needed to help children to integrate in to the pre-school environment.
This can include Occupational Therapy sessions to work on tying shoe laces or putting on a coat or opening a lunch box.
We run a school readiness programme each year which is led by our Speech and Language Therapists. It provides children with Down syndrome with the necessary skills to allow them to successfully transition from pre-school to primary school. It ranges from care skills, to sitting, listening, taking turns and lining up for various tasks. It is hugely beneficial to children. The programme is complimented by a parent session also that provides information on the resources available to children to support their learning.
A parent information session is run each year by a parent peer group to discuss the challenges that face children with Down syndrome when transitioning to secondary school. It provides information on mainstream and special schools as well as providing information on the resources that are available to support the educational journey of the child through secondary school.
For all school age children, we offer Speech and Language and Occupational Therapy support in schools. Our therapists have visited the child’s school to discuss useful strategies with teachers and SNAs to ensure the child is supported as much as possible within the school setting. Speech and Language Therapy sessions can also be delivered online for the child via the school.
In addition to the above we offer a drop-in clinic each month for teachers and SNAs to answer any queries or concerns that they might have and to teach further speech and language strategies or Lámh signs.
We also deliver training to teachers and SNAs on Lámh, Numicon and the See and Learn programme which are designed to aid the literacy, numeracy and communication skills of the child.