My Early Childhood System

Scenario

I am an African American mother of one with a child with Down syndrome who currently live her mother and is entering into my senior year of college. I live in a community where every knows everyone.  I receive food stamps and TANF for my child. I have trying to get the father of the child to be a part of his life since he was born. The father of my child did not want to be a part of his life once he found out that the child had a disability. I have been researching Down Syndrome and want to find out as much as possible about the disease as I can so that I am knowledge about my child and how to help my child. My Aunt has been asking me to move to her hometown where there is a lot support for children like my child.

I decided to move about a month ago to Tennessee, I had no idea how much support and encouragement we would receive from family, friends, and the larger community of other parents with kids with Down syndrome, as well as from dedicated and caring therapists, teachers, and medical professionals.

What is Your Ideal Family Support System?

Health

My support system consists of many doctors, therapist, clinics and outreach services that provides comprehensive care for children with Down Syndrome. My Health services includes my child having doctors who really is compassion, knowledgeable about to provide the best quality of care for my child. My support system would help me to understand that reach from the National Down Syndrome Society provides checklists for doctors' visits and other resources for medical intervention and support. But learning the facts about Down syndrome also involves understanding the social and emotional reality that most people with Down syndrome enjoy their lives, and that most families raising children with Down syndrome report positive benefits from their child's. I would have Health services that would connect me to other parents who have children with the needs as my children where we can connect and learn together. My child would be providing with speech and language service, physical therapist, and occupational therapy.

Early Learning and Development

My support system helps me as early as possible with early intervention, education, and support services through a program that is called First Steps.  My program will help me with encourage and support to me that will enable her to learn with her peers. My program will help me child with feeding and dressing themselves, and teach her skills for playing and interacting with other children by providing her with a therapist.

Family Leadership and Support

My Child will enroll in the local Head Start program who assist me in finding resources for my child. My Head Start will assist me in becoming an advocate for my child. I am assigned a Family Advocate who assist me understand my role as and parent in the program. Other program and organization in the community are Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennesse.