We welcome back Leela Baksi from Symbol. This time to talk about secondary school choices. A conversation everyone needs to listen to when faced with that tough secondary school decision. This chat gives food for thought, insight, inspiration and hope. We all know how tough the battles in school can be to get young people the support they need, its soul destroying. Sometimes its easy to lose sight of what we are fighting for, and what we want the outcome to be. Leela gives a fresh perspective through both her professional lens and as a mother to a child with Down Syndrome ..read more

In this episode Una Monaghan, Clinical Director of special care – dental service, at Hertfordshire community trust. We talk about the Special dental care service available to those who have additional/complex needs. What the service offers, why its so important and how its different to community high street dentists. Gum and mouth care is so important, taking a proactive approach rather than reactive is where you want to be, prevention is better than cure. Una tells us how they understand the worries of parents and anxieties around visiting the dentist and what’s on offer to support and make t ..read more

Do you find it hard or feel guilty to admit it can be hard to be the parent of a child with additional needs sometimes?  Do you find comfort in hearing other parents open and honest accounts of their experiences? We speak with Sarah Roberts - mum of 3, author, public speaker, counsellor in training and award winning writer of the blog "Don't Be Sorry."  Having found out postnatally that her eldest son Oscar had Down Syndrome, she wanted to raise awareness about the condition but also give a very real and raw insight into both the challenges he faces, mixed with the beautiful life he ..read more

Kicking off series 2 with a bang! It was an absolute pleasure to start the series with this absolute legend! George is 22 years old, and already has so many strings to his bow!! He’s an actor, presenter, dancer….and now an author! Its George’s passion to show the world that people with disabilities can dream big and be employed, and give back to society. If you want to be inspired, and have a spring in your step for the rest of the day….get listening ..read more

Episode 8: The importance of lifestyle, gut health, supplements and more! Is there a way to suppress the 3rd copy of chromosome 21 in people with Down syndrome? Do you give your young person who has Down syndrome any supplements, or wonder what you could do to further support their health and development? Have you ever looked into gut health and supporting your child's genetic make up? Are we too quick to put any challenges our young people have to them 'just having down syndrome" and should we look more into the root causes? Gabi Giacomin, founder and director of  The Conscious Pod talks ..read more

A lady who needs little introduction, but for those who may not know, Sue Buckley OBE is a global leading expert in education & development for young people with Down Syndrome.  She began research in 1980 and founded Down Syndrome Education International in 1986.  Her research and contributions to the lives of young people with Down Syndrome has been globally recognised through multiple awards and accolades. An eye opening conversation with Sue, we not only hear the heartwarming story about her own journey as a mother to her daughter with Down Syndrome, but her thoughts on s ..read more

A candid conversation Have you ever wondered how and why the charity Wouldn't Change a Thing came about?   Do you have any opinions on the chosen name of the charity?  Would you take Down Syndrome away from your child if you had the choice?   Are you clear on what the charity seeks to do and where they see their place amongst the number of organisations that exist?   Are you interested in getting involved in the charity and being part of more awareness campaigns? We speak with the chairman of the charity; Jamie McCallum to shed light on all of this and a ..read more

Find out exactly how your speech therapists should be supporting your child in early years, how to get the right support, and what to do to find a way forward for your child if things aren’t going the way you had hoped. Speech and language therapy is about so much more than just verbal speech.  Your therapist should not only be able to support you in sound production, but in vocabulary development, reading, signing, feeding, social interactions, behaviour management…….the list goes on!! Our hosts Nisha & Hamel speak to the lovely Leela Baksi from Symbol and talk all things SALT (speec ..read more

Does your child with Down Syndrome watch their ipad far to close?  Do they go right up to the TV screen to watch their favourite show? Want to know why? This episode reveals all! In our latest podcast we spoke with the wonder Maggie Woodhouse.  Maggie is a specialist Optometrist and Senior lecturer at Cardiff university. Excuse the pun – but what an eye opener this chat was!  It’s astonishing how underplayed the importance of eye checks are for our little ones from as little as 18 months old, and how much we can be doing to support.   Maggie explains to us how you can ..read more

Episode 4: How far would you go to change the world for your child? Would you take the government to court if you felt so passionately their laws were unfair? If I told you the general time limit to have an abortion is 24 weeks across the UK yet you could terminate a foetus with Down Syndrome right up until the moment that baby enters the birth canal - what would you think? Is it morally wrong?  Ethically wrong?  Should it be LEGALLY wrong? We speak to Maire Lea Wilson who brought a case against the UK government to reduce the legal limit to terminate an unborn baby with DS to 2 ..read more