Overview

This e-learning course entitled Supporting People with Down Syndrome is broken down into four easy-to-follow units - an introduction and three study units. It explores what Down Syndrome means to the people who have the condition and includes a series of interviews with Marianne and Lois, who explain how it feels and the impact it has on their lives.

Gaining a better understanding of the condition will help learners to provide people with the help and support they need.

The course is broken down in to 3 bite-sized units with the following titles:

• Understanding Down Syndrome and Offering Support
• Assessing and Improving Support
• Communication and Making Choices

Objectives

On completion of this course learners will be able to:

• List the main things that people with Down Syndrome want and need from their support networks
• Identify the skills required to support someone with Down Syndrome effectively
• Describe the impacts of Down Syndrome and the difficulties that can arise
• Recognise when someone is a victim of hate crime and take appropriate steps to prevent it
• Explain how support workers can make things easier for people with Down Syndrome
• Differentiate between fact and fiction in relation to some preconceived ideas about people with Down Syndrome
• Describe what a person-centred approach to support is
• Explain what 'circles of support' are and how they can be used to assess a person's needs
• List the purpose of time banks and identify how they can be beneficial to many people with Down Syndrome
• Describe how best to help people with Down Syndrome to communicate effectively and make important decisions
• Explain how person-centred planning can benefit people they support
• Identify the purpose of health action plans
• Suggest ways of helping people to integrate and succeed in finding work.