Aim High Club - Staff and volunteers needed

Down Syndrome WA is looking for staff and volunteers to help with the Aim High program in Subiaco.  Aim High is a social and skills development club for a group of young people with Down syndrome between the ages of 20 and 30 years. 

Aim High club takes place in Subiaco on Saturdays between 1pm and 4pm (with breaks coinciding with school holidays).  It is an opportunity for people to meet up with friends, hang out together and have fun.  During 2011, this often meant engaging in facilitated group discussions on topics club members were interested in and quite a bit of competition and showing off on the dance floor (very popular), manning the sound sytem and swapping CDs.  Other favourites were challenging someone to a board game or just finding a quiet spot to chat or read a magazine.  A few people always popped out to the shops to pick up some goodies to prepare for afternoon tea, which was sometimes eaten while relaxing in the nearby park if the weather was fine.  At other times everybody got out and about to explore what Subiaco has to offer, checking out the Library or the CD shop (both high on the prioity list), making a note of places they would like to go to another time, stopping for a milkshake, or at a cafe for a coffee, or at the pub for a beer.  Club members are now very comfortable getting around on foot in Subi and familiar with getting to Subi oval, the train station, Churros, Grill'd, the cinemas and other important landmarks! 

In 2012 we will be looking at spending less time 'at' club and doing more things 'in' the community, maybe sometimes further a field, and building on the great experiences people have had so far. 

Club will still be used as a base to meet up (at least for the time being), especially in the early part of the year.  Club members will need to get to know new staff and volunteers, and to do some overall forward planning, sorting out a schedule of what to do and where to go etc.  Sometimes too they may just want to 'chill' a bit at club while the next few activities are organised.   2012 promises to be a fun year and club members are looking forward to catching up with each other again.

We are looking for some fun-loving but responsible young people, in the same age-group as club members, who are good listeners, have good planning & organisational skills and some creative ideas, to consider joining the team and getting involved in Aim High.  

There are paid and unpaid positions available.  Some experience with people with disabilities is an advantage, but an open approach, a willingness to learn and an interest in supporting young people to do the things they want to do will be looked on favourably.  The key is that club members are supported and guided to drive the program themselves as much as possible.  We are looking for some people with initiative to take on more of a coordinating role and for others to assist them.

If you are interested or if you know of someone who is interested in getting involved, please don't hesitate to contact Down Syndrome WA to find out more.  Don't be put off because you may not always be available - there may be others too who can share the timetable with you.  We would like to hear from you as soon as possible as club members are hanging out for club to recommence.

Contact Cathy at DSWA on:  08 9368 4002  or  dsawa@upnaway.com      

'Things looking up for Down syndrome' on Channel 10's 'The Project'

Click on the link below to view the video from Channel 10's  'The Project' which went to air on Wednesday 23rd November:  'Things looking up for Down syndrome'

DSWA Calendar 2012 - now available

 $15.00

A beautiful contemporary calendar in black and white, commemorating 25 years of DSWA providing supports to families.  Superb photographs by award-winning photographer Bob Litchfield featuring DSWA family members.  A wonderful gift for family, friends, teachers. (245mm x 340mm)

CLICK HERE to see the rest of the DSWA Merchandise range. 

Special iApps has launched it's first app named Special Words on the App Store.

Special iApps is a non-profit social enterprise, dedicated to helping children learn. We develop apps for the Apple® iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®. All our apps are developed in close co-operation with education professionals, parents and children, and are designed to be suitable for typically developing children and those with learning difficulties or poor fine motor control.

Modern smartphones and touchpads have the potential to transform children's education, because almost all children are attracted to them, and their interface is inherently more usable than that of a traditional desktop computer. However, apps to teach children only succeed if they are designed with an understanding of how children learn.

We recognise that many children are easily distracted, and don't have the mental agility or manual dexterity of a typical adult. We carefully trial our apps with children of varying abilities, and incorporate feedback into our design and testing process.

We work closely with other organisations that support children with disabilities, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, and hearing impairment.

You can find links to Special iApps and other useful sites on the DSWA Links page.