Day with the Experts: Down Syndrome

Friends of the Waisman Center Auditorium
1500 Highland Avenue | Madison, WI

Learn about advances in research and clinical services and hear from a panel of experts—individuals with Down syndrome and family members.

Hosted in partnership with the Madison Area Down Syndrome Society
Sponsored by the Friends of the Waisman Center and the Evjue Foundation

To learn more about the series visit: Waisman Center Day with the Experts Outreach Page.
Note: All Day with the Experts presentations are recorded and archived.

For additional details call 608.263.5837 or email to palumbo@waisman.wisc.edu

FREE ADMISSION & PARKING • EVERYONE WELCOME • PLEASE PRE-REGISTER

Event Details

Schedule & Program

9:00–9:15 am	“Welcome and Introduction to the Waisman Center” William MacLean, PhD, Interim Director, Waisman Center
9:15–9:45 am	“Maximizing Gains Toward Communication Goals: Putting the ‘Fun’ in Functional Speech and Language Therapy for Individuals with Down Syndrome”
	Kayla Kristensen,MS, CCC-SLP Associate Clinical Speech-Language Pathologist, Waisman Center One exciting way to maximize the impact of speech and language therapy is to work as a team to connect evidence-based speech and language strategies to community practice opportunities. This presentation will highlight partnership opportunities between individuals with Down syndrome, families, team members, and speech-language pathologists.
9:45–10:15 am	“Alzheimer’s Disease: Aging and Down Syndrome”
	Sigan Hartley, PhD Associate Professor, Human Development & Family Studies and Waisman Investigator Down syndrome, estimated to occur in 1 in 691 live births, is a neurodevelopmental condition most commonly due to a third copy of chromosome 21. With advancements in health care over the past decades, a growing number of adults with Down syndrome are living into their 60s and beyond. Adults with Down syndrome evidence early aging, including high incidence and early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Virtually all adults with Down syndrome show evidence of the neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease in their 40s and about half of adults with Down syndrome exhibit dementia by their mid 60s. In contrast, only 5% of adults in the general population exhibit Alzheimer’s dementia before age 65 and only 33% of adults in the general population over the age of 85 exhibit dementia. In this presentation, we will discuss the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome, the course of the disease, and strategies for caregivers.
	Break
10:30–11:00 am	“Enhancing Mealtime Participation for your Child with Down Syndrome”
	Sharon Gartland, OTD, OTR/L Occupational Therapist, Waisman Center Clinics Mealtimes function as one of the cornerstones of family life. Eating together is when we connect and celebrate with each other as well as take in our daily nutrition. How can families best approach mealtimes when there are added challenges such as oral motor and fine motor difficulties, sensory sensitivities, behavioral stressors and multiple distractions? This presentation will provide an overview of barriers that often exist and suggestions to begin supporting more successful participation for everyone during mealtimes.
11:00–11:30 am	Question and answer session with a panel of clinicians
11:30 am– 12:15 pm	PANEL DISCUSSION A panel of experts that includes individuals with Down Syndrome and family members.