Inclusion of children with Down Syndrome in mainstream primary schools in...
The aim of this research study, carried out in academic year 2017/18, was to explore parents’ experiences of the inclusion of their children with DS in mainstream Irish primary schools. A questionnaire was completed by 99 respondents from an online forum explicitly for parents of children with DS, and nine parents living in counties Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Cork participated in one-to-one interviews. The four areas of inclusion, communication, support, and parental involvement were researched and the findings from each are explored below.
Adopting a Strengths-Based Approach to Autism
In 1979 Urie Bronfenbrenner, a Russian developmental psychologist, first introduced his Ecological Theory of Child Development. This theory was heavily influenced by his own life story. His father, a neuropathologist, had moved to New York in 1923 to take up a post in a state-of-the-art hospital for individuals with an intellectual disability.
Employment – Julien’s Story
Our son Julien works in a municipal crèche, he is employed by the town hall and has a permanent job.
He works 16 hours a week - four hours a day, four days a week.
He started working in 2010 on a contractual basis, first doing work placements then six-month contracts and finally he became a permanent member of staff in 2016 with an official work contact.
News
Dublin Bus Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
17th MAY 2018
Customer Safety is the First Stop for Ireland’s Largest Public Transport Provider
With almost 140 million customers carried last year, it’s no wonder...
Christmas Special Edition 2017
Frontline's special 'best of the year' edition is here!
Fully printable.
For those that still enjoy a hard copy-Please pass it on.
http://frontline-ireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/frontline-2017-Christmas.pdf
Have a lovely Christmas everyone.
Ag Eisteacht launches ABLE programme to support frontline workers
Ag Eisteacht, a Cork-based charity, has launched ABLE, a nationwide, relational-based training programme to support frontline practitioners working in services such as the health,...
Postgraduate Courses in Disability Healthcare
DCU - MSc in Intellectual Disability Nursing Practice
In Dublin City University (DCU)’s School of Nursing and Human Sciences, they have developed a postgraduate educational framework for nurses and .....
Research into Bereavement
Have You Experienced the Loss of an adult son, daughter or sibling with Intellectual Disability?
The death of a son or daughter, regardless of their...
From the Archives:
Julien’s Hearing Problems
As I mentioned in my first article, Julien’s health problems took precedent over his handicap. His biggest problem after his digestive problems was his hearing problem. Julien suffered from fluctuating deafness. He had glue ear for many years, so he was fitted with an ear aerator each year which very often didn’t remain long enough in his ears. So it was decided to enlarge his external auditory canal to no avail. I was shocked when the ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor didn’t suggest doing a hearing test to check Julien’s hearing capacity. I was told that the paediatrician or the speech therapist had to request it.
Julien’s work placements and training courses
Julien’s love of animals and in particular horses when he was young, led us to believe that he might have a future in that field. He used to go riding with his brother and sister on a day’s outing with a picnic and he took some lessons in a friend’s riding school.
Gerry Ryan – A Personal Tribute
It was with much sadness and regret that I learnt belatedly of the death of Gerry Ryan in October 2017 after a short illness. Gerry was General Secretary of the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland N.A.M.H.I. from 1981 to 2001. N.A.M.H.I. is now known as Inclusion Ireland.
Julien’s success story
The announcement at birth
Coping with health problems
Hearing problems
Taking on too much
The ultimate goal
Julien was born in July 1983, in...
One Autistic Mother Struggles to Support and Advocate for her Family
I am an autistic mother to six autistic children. Like any other family, it is love and understanding that binds us, but our struggle to advocate, be understood and supported as autistic family members when work with professionals, therapists, schools has nearly torn us apart mentally, physically and emotionally.
A dream to visit Hollywood comes true
I like to travel and I have been to lots of different places around the world. I have travelled to France, Italy, Spain, England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand my family. I also went to Greece in 2011, where I represented Ireland in Men’s Basketball at the World Special Olympic Games. ...