Down Syndrome Ireland

Fun With Numbers

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“Fun with Numbers” has starting up again.

We run “Fun with Numbers” Sessions each week.  There are 2 sessions per week on Mondays and Thursdays.
We are starting again on Monday 13th and Thursday 16th of September.

We have set up the following age groupings however if your child’s age falls outside these categories we will still try to accommodate.
Junior Group Ages   8-11 – 4pm Mondays
Senior Group Ages 12 and up – 5.30pm Thursdays

The thought is that Deirdre will target older children on a Thursday and younger children on a Monday, however all children are welcome to participate in either or both sessions each week if you think the content is suitable.


Down Syndrome Louth Meath will cover the cost of the sessions, so there will be no cost to parents for these sessions. The Sessions will run during the school terms as long as there is interest.

The students will need some materials ahead of the sessions, but Deirdre will let you know ahead of time what will be needed – it will all be inexpensive stuff that you may already have or can recycle around the house or will be able to get in the likes of Dealz. Deirdre will  also send links for printable materials, should any member not have access to a printer please contact us immediately when Deirdre posts links to printables and we can arrange to have them posted to you.

We have set up a WhatsApp group for each age group, so that Deirdre can fill you in on what materials are needed and send you the Zoom ID and password.  Deirdre posts a video each week explaining about materials required.

Please let me know if you would like your child to take part (if you have taken part before there is no need to register again). 
I will need the following details by return of email as soon as possible.

Child Name:Parents name and telephone number for WhatsApp Group:
Child’s age:Email Address:

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Numicon Talk in Slane Saturday 6th November 2021

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Numicon Talk in Slane Saturday 6th November 2021 for Professional & Parents/Carers. 


This talk will suit Children whose Maths level is from infants up to the end of Second Class (early multiplication).

The Professional talk will take place in the morning and the Parents/Carers talk will come in the afternoon on Saturday 5th Oct . 

Professionals 

There is a numicon talk for professionals on Saturday 6th November 2021, 10-12:30pm in Conyngham  Arms Hotel, Slane. This talk is aimed at teachers/SNAs who are working with children with Down Syndrome.  

Due to the limited spaces, the talk is offered to teachers/SNA’s of paid members on a first come first served basis. 


Please email secretarydslm@gmail.com or text 083 8972044 as soon as possible to reserve a space.  

Parents/Carers 

There is a Numicon talk for parents on Saturday 6th November 2021, 1.30pm- 3.30pm.  

Please email secretarydslm@gmail.com or text 083 8972044as soon as possible to reserve a place.

This course is available to paid up members of the Louth/Meath branch.

Fun With Numbers

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Fun with Numbers is a fun way of working with numbers through games and creative learning aids. It is a light-hearted way of learning basic number skills like counting, adding, and subtraction, incorporating concepts of division and multiplication. Fun with Numbers presents opportunities for using life skills like following a recipe using measurements and time, along with planning journeys and using money.

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We have set up the following age groupings however if your child’s age falls outside these categories we will still try to accommodate, it’s not too late to get in touch. 

There are 2 sessions per week on Mondays and Thursdays.

The times of the sessions are as follows:

Junior Group Ages  8-11. 2pm Mondays
Senior Group Ages 12 and up. 4pm Thursdays

The thought is that Deirdre will target older children on a Thursday and younger children on a Monday, however all children are welcome to participate in either or both sessions each week if you think the content is suitable.


Down Syndrome Louth Meath will cover the cost of the sessions, so there will be no cost to parents for those four weeks. We will review at the end of 4 weeks and will welcome your feedback.

The students will need some materials ahead of the sessions, but Deirdre will let you know ahead of time what will  be needed – it will all be inexpensive stuff that you may already have or can recycle around the house or will be able to get in the likes of Dealz. Deirdre will  also send links for printable materials, should any member not have access to a printer please contact us immediately when Deirdre posts links to printables  and we can arrange to have them posted to you.

We have set up a WhatsApp group for the groups, so that Deirdre can fill you in on what materials are needed and send you the Zoom ID and password.  Deirdre posts a video each week explaining about materials required.

Please contact Brendan on secretarydslm@gmail.com if you would like your child to take part with the following details.

Child Name:

Parents name:

Telephone number for WhatsApp Group:Child’s age:

Email Address:

  • If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.  

Fun with Numbers

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Thank you for expressing interest in taking part in the Fun With Numbers Zoom workshops.

We had a lot of interest, especially from our teenage members, so we have set up the following age groupings however if your child’s age falls outside these categories we will still try to accommodate, it’s not too late to get in touch.

The workshops will be taking place on Thursdays with the first session scheduled for Thursday 5th November .

The times of the sessions are as follows:

Ages 8-11 – 3.30pm

Ages 12-18 – 4.30pm

Down Syndrome Louth Meath will cover the cost of the four weeks so there will be no cost to parents for those four weeks. We will review at the end of 4 weeks and will welcome your feedback.

The students will need some materials ahead of the sessions, but Deirdre will let you know ahead of time what will be needed – it will all be inexpensive stuff that you may already have or can recycle around the house or will be able to get in the likes of Dealz.

Deirdre will also send links for printable materials, should any member not have access to a printer please contact us immediately when Deirdre posts links to printables and we can arrange to have them posted to you.

We will be setting up a WhatsApp group for each age group, so that Deirdre can fill you in on what materials are needed and send you the Zoom ID and password. Deirdre posts a video each week explaining about materials required.

Please let me know if you would like your child to take part. I will need the following details by return of email as soon as possible.

Child Name:

Parents name and telephone number for WhatsApp Group:

Child’s age:

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me secretarydslm@gmail.com.

Zoom Session for Parents & Toddlers on Tuesdays

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Olive Buckeridge, DSI Early Years Specialist runs a weekly Louth/Meath Zoom Session for Parents & Toddlers on Tuesday each week on Zoom.

The next Session will be on Tomorrow Tuesday 26th May at 11.15.

The sessions are informal with lots of Singing, Signing and some Vocabulary and there is no limit on the numbers just that they are for Parents and Toddlers.

Olive want to stress that Parents can dip in and out of them and use them as a support.

The Log-In details have been sent out by email. If you have not received the email please contact Brendan on secretarydslm@gmail.com to receive it.

Parent/Toddler Group by Olive Buckeridge for our Branch

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Olive Buckeridge, DSI Early Years Specialist will run a weekly Louth/Meath Zoom Session for Parents & Toddlers on Tuesday each week on Zoom.

The first Session will be on Tuesday 19th May at 11.15. 

The sessions are informal with lots of  Singing, Signing and some Vocabulary and there is no limit on the numbers just that they are for Parents and Toddlers.

Olive want to stress that Parents can dip in and out of them and use them as a support. 


Olive will send a link with a Password each week to the Branch and we will send it on to our Parents and Toddlers.

Activities to Promote Communication

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These activities are designed to promote your baby/toddler/child’s communication development. These activities can be easily carried out at home as each activity is nice and short. You can do one, some or all of these activities. You may choose to do them daily or weekly, it’s completely up to you!

All you need for these activities is a little bit of space and toys/objects that you have in the house.


Activities to Promote Communication 1


We are going to focus on eye-contact, naming, action songs, cause and effect and teaching some important songs – “Hello song” and “The Clean-up Song”.

https://downsyndrome.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Activities-to-Promote-Communication.pdf

Activities to Promote Communication 2

If you are still working through the previous activities, don’t worry, you can start the following activities when your child is ready. You can also start these activities if you need a change and are feeling demotivated! Follow your child’s lead.

https://downsyndrome.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Activities-to-Promote-Communication-2.pdf?fbclid=IwAR23DzG5QWk8BTnxAv8fkAmzHpsIwjPnO84LzeuhJhm_IU8yJoAixnCrjjU

Activities to Promote Communication 3

This week we will be focusing on positive interaction through song, taking turns, cooking and much more.

https://downsyndrome.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Activities-to-Promote-Communication-3.pdf?fbclid=IwAR25Piyf7m8e4XYK7gPVxunrbJ90iYlsyK_ewKq8PXP_wlEXY5AwI7ls620

DSI co-signs a document on Ireland’s obligations under the UNCRPD

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Down Syndrome Ireland has co-signed a document on the rights of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 period. The statement calls on the government to adhere to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in particular:

  • Provide full accessible information on all aspects of COVID-19
  • Ensure equal treatment in the provision of healthcare
  • Ensure people with disabilities are involved in decisions about their treatment    
  • Provide support for families caring for a person with a disability, including social and educational supports
  • Provide advocacy services as needed

Read the full statement from disability organisations, including DSI, and activists regarding Ireland’s obligations under the UNCRPD and calling on the government to take specific actions to ensure rights are protected and promoted during the pandemic.

Tons of Fun Tots welcomes an unexpected guest …

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There was great excitement at the Tons of Fun Tots playgroup during its last session when a certain someone in a familiar red suit paid an unexpected visit to some of the youngest members of the DSI Louth Meath Branch.

We had a room full of excited boys and girls, all dressed up for Christmas, and ready to party with their teacher, Triona Cussen. We were practicing “good sitting” and singing some seasonal classics. All the boys and girls were attentively watching Triona demonstrate some Lámh signs along with the songs when who should come in the door  … only Santa Claus!

Practicing Good Sitting

Some of the children were very excited to meet the man himself while others were a little more hesitant but Santa made sure he had a little something for everyone in his sack.

Suffice to say it was a great morning and a wonderful lead up to the Christmas season.

A special word of thanks to Mickey Rooney and all the staff in St Mary’s GAA, Ardee as well as the transition year students from Ardee Community School. The Christmas party was a huge success, enjoyed by both the babies and parents alike.

A Happy Christmas to you all.

Tons of Fun Tots is a play & educational group based in Ardee for pre-school children with Down Syndrome. The group is suitable for babies/wobblers/toddlers from 6 months to preschool/school age. However, new mums/dads & younger babies are always welcome. The group is a formal, but fun-based, learning environment for infants and young children and introduces them to lots of songs and rhymes using Lámh which helps develop their social skills and build a close circle of friends. It is also a valuable resource for parents, providing an opportunity for them to see Lámh being used in a setting that is both informal and more importantly, fun.

For further information on Tons of Fun Tots, please contact:

Brendan Stephenson at secretarydslm@gmail.com or Andrea McArdle 086-3709831 https://dsilmb.ie/more/tons-of-fun-tots/

Congratulations to Jack Egan

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Our member Jack Egan has some news. He has qualified for the World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Antalya Turkey, taking place from the 31st March till the 7th April 2020.

IDSSO are sending a team of 12 athletes to represent Ireland.

Jack is planning on doing a skydive to raise funds for the team and we will give the details when it is all arranged.