DSALA - Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles

This play group is sponsored by the DSALA to connect families to exchange ideas, experiences, hopes, thoughts, feelings, fun, etc.

The play group is lead by parents. Please contact the DSALA office in order to connect with the parent leaders or add your email address to the distribution list.

The group will not meet in the Summer and we are currently looking for a group leader!

check with DSALA office for any updates or changes.

Roxbury Park and Community Center, 471 S. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills.
Meet on the south side of the lawn, not far from the swings.
There is no cost to attend.

DSALA Parent Support Groups

Parent Support Group notices are sent via email. Members may attend any meeting and may request to be on several Support Group email lists in order to choose to attend a meeting that is featuring a guest speaker or topic that they would be interested in. Contact the DSALA at info@dsala.org and request to have your email address added to the Support Group email lists of your choice.

Upcoming event:

Join your neighboring DSALA parents at Roxbury Park for our upcoming monthly “play-date” on Sunday, April 25^th, 2010 at 3:30 pm. We will be speaking with Jonathan Wernick, a native born Angeleno, married to a New Yorker. They have 3 kids of which Eitan (13) with Down syndrome, is the oldest. Jonathan has been on the DSALA board for 10 years now. He will share with us experiences in Early Years, Inclusion, Extra Curricular, and the Preparations for Eitan’s Bar-Mitzva.

The next Roxbury group meeting following Sunday April 25^th will be on June 6^th.

(There will be no meeting on May 2nd).

March 2010

On March 7^th, 2010 we met with Einat Ronen of the Prudential Insurance Company. It was an educational gathering, part of their Special Needs Solutions program, focusing on educating families who have children or other dependents with Special Needs on some of the financial issues that affect their future.

February 2010

On February 21^st, 2010 we met with Danielle Fisco, a registered dance/movement therapist with the American Dance/Movement Therapy Association. Danielle currently works for First Steps Development, an early intervention company. Danielle presented the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration of children with Down syndrome. Examples of interventions typically used by dance/movement therapists were explained. Requirements of education for dance/movement therapists and other creative arts therapists were provided to help parents navigate the process of what to look for when seeking a therapist for their child.

September 2009

Join your neighboring DSALA parents at Roxbury Park for our upcoming monthly “play-date” on September 6th, 2009, at 4 (four) PM. We will be networking casually as usual.

August 2009

Join your neighboring DSALA parents at Roxbury Park for our upcoming monthly “play-date” on August 2^nd, 2009, at 4 (four) PM. We will be networking casually as usual.

Past events:

July 2009

On July 5th, 2009 we spoke with Shelby Surfas, OTD OTR/L, of Therapy West, Inc. Therapy West professional services are designed to enhance skills in areas of gross motor, fine motor, sensory motor, feeding, speech and language, personal-social, perceptual and self-help skills. Therapeutic techniques are integrated within a play focus and in a variety of environments. You can check their website at www.therapywest.org.

June 2009

We were speaking with Rick Martinez of the National Center on Life Planning, which is a non-profit foundation based in Montecito Hts, CA. We discussed how to plan for our children's living arrangements if needed, SSI, what's a Special Needs Trust, and more. For more information go to www.nclponline.com

May 2009

On May 3^rd, 2009 we met Gene Hurwin, executive director of Big Fun Gymnastics, therapy and recreational services for children with special needs. Gene has presented at conferences across the country and published several articles about the use of gymnastics and movement as a method of intervention for children with special needs. For more information go to: http://www.bigfungymnastics.com/index-home.html

March 2009

On March 1st, 2009 we were pleased to have Liz Spencer, Coordinator of the Family Resource Center at West Side Regional Center (WSRC), join us for an informal Q&A about raising a child with Down syndrome, navigating the system and current budgetary implications on us parents. Liz has worked at WSRC for 12 years beginning as an educational advocate in the Education Support Unit. She has two sons, Jace, 20, who has Down syndrome and participates in the Whittier Union High School Transition program, and Thomas, 9, a 3rd grader at Whittier Friends School.

We were on break for the winter…

July 2008

On July 6th, 2008, we had an informal Q&A with Michelle Mintz, M.S., C.C.C.-SLP, a Licensed Speech and Language Therapist in Santa Monica. Michelle designed an exceptional workshop entitled Baby's Brighter Connections, in which she educates and trains parents and caregivers of children who have difficulty communicating. She specializes in working with children birth through five. Please view her website at www.tot2talk.com.

June 2008

On June 1st, 2008, we had an informal Q&A with Lauren Henry, president of "With A Brush of Love, Inc". Lauren specializes in educational and emotional needs of children aged pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. We learned how combining color, pattern and texture along with various other sensory elements can help create individual spaces for our children, to help in their development.

April 2008

Many thanks to Maria Richardson who gave the Roxbury Park Parent Play-date Group an insightful talk about the importance of and the requirements for teaching our kids to become independent.