Learn how to optimize the health and well being of individuals with Down syndrome...
Overview
Introduction to Down Syndrome Track at AutismOne 2014
Dr. Erica Peirson gives the introductory speech to the Down Syndrome Track at Autism One. What does Down Syndrome OPTIONs do? Watch and find out!
Erica Peirson, ND
Action Plan for Parents of Children with Down Syndrome
Slides: Action Plan for Parents of Children with Down Syndrome
With proper intervention—physical, nutritional, neurodevelopmental, medicinal and environmental—your child's future can be full of opportunities instead of obstacles.
I've devised a proactive plan of action while addressing my three year old child's root causes and symptoms of Down syndrome. This is an exciting journey and I'm happy to share with you what I have learned. (I apologize that the video is poor quality and slides aren't visible during the presentation.)
Andi Durkin
Inspiration & Practical Guidance
 |
| Jane and Lydia Winans share the stage |
Jane Winans, parent of a thriving child with Down syndrome, shares her journey and discusses biomedical options she used for her daughter. Hear from 9-year old, Lydia, in this moving opening session designed to enlighten and empower parents
Jane Winans, MA and Lydia Winans
Balance Tips for a Busy Household & Lydia Presents her Life
How do I balance it all? This talk gives helpful tips for maintaining balance while juggling therapies, doctor appointments, food restrictions, other children, marriage and self. What are the possibilities for my child? Lydia is in 4th grade and will share a slice of her life with you.
Jane Winans, MA and Lydia Winans
How to Communicate with Your Physician
Slides: How to Communicate with Your Physician
Do you know if your doctor is familiar with the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for screening for hypothyroidism in Down syndrome?
Do you know how to communicate with your physician regarding thyroid testing and treatment?
We want to help you better communicate with your physician.
Leslie Brewer Boswell
My Life as a Pre-teen - Lydia Winans
Lydia is 11 years old. She's a full-time student, sister, daughter and friend. She loves to play basketball, go on vacations, spend time at Camp Tekawitha and hang with her friends and family.
Lydia Winans
Coping Strategies
Jane Winans shares her trial and errors, humor and wisdom in dealing with life’s stressful moments (years!).
Jane Winans, MA
Therapy
Redefining the Reality of Down Syndrome - A Personal Perspective
This is an inspirational presentation of how the birth of her child with T21 changed this Occupational Therapist's perspective on therapy.
Geralyn Speisz
Feeding Options and Oral Motor Methods: Paving the Way for Optimal Speech
This talk will educate participants on current and optimal dietary options to ensure better overall health for their child with Down syndrome. The impact of diet and different methods on how to transition children with Down syndrome to solid foods will be discussed. Oral motor and feeding treatment methods will be explained as well as the importance of using these methods in order to develop a strong foundation for feeding skills and the development of speech.
Jill Rabin M.S. CCC-SLP/L IBCLC
Craniosacral Therapy and the Special Needs Child
What is Craniosacral therapy? How does it work? Is it helpful to the DS population?
Dr. Richard Feely
What is Neurodevelopmental Therapy?
Alison Wimmer explains the fundamentals of neurodevelopment and why it works beautifully with the holistic approach to DS treatment, allowing children with developmental challenges to succeed and exceed expectations.
Alison Wimmer
The Baby-Led Weaning Approach: An Excellent Feeding Option to Assist Babies with Down Syndrome in Transitioning to Solid Foods
Why is the use of a baby-led weaning approach an optimal way to introduce solids to babies with Down syndrome? Baby-led weaning is a child directed feeding approach that exposes babies to a variety of healthy food choices, allowing them to develop their own food likes and dislikes while simultaneously developing strong oral motor skills and feeding skills. Baby-led weaning also encourages and further develops fine motor and self-feeding skills. This lecture will address implementation and healthy feeding choices that can positively impact the health of children with Down syndrome and their families.
Jill Rabin M.S. CCC-SLP/L IBCLC
Sequential Processing and Alternative Treatment Methods
Alison Wimmer will explain the fundamentals of neurodevelopment and why it works beautifully with the holistic approach to DS treatment, allowing children with developmental challenges to succeed and exceed expectations. She will also discuss how lack of function or development does not indicate a lack of potential: Each individual should be provided with opportunities based on a perception of unlimited potential.
Alison Wimmer
 |
| Jill Rabin |
Important Nutritional, Oral Motor, Feeding and Language Ideas to Ensure Optimal Development of Your Child with Down Syndrome
Jill Rabin will instruct participants on paving the path to good communication and articulate speech for their children with Down Syndrome, using proper medical intervention and assessment; optimal nutrition and supplementation; and the facilitation of oral motor, feeding, and language skills.
Jill Rabin, MS, CCC-SLP/L IBCLC
Diet
GAPS™ - Gut And Psychology/Physiology Syndrome
Notes: GAPS™ - Gut And Psychology/Physiology Syndrome
GAPS™ (Gut And Psychology/Physiology Syndrome) shows the underlying cause of some of the symptoms that plague special needs children, such as digestive issues, malabsorption, food sensitivities and toxicity. This session will explain how the state of the gut directly affects the health of the body and how the GAPS™ nutritional protocol can heal or greatly improve many of these symptoms.
Kristin Gustafson
Enzymes and Gut Health
Parents deal with gut issues on a daily basis. Many parents of children with Down's Syndrome deal with the same GI problems experienced by those with autism. Digestive enzymes from non-animal sources can often improve many problems associated with food intolerance and malabsorption. This lecture will help parents understand what enzymes are and how they work in digestive health.
Devin Houston, PhD
Biochemistry
The Biochemistry of Down Syndrome: Opportunities for Intervention
Notes: The Biochemistry of Down Syndrome: Opportunities for Intervention
Can nutritional supplements benefit individuals with Down syndrome? Kent MacLeod will review the history of supplementation in Down syndrome, and discuss recent advances in nutritional science and how those innovations can be used to positively impact the biochemistry of Down syndrome.
Kent MacLeod
Pediatric Hypothyroidism: Implications for Down Syndrome and Autism
Nearly all children with Down syndrome require thyroid gland support. Diagnosis of hypothyroidism has greatly changed in the last 40 years. Patients are no longer treated based on very obvious symptoms. Doctors need to return to a better understanding of the clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism and stop treating numbers on a page instead of treating patients. Tragically, many children with Down syndrome who have obvious signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism are going untreated resulting in preventable delayed development. Many studies exist to support the connection between hypothyroidism and Down syndrome. Hypothyroidism in the mother is also connected to the development of Down syndrome within the child and should be recognized and addressed to avoid neurological damage to the unborn child. Dr. Peirson will review the physiology of thyroid hormone and it's connections to the neurological development and overall health of children with Down syndrome.
Erica Peirson, ND
Biomedical and Thyroid Basics: Where to Begin
Notes: Biomedical and Thyroid Basics: Where to Begin
Dr. Schwartz will review the history and scientific research documenting the benefit of nutrient and thyroid support in Down Syndrome. He will explain low risk, high gain interventions to: optimize nutrition and supplementation; monitor and support thyroid; choose first line, functional lab tests; avoid environmental toxins; and support detoxification. These are the building blocks needed to form a solid foundation upon which your child may flourish.
Norm Schwartz, MD
What's Next? Exploring Options
Dr. Anju Usman will explain the next level of biomedical healing including optimizing a healthy gut-brain connection, and nutrients for brain repair and neurogenesis, which is the brain's ability to create new brain cells and new connections.
Anju Usman, MD
Predictive Biomarkers in T21
Comparative effectiveness research depends upon a group of objective, independent predictive biomarkers. A current state of the art in regard to evidence based predictive biomarkers will be presented and discussed.
Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD, CCN
Down Syndrome: Evidence of a Susceptible Subgroup for Vaccine Injury
This talk will present biologically based evidence that children with Down syndrome are uniquely susceptible to injury from vaccines. With an 18% ASD comorbidity, we will explore the mechanisms that may connect vaccines to autism in this highly vulnerable population. The relationship of vaccines to Alzheimer’s will also be discussed.
Laurette Janak
Down Syndrome Trisomy 21: Understanding the Problem
Down syndrome (DS) results from an extra copy of chromosome 21, including a number of genes on this chromosome that affect antioxidant status and methylation capacity, especially in neurons. These two factors are critical for epigenetic regulation of neural development, and are amenable to biomedical interventions. Dr. Deth will review the factors that contribute to trisomy, as well as the molecular implications of increased gene dosage for neurodevelopment and their relationship to metabolic treatment options.
Richard C. Deth, PhD
Health Risks for Down Syndrome Moms and What to Do About It
Layman’s terms will be used to explain the folate cycle and its implication to the health risks for a mother with a Down syndrome child. Topics to be discussed include: depression, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer and risk for having a child with autism. Strategies to minimize these risks will be presented.
Laurette Janak
 |
| Dr. Usman captivates the audience. |
Boost Cognition Potential
Dr. Anju Usman will explain biomedical techniques for optimizing a healthy gut-brain connection including uncovering roadblocks to function as well as introducing nutrients for brain repair and neurogenesis.
Anju Usman, MD
New Directions in Fetal Treatment of Down Syndrome
Dr. Baggot, OB/GYN and medical geneticist, shares a method to enhance brain development before and after birth for babies with Down syndrome.
Dr. PD Baggot
A Redox/Methylation Perspective on Down Syndrome
Brain development is driven by changes in methylation of DNA and histone proteins which combine to provide epigenetic regulation. Methylation depends upon methionine synthase and vitamin B12. B12 status in the brain is distinct from the rest of the body, and brain levels of B12 are markedly lower in autism, schizophrenia and normal aging. Recent studies of the epigenetic effects of gluten and casein-derived opiate peptides indicate their significance for development and life-long disease risk.
Richard Deth, PhD
Glutamate: How to monitor and mediate its effects in Down Syndrome
Notes: Glutamate: How to monitor and mediate its effects in Down Syndrome
Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, is both essential and highly toxic. Patients with Down Syndrome experience a higher rate of oxidative stress that damages neurons, potentially exposing them to the harmful effects of excess glutamate released from damaged neurons. Mediating the effects of excess glutamate is essential to optimizing the health of neurons.
Erica Peirson, ND
Neuroepigenetic Regulation and Down Syndrome
What is epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and why is it particularly important in brain development? This presentation will provide a fundamental understanding of epigenetics, focusing on the specific implications of chromosome 21 trisomy.
Richard Deth, PhD
Sulfur in Down Syndrome T21 Catabolism/Survival to Anabolism/Higher Function
Dr. Russell Jaffe received his BS, MD and Ph.D from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1972. He completed residency training in clinical chemistry at the National Institutes of Health (1973 – 1976), remaining on the permanent senior staff until 1979. He is board certified in Clinical and Chemical Pathology.
As a physician and scientist who aspired to be comprehensive, objective, empiric and experiential, Dr. Jaffe started his career searching for deeper understanding, wisdom, evidence and insight in mechanisms of health.
Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD, CCN
Down Syndrome Panel
Dr. Erica Peirson
Dr. Norman Schwartz
Dr. Russel Jaffe
Andi Durkin
Leslie Boswell
Laurette Janak
Education
Let's Learn - Reading Math and Fun Stuff
Learn and discuss fun ways to help your child read, do math, socialize, and play. Explore simple, logical strategies and activities which will increase overall retention of the information being presented. Sometimes the best teaching strategies are the most obvious.
Alison Wimmer
