Project idea
The project is primarily focused on providing psychological, educational, and social support to families with children, teenagers, and young people with Down syndrome. It aims to equip them with modern technological solutions and methods that will help unlock the potential of such people and integrate them into society.
Within the project, sessions will be organized for both children and their parents. Moreover, experts are refining the Logobank digital speech training platform, which includes specialized lessons and game tasks for independent sessions with the child, aimed at speech development. A new section, named the "Game Library", will comprise exercises for developing auditory perception, which is extremely important for school readiness and adaptation.
Group online sessions aimed at developing speech skills and literacy will be conducted for children, along with individual online consultations.
Educational webinars on effective methods of children's speech development will be organized for parents and professionals.
As a result of the project, a roundtable discussion will be held involving NGO representatives, speech development experts, and parents. Parents will receive practical methodological support, advice, and recommendations from professionals, find the right specialists, and have an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices.
Relevance
Every aspect of our lives can be improved, if not completely transformed. The field of support for children with Down syndrome, as well as for children with developmental disabilities in general, is one of the most complex and crucial areas. Recent progress has enabled a large number of children to remain in their families and receive education, develop skills, including language skills.
Surveys affirm that at present, speech development is indeed the primary concern for parents of children with this syndrome. A significant proportion of such parents reside in regions and are in dire need of a knowledge base and competent, specialized professionals. The speech development methods in social institutions have become obsolete and are designed for teaching speech to children with intellectual disabilities, whereas children with Down syndrome perceive things very differently.
Given that, according to the foundation's data, between 85% and 93% of parents currently use the internet, the vast majority of parents can be assisted remotely. The Logobank speech trainer solves this problem in the best possible way.
Speech is the primary method of communication. Today, based on the research of foreign experts, by acquiring the necessary knowledge and making correct adjustments in speech, a child with Down Syndrome can be taught to express their needs clearly and distinctly, thereby improving their quality of life and elevating it to a new level.
Social effect
Integrating people with Down Syndrome into society through educational practices and an innovative speech development trainer.
KPI
KPI
Project Results
78% of children aged 5-10 with Down syndrome who participated in the foundation's remote group sessions have improved their speech and communication skills, including through the use of the "Logobank" speech trainer.
85% of families with children with Down syndrome who received individual consultations from the foundation's specialists (speech therapists/defectologists) have enhanced their level of parental awareness about their child's development.
For parents of children aged 5-10 with Down syndrome and for specialists providing support to such families, the opportunities for independent use of digital tools for speech development have expanded: a new set of exercises, "Game Library", has been introduced to develop auditory perception and stimulate speech in children with Down syndrome.
98% of specialists who took part in the educational webinar have improved their knowledge and skills in working with the "Logobank" digital speech trainer.
92% of the foundation's regional partners (representatives of NGOs, associations, professional and parental communities assisting families with children with Down syndrome) who participated in the round table said that the information they received during the meeting was beneficial. All of them reported an increased level of awareness about effective practices for developing communication and speech skills in children with Down syndrome and other developmental features.
The level of awareness about the "Logobank" interactive game trainer and other practices for developing communication and speech skills in children with Down syndrome has increased amongst the foundation's followers on social networks and visitors of the https://downsideup.org/ portal (80% of whom are parents of children with Down syndrome).
Project progress after CSS funding
The Downside Up Foundation places special emphasis on the long-term results of projects and their future development. Ongoing sessions and consultations on the development of speech and communication tools will continue, particularly for regional families, as they constitute the majority of those registered in the Foundation's database. Specialists in the regions will have open access to methods and tools. "Logobank" will be updated with new exercises, funded by contributions from corporate donors.
