The Down Syndrome Educational Trust
All of the donations received through the Up for Reading
campaign will support the work of The Down Syndrome Educational Trust.
The charity's work improves the development, education and social achievements of
many thousands of people living with Down syndrome around the world today.
Down syndrome
Around 800 babies with Down syndrome are born every year and over 30,000 people
with Down syndrome are living in the United Kingdom today.
The underlying cause of Down syndrome is an extra copy of all or part of chromosome
21. Depending in part on the support and care provided, this leads to additional
health concerns and varying degrees of learning difficulties for people with Down
syndrome.
People with Down syndrome were once considered incapable of learning. Today, people
with Down syndrome show that they are capable of many things given equal opportunities
and appropriate support.
The charity
The Down Syndrome Educational Trust works to help people with Down syndrome achieve
more in all areas of their development. It does this by informing progress through
research and education.
All of the The Trust's work is founded on scientific research. By understanding
all aspects of development for people with Down syndrome, the charity is able to
identify and evaluate interventions that improve education and support.
One of the Trust's biggest achievements has been to show that many children
with Down syndrome can learn to read, and that they are able to start doing so during
their preschool years.
The Trust publishes books, web sites and films and provides training for families
and teachers to ensure that evidence-based advice and information is communicated
widely around the world.