Here's the latest article from the Special Needs Children site at BellaOnline.com.

New Parent Information on Down Syndrome
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art68926.asp
Information about Down syndrome for expectant or new parents should soon be the most reliable and up to date resources available. Individuals and advocacy or support organizations often take responsibility for making information packets available for local hospitals, doctors and counselors.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art68926.asp

Please visit specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com for other articles of interest to families of children with disabilities, chronic health conditions, or other special needs.

Halloween Costumes and Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63629.asp -

Halloween Safety Tips - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art58864.asp -

Costumes for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art36415.asp -

Encouraging Learning in Babies and Toddlers
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art68638.asp

Brothers & Sisters of Children w/ Disabilities
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56919.asp

The 2010 Puget Sound Down Syndrome Buddy Walk at Seattle Center was a wonderful experience. We enjoyed meeting beautiful babies and toddlers, adorable preschoolers and amazing older kids, teens and young adults. For the first time, my son participated in a fundraiser:

http://www.firstgiving.com/wweStarTrekEvan

He has been aware for some time that not all individuals with Down syndrome have type one diabetes, but after meeting a young woman with the dual diagnosis this summer, he decided to raise awareness via his 'advocacy' page. He reached his fundraising goal of $100 and decided to add a zero so the thermometer looked like a glucose test strip. Readers are supposed to read 'one thousand' and 'one million' in an Austin Powers Dr. Evil voice, for fun.

At the Buddy Walk he was most interested in the table set up to raise funds for new parent information packets - http://www.downsyndromecommunity.org/new%20parents.htm - and inspired me to write the current article. He also followed a link from that page to the Down Syndrome Information Alliance at http://www.downsyndromeinfo.org/about and was delighted to see a picture of himself as a teenager in a tuxedo at the top of the page. His birthday is at the end of the month and he feels it is only fitting that we celebrate National Down Syndrome month with Buddy Walks, TV interviews and newspaper stories. Many thanks to the individuals who work so tirelessly to plan and carry off the wonderful Buddy Walks, Step Up for Down Syndrome events, and other awareness activities in October and throughout the year.

Many families whose children have developmental disabilities or other special needs do benefit from the programs and activities that advocates for individuals with Down syndrome create, and from the accomplishments of individuals with Down syndrome who have had the opportunities that help them show us just how much they can do with a little support and encouragement. Families of people with Down syndrome benefit from the work of all other disability advocates and people with disabilities who demonstrate their true potential despite the challenges they find in access to education, community and job opportunities. People with disabilities deserve to be included in the mainstream of their communities no matter what level of support they require to maintain access and health. We all add positively to the fabric of our diversity and excellence.

For links to articles, conference notices and media appearances, follow the editor of the SNC webpage, Pamela Wilson, at

http://twitter.com/downsynadvocacy
or
http://tinyurl.com/FamKdsTnsSpNds

Indy Driver Racing Against Diabetes
Charlie Kimball carries Continuous Glucose Monitor, juice
http://bit.ly/ciPiqY

Jamie Foxx on Caring for Sister w/ Down Syndrome:
'I Don't Call it a Condition, I Call it Living'
http://tinyurl.com/EToJFxSiswDS
Jamie Foxx, sister DeOndra Dixon
Be Beautiful Be You Fashion Show
Proceeds to Down Syndrome Research
http://wp.me/pRNro-C9
Denver: Benefit for Global Down Syndrome
Foundation Raises $1 Million+
http://bit.ly/9sfvip

Born to Act Players Madrid Theater 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzhjlmUXnw4

Activist advocate Julie Hertzog inspired by her son,
David who has Down syndrome
http://bit.ly/bBiFg5

Time to Act Against Bullying NOW
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/bpam/index.asp
PACER interactive innovative web sites
designed inspire students to end bullying
KidsAgainstBullying.org
TeensAgainstBullying.org

The Who's Pete Townshend performs song by
writers w/ Down syndrome
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/people/Rock-legend-on-song-for.6563395.jp
Rachel Fuller and Pete Townshend perform songs
by writers with Downs syndrome at workshop inspired
by Melissa Riggio (snapshot)
http://yfrog.com/bcec8rj
Melissa Riggio made a difference http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56423.asp

http://twitter.com/mamatude
Life Goes On for TV's Corky
http://tinyurl.com/ChrsBurkeLfGsOn
Support for Special Needs
http://twitthis.com/qjvzbm

Ari Ne’eman, First Autistic Presidential Appointee
Speaks Out | Wired Science | Wired.com
http://bit.ly/cTP7pi

Your child needs a SMART iep
http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/10/nl.1005.htm

A nice write up about how the Signing Time videos
helped a child with Down Syndrome
http://t.co/acWcnwo

Kindermusik: Great fun for Luke w/ developmental, motor & speech delays
http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/meet-luke-youll-be-glad-you-did

http://twitter.com/lleshin: For DS Awareness month:
if I get up to 150 followers by the end of the month,
I'll donate $100 to the NDSS.

http://twitter.com/mamatude
Win a Copy of My Sensory-Integration Book
http://bit.ly/dAFKYv
Special-Needs TV Night: Parenthood and Glee
http://bit.ly/9YI4S0

http://twitter.com/jmedlen
Would you like medical terms in plain language?
Check out the "Plain Language Medical Dictioniary."
http://bit.ly/9FhpXT

DSIA'S 6TH ANNUAL WALK!
http://www.downsyndromeinfo.org/step-up-for-down-syndrome
Step Up for Down Syndrome
Sunday, 17 October
William Land Park, Sacramento
9:00 am - Registration Opens
10:30 am - Walk Begins

Recent browsing history:

Buzz Lightyear and the Little Mermaid costumes ...
I love the little lobster outfit!
http://tinyurl.com/HlwnCstmsKids

WWE Rey Mysterio costume (kids sizes)
http://tinyurl.com/ReyMystWWEcstm

Stone Cold Steve Austin - (teen)
http://tinyurl.com/StnCldStvAstnWWEcstm

Forever Young - Children's book by Bob Dylan
http://tinyurl.com/FrvrYngBDylan -

October has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays & 5 Sundays
in 1 month. Happens only every 823 years

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Special Needs Children located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=57

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback.

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free information and resources.

Pamela Wilson, Special Needs Children Editor
http://specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com

IEP Goals for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4330.asp

Recess Skills for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art432.asp

Person Centered Planning - Special Needs Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art53731.asp

Friendship, Inclusion and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48700.asp

Peer Mentoring Programs and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art61295.asp

Music Education and Music Therapy
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46397.asp

Literacy Skill Development - Teens with Autism or Down Syndrome http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art57331.asp

Teaching Handwriting to Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51022.asp

Kindergarten Transition
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49718.asp

School Bus Rides
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45298.asp

Transition to Preschool from Early Intervention
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49696.asp

Back to School with Down Syndrome
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63002.asp