Learning Program

The Learning Program was created by the Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County to help bridge the gap between research and practice for teaching early literacy skills to students with Down syndrome. Although researchers continue to discover more about how people with Down syndrome learn best, their insight has been slow to filter to parents and teachers.  This program helps change all that!

The DSG Learning Program supplements traditional education and includes monthly sessions for parents and students with Down syndrome ages 4 to 8.  While students learn, play and explore with highly qualified educational staff, parents are taught about early literacy fundamentals, mathematics, school advocacy, and much more. The goal of the program is to help parents be first-teachers in helping support their son/daughter's educational journey. Download a brochure for more information. The DSG Learning Program runs from September to June each year.

To Register: Download a 2016-17 Learning Program Application - Due August 20,2016 *Please note spots are limited and given on a first come, first serve basis.

Tuition is $200.00 for nine class sessions. Need-based scholarships are available, click here for a Scholarship Application.

 To see curriculum and learning resources used in our Learning Program!

Take a Peek at Our Classroom!

Questions? Please contact Lindsey Lipsky, Program Coordinator at LindseyL@kcdsg.org or via phone at 913-384-4848

"The Learning Program was a great experience because it provided specific tools and resources and then explained how to use them effectively. The program will improve the quality of time I spend teaching my son, and has also helped shape my general interactions with him." - DSG Parent

"My son & I have participated in 2 years of the Learning Program.  I've become better equipped to help my child learn at school and at home.   I've gotten so many books from the Learning Program and websites I would have never known about. The Learning Program has helped me become a better advocate for my son.  I'm much more confident and knowledgeable talking with his teachers and IEP team.  You'd be a fool not to enroll your child in the Learning Program!" - DSG Mom

"We benefited tremendously from the timing of the learning program. We participated in the program the year before our daughter was heading to kindergarten. This allowed me to attend her kindergarten transition IEP meeting with hard data on the kindergarten curriculum content she had already mastered. Providing that information helped support our request that she be placed in a general ed classroom and also allowed me to contribute to the IEP process as an expert on my daughter's learning behaviors, rather than as a parent asking a group of strangers to give my daughter the benefit of the doubt. The Learning Program leveled the playing field in a number of ways, and having the expertise and guidance at our disposal proved invaluable during our transition process." - 1st Year Parent Participant