Down Syndrome NSW

12/04/2026

🏃‍♂️ Join Team DSNSW at City2Surf 2026!
Down Syndrome NSW is excited to be part of the Voltaren City2Surf 2026.

Last year, places in this iconic event sold out quickly, so now is the perfect time to secure your spot and start planning your fundraising journey.

By joining Team DSNSW, you’ll be helping raise vital funds to support people with Down syndrome and their families.

Create your fundraising page and get started:
https://city2surf26.grassrootz.com/dsnsw

10/04/2026

Calling all teens and adults with Down syndrome . Are you ready to dance the day away?!

We are excited to announce FREE dance party this June, thanks to kind sponsors, Eleah.

DISCO SOCIAL – Dance the Day Away!
For people with Down syndrome (13 years+), family member/carer, and/or support worker.

What to expect:
Canapes
Non-alcoholic drinks (alcoholic drinks available to purchase at bar)
DJ and dancefloor
Rainbow theme! Dress up as your favourite colour or all the colours of the rainbow!

We hope to see you for an afternoon of good food, music, dancing, and company.

Spots are limited. For more information and to register, click the link below. Groups/families are limited to 3 tickets each.
Link: https://events.humanitix.com/dsnsw-disco-party

09/04/2026

In March, we held our first Central Coast Growing, Connected event, Understanding Regulation and Behaviour, a free workshop for parents and carers facilitated by the knowledgeable Bec Penfold from Coastwide Therapy Services. The session offered families practical insights into behaviour through a nervous system lens, exploring how responses like fight, flight, and freeze are connected to regulation and communication, and sharing simple strategies to support children at home. We were so pleased to see such strong engagement from the local community and to support families in a practical and meaningful way. If you missed out on this wonderful workshop, don’t forget to tune in to our upcoming online session with Bec, taking place on Thursday 23 April! Register here:

While there, we were also pleased to donate a collection of books featuring characters with Down syndrome to Erina Library Central Coast Council. These books were donated by members of our community on behalf of DSNSW, and we hope they will positively impact the local community, helping to raise awareness, understanding, and acceptance.

08/04/2026

💐 Celebrating the Mums in Our Community this Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day, we want to celebrate the incredible mums within the Down Syndrome NSW community.

We’d love to hear from you! Please share a photo along with a short message about what you love most about being a mum. These special submissions will be featured across our social media, website, and newsletter as part of our Mother’s Day celebrations.

Send your images and message to: partnerships@downsyndromensw.org.au
Submission deadline: 30 April

Join us in celebrating the love, strength, and dedication of the amazing mums in our community

07/04/2026

Tara, a long time volunteer with the NSW SES presented to her peers at the SES as part of World Down Syndrome Day celebrations.

Check out her talk below!

07/04/2026

07/04/2026

We were excited to receive a copy of this video that Moira made with her brother Joe, about ageing well with Down syndrome.

You can check out the video here:

Frame.io
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07/04/2026

“It’s important to understand, so I share”: A father sharing daily life with his daughter with Down syndrome | SBS Japanese -

21 March is World Down Syndrome Day, a day marked around the world to raise awareness and encourage people to reflect on diversity and inclusion. Sydney-based football coach, Takao Teramoto shares daily life with his four-year-old daughter Kokoha on social media, hoping to deepen understanding of…

07/04/2026

Down Syndrome NSW is excited to launch our Microbusiness Workshop and Entrepreneurs Grant Program, an initiative supporting people with Down syndrome and intellectual disability to explore self-employment, build skills, and grow confidence.

Across two interactive days, participants will learn from industry experts in business, marketing, finance, and branding, and hear from inspiring entrepreneurs who’ve turned their ideas into reality.

Participants will also have the chance to pitch their idea for the opportunity to receive an Entrepreneur Grant to help bring it to life.

Event details:
📅 Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th May 2026
⏰ Each day from 9:00am–1:30pm (with optional afternoon sessions)
🍽️ Meals provided

Registration is essential. Participants can bring one parent or carer (additional places via waitlist: events@downsyndromensw.org.au).

This program is proudly supported by BTIG, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

Please use this link register: https://events.humanitix.com/microbusiness-workshop

We can’t wait to see you there!

07/04/2026

We recently had the absolute pleasure of visiting Northmead Public School , as part of their Lots of Socks celebrations for World Down Syndrome Day.

From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed into a school that truly values inclusion, belonging and respect.

Inclusion Support Officer Audrey encouraged students to believe in themselves, to back their abilities, and to pursue their goals - whatever they may be.

We had the pleasure of listening to Marlie, who welcomed us and shared her experience as a young person with Down syndrome. We were also lucky to hear from student Radita, who spoke beautifully about her friend Marlie. She reminded us that people with an extra chromosome are “as special as an extra leaf on a clover - lucky and very rare.” 🍀

A huge thank you to the Northmead Public School community for your generosity in fundraising to support Down Syndrome NSW programs.

31/03/2026

We warmly invite you to join us for Positive Behaviour Support for Educators, presented by Alison Maunder, an experienced educator with over 20 years supporting literacy and positive behaviour for students with Down syndrome.

This welcoming and practical session will explore how to better understand behaviour and respond in ways that support learning, regulation, and wellbeing. Together, we’ll look beneath behaviour and share real-world strategies you can use to build connection and success in your classroom.

Session times (1-hour workshop + 30-min Q&A):
• 11:00am–12:00pm
• 3:30pm–4:30pm

Zoom only / Not recorded / No slides shared

Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/positive-behaviour-support-for-educators

28/03/2026

There’s still time to create a lasting legacy!

With just 48 hours to go, you can write your Will online for free through our partnership with Safewill it’s simple, secure, and can take as little as 20 minutes.

By leaving even 1% of your estate to Down Syndrome NSW, you’ll help babies born today grow up surrounded by care, inclusion, and opportunity, creating a legacy that lasts for generations.

Don’t miss your chance to make a meaningful impact this World Down Syndrome Day!

Learn more at the link in our bio