Angela Reid Special Education Consultant

10/21/2025

10/21/2025

The bodies of people with Down syndrome regulate body temperature differently compared to people without Down syndrome. This may be due to multiple factors including differences in blood flow to the skin, sweating, and, in some individuals, abnormal thyroid function. While more research is needed, some of the possible implications of these differences are shared below.

😓 People with Down syndrome may not be able to cool down in the typical fashion when the outside or room temperature is high and/or they are exercising.
🚰 People with Down syndrome may need to drink more cool water, take more breaks, or move to a cooler place when their body temperature increases.
🤒 Fever response may not be a reliable measure of infection in some people with Down syndrome.

Brian Chicoine, MD, shares more information on temperature regulation in people with Down syndrome in the article linked below.
🔗 https://adscresources.advocatehealth.com/temperature-regulation-in-people-with-down-syndrome/

10/21/2025

10/21/2025

A program called "Mental Health First Aid" is training college students across the country how to spot and support someone who may be struggling. NBC News Correspondent Ellison Barber traveled to New Jersey's Montclair State University, to see how one student is using his training to make a differen...

10/21/2025

10/21/2025

Programs across the country have been working to stay open and serve families while seeking urgent action to restore funding.

10/21/2025

Four FREE Halloween STEM Challenges!

Make jumping ghists using static electricity, spooky shadow puppets, toppling Halloween candy towers and a parachute for a spider!

https://www.science-sparks.com/stem-challenges-for-halloween/

10/21/2025

Many (but not all) people with Down syndrome think and behave in concrete ways. This can be very functional. For example, people with Down syndrome often excel at well-defined tasks that can be consistently completed in the same way.

Conversely, abstract thinking and concepts, such as time, may be more challenging for some people with Down syndrome to understand. For example, many people with Down syndrome can tell what time it is on a clock or watch but they may talk about events that happened many years ago as if they occurred just a few days or weeks ago.

There is an entire chapter dedicated to concrete thinking and behavior in Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome by Dennis McGuire, PhD, and Brian Chicoine, MD. A free PDF of the book is available at the link below. Chapter 5 is on concrete thinking and behaving.
📖 https://adscresources.advocatehealth.com/mental-wellness-in-adults-with-down-syndrome-2nd-edition/

10/21/2025

Are you an autistic job seeker who struggles during interviews? This FREE webinar may be perfect. Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 1-2:30 pm EST. We’ve teamed up with New York Life Insurance Company to help you learn how to: tackle common interview questions, talk about your strengths with confidence, and manage interview anxiety.

Seats are limited, register today at 4ada405f-fb3d-4650-a0d3-7185a06eb704@5e19f50f-0174-4cac-878b-851ca149b7cd" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4ada405f-fb3d-4650-a0d3-7185a06eb704@5e19f50f-0174-4cac-878b-851ca149b7cd

10/21/2025

Shifts that make asking for help accepted *and* expected! https://edut.to/3IY8EyK

10/21/2025

Decrease behaviors reinforced by access to tangibles by following these 5 simple tips. By understanding the functions of behaviors you can reduce behavior.