The Communication Company

10/17/2025

10/17/2025

The more you learn about Down syndrome, the richer your understanding becomes. 💚
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10/13/2025

Join us for the Family Fall Festival on October 23rd! Enjoy trunk-or-treating with community heroes, play games, and take part in activities designed for families. Plus, you can support Care Net Peninsula by donating NEW baby supplies. Hope to see you there.

10/13/2025

Did you know? 🌈 In 1958, French physician Jérôme Lejeune discovered that Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. Working with Marthe Gautier and Raymond Turpin, he identified the link between the chromosomal abnormality and the condition, a discovery that established the connection between intellectual disability and a chromosomal anomaly for the first time.

10/10/2025

Family fun awaits! 🌟 Kids’ Night • Wed, Oct 15 • 5:30–7:30. Story time + crafts = smiles!

10/09/2025

Come Trick or Treating for FREE in a fun, sensory friendly environment. All ages with disabilities can come out to the Disability Awareness Trick or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m.-noon, at the Abram Frink Community Center.🍭
For event questions, please call 757-259-5354 or email Tracy.Newsom@jamescitycountyva.gov. 🎃

10/09/2025

💤 Sleep apnea is common among individuals with Down syndrome.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children with Down syndrome between the ages of 3 and 4 years of age are screened for sleep apnea with a sleep study. Sleep apnea can develop at any age so, even if a person with Down syndrome had a sleep study as a child, a health care professional may recommend that they get another sleep study as they get older.

There are a variety of treatments available for sleep apnea including CPAP, hypoglossal nerve stimulation (Inspire), and others. It is important to diagnose and treat sleep apnea because untreated sleep apnea can cause many symptoms that impact daily life. Additionally, untreated sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome.

Learn more about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep apnea in people with Down syndrome in the article linked below.
🔗 https://adscresources.advocatehealth.com/sleep-apnea/

10/08/2025

Previously, it was thought that people with Down syndrome had a higher pain tolerance and/or did not perceive pain. However, more recent research has disproven that idea.

🔹People with Down syndrome can and do feel pain.
🔹It may take them longer to recognize that they are in pain.
🔹People with Down syndrome may have difficulty communicating that they are in pain or identifying where in their body they feel pain.
🔹It is important to watch for behavior changes or other signs that a person with Down syndrome may be in pain.

Brian Chicoine, MD, shares more about pain in people with Down syndrome in the article linked here: https://adscresources.advocatehealth.com/resources/pain-in-people-with-ds/

10/07/2025

Thank you teachers!

Happy World Teachers’ Day! Your work truly makes a difference. 🫶