Fall 2023

down syndrome association OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY

FALL 2023

FEATURE STORY

BE INSPIRED

EMILY INVESTIGATES

Rest Easy: Sleep and Down Syndrome

DSACK Students Give Back

Defining Leadership

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Page 12

Page 15

KEEPING UP WITH DSACK

Contents PAGE 3

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

On the Cover: Will Merritt

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PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE

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EVENT SPOTLIGHT

STAFF Executive Director: Traci Brewer Education Coordinators: Jean Bryant and Elaine Murner Medical/Community Outreach Coordinator: Courtney Elbert Office Coordinator/Magazine Editor: Terri McLean Administrative Assistant: Emily Wright

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FEATURE STORY: SLEEP ISSUES

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BE INSPIRED: GIVING BACK

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OFFICERS Chairperson: Corey Hawes

FROM THE DSACK BOOKSHELF

Versailles, KY

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Treasurer: Lee Ann Mullis Georgetown, KY

EMILY INVESTIGATES: LEADERSHIP

Secretary: Anna Bullard Lexington, KY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christopher Azbell Lexington, KY

Nikki Davidson Lexington, KY

Kristen Dieruf Lexington, KY

Shawn Fear Lexington, KY

Amy Roberts Somerset, KY

Elizabeth Russell Paris, KY

Margot Schenning Lexington, KY

Matt Shorr Lexington, KY

Caryn Sorge Lexington, KY

Jonathan Wright Lexington, KY

Laura Yost Lexington, KY

CONTACT INFORMATION Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky 2265 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 370, Lexington, KY 40504 859-494-7809 Website: www.dsack.org Email: dsack.org@gmail.com DSACK Bylaws and financials are open for review, and the Board of Director meetings are open to our community. Agenda items are determined well in advance.

DSACK does not endorse the opinions or views expressed by third parties or the products or services they offer. Reference to any specific commercial products, brand names, processes or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute an endorsement.

The DSACK magazine is published by the Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky, 2265 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 370, Lexington, KY 40504.

Stay Connected You can now register for events right from our website calendar at www.dsack.org.

To receive our weekly email blitz, email Terri at: dsack.org@gmail.com.

To join our private Facebook group where you can communicate with other DSACK families, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/82674673490/ and request to be added to the group.

To “like” our official Facebook page and receive updates from our association, go to https://www.facebook.com/TheDownSyndromeAssociationofCentralKentucky.

To contact us by phone, call 859-494-7809; by email, send to dsack.org@gmail.com.

Follow DSACK@DSAofCentralKY on Twitter.

Follow DSACK_DSACK on Instagram.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

By Traci Brewer It’s hard to believe that fall is here. I personally love

Most importantly, our board and our staff do not shy

the cooler weather and beautiful colors. It’s also a time

away from challenges. Our five-year strategic plan is

to reflect back on the summer events, camps, and

ambitious, and we are marching forward to meet our

programs. DSACK has been one busy place!

goals.

As I write this, the DSACK staff is putting the final

This magazine is one example of how we meet new

touches on our annual Family Fun Day and Walk which

challenges. Last year, we decided our magazine could

took place on September 9. We are writing thank you

become more of a resource magazine tackling

notes, reorganizing and putting away all of the walk

challenging subjects such as sleep disorders, special

stuff until next year, and discussing what went well and

education law, Down syndrome regression, and more.

how we can make next year even better. Thank you to

Terri, our magazine editor and office coordinator, is

everyone who created a team, advocated for people

digging in to find the research, interview experts, and

with Down syndrome, and showed up to celebrate with

write quality articles that you will want to hang on to for

us. Because of you, we had the best day ever! We set a

the future. Of course, along the way we, introduce you

few records this year with the most registered teams,

to some really cool families and inspiring things

the most team names on the back of the shirt, and are

happening within our DSACK community.

closing in quickly on our goal of $150,000.

We are a community, and I love that! I have met some Funds raised from the walk are a large part of our

of my dearest friends through DSACK, and we have

budget. We have grown tremendously in recent years.

journeyed through a lot together. Community is being

So much so, that I would no longer classify DSACK as a

with people who just “get it” and no further explanation

small nonprofit, but rather a mid-size organization. We

is needed. Our community is growing, and I can’t wait to

serve over 400 families in many different areas of

welcome more families!

Kentucky; we provide services, programs, and events across the life-span; and we take a holistic approach in

Thanks for being part of that growth by participating,

serving not just people with Down syndrome, but their

advocating, and fundraising. We couldn’t do what we do

families, schools, and communities.

without you!

Pictured above is part of my daughter’s team, Awesome Emily, from last year. (I don’t know

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where the rest of our team wandered off to.)

PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE

CONNECTING TO DSACK LEADS TO ‘RICHER’ LIVES

By Randy Stringer My wife, Annette, and I were preparing for the next phase of our lives - retirement. We understood that any plans would have to include our daughter, Caitlin (age 27). We had worked for years to help her be more independent, to be able to live on her own, but we slowly discovered that for her to live her best life, she would need to be with us.

In California, where we lived until two years ago, if you had the diagnosis of Trisomy 21, Down syndrome, you were entitled to services by law.

We had thousands of dollars of services where we lived in California, but accessing the right thing for Caitlin to thrive proved to be challenging. So when we retired, after a lot of traveling, visiting other places, and soulsearching, we decided to move back to Kentucky.

I received my master’s here in 1995 (returning to California immediately after), and my wife and I had started our family here. We believed that this move would not only improve our quality of life, but Caitlin’s, as well.

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On our first visit, after our decision to move, we met and had breakfast with Traci, Keith, and Emily Brewer.

What a joyful and wonderful experience it was sharing a meal with them and finding out about what Central Kentucky, and DSACK had to offer our family. We learned that Kentucky didn’t just automatically grant our daughter services because of her disability. We would have to apply for the Michelle P Waiver, she would be placed on a waiting list, and that it may take

"DSACK has been everything we, and especially Caitlin, have never really experienced before."

years for her to receive services from Kentucky.

So, we would be moving from a place where Caitlin was receiving lots of services, to a place where she was probably not going to receive services for years. But because of what we learned about DSACK, the programs they offered, the friendliness of the Brewer family, and the welcoming spirit of people we met in Central Kentucky, we decided to make the move to Wilmore.

Since our move, DSACK has been everything we, and especially Caitlin, have never really experienced before.

We experienced our second DSACK Family Fun Day and Walk. The fun we had, and the things Caitlin was able to do, helped connect us to a community of Down syndrome supporters! Through DSACK, Caitlin has attended a weekly college hangout via Zoom, where she has met a few friends and begun developing some social skills she can use when making friends elsewhere.

Through DSACK, Caitlin attended a three-week day camp called Next Steps at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College, where she learned leadership and presentation skills that she can use in looking for a job.

Again, through DSACK, she learned about (and attended) a week’s summer camp at Bluegrass Christian Camp, where she was able to make new friends and have

Again, through DSACK, Caitlin attended several sessions of “Healthy Movement,” where she learned some exercise and movement routines that have helped her to recognize that she needed to adopt a healthier, exercise-based lifestyle in order to get healthier. Through our connections at DSACK, our whole family has begun to expand our friends base and has experienced other opportunities like the Jesus Prom at Southland Christian Church.

We are amazed at how much busier and richer it seems our lives have become. We have met some wonderful friends, and found a church (Wilmore Anglican Church) that is loving, accepting, and includes Caitlin in its ministry. Caitlin has found a job that affirms her and brings her joy (and cash, as she likes to say)! We have found a community that is friendly and reaches out to community members in Wilmore.

AND we have found DSACK! A place that invites you in, educates every member of the family about processes and services available, and strives to enrich the lives of every family. DSACK has turned Down syndrome, for our family, into UP Syndrome.

We couldn’t survive here without it.

some fun “camp” experiences.

Through DSACK she has taken two cooking classes and brought home some new recipes that she learned to make while at the class.

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Caitlin Stringer, 27, lives with her parents, Randy and Annette Stringer in Wilmore. Randy is retired and is currently taking classes at Asbury Theological Seminary, while Annette, a marriage, family, and child counselor, continues to build her counseling practice.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

21st Annual Family Fun Day and Walk = SUCCESS! Oh, what fun – and what success – we had at our 21st annual Family Fun Day and Walk. The event, held Sept. 9 at the Masterson Station Park Fairgrounds in Lexington, attracted about 1,200 people from all over Central and Eastern Kentucky for a day of celebration and support. We raised more than $146,000 as of Sept. 30 and still have donations trickling in. How amazing is that!

Thank you to our community partners, teams, and everyone who supported this most important event. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

Enjoy these photos that captured our special day.

New this year was our Grill & Fill area featuring free hamburgers and hot dogs. Thanks to the LFUCG Fire Dept. for grilling and FoodChain for organizing this new area!

Also, our DSACK adult students organized and operated our first-ever lemonade stand as one of their GiveBack projects. They raised $327 for WHAS Crusade for Children, who supports DSACK every year with a generous grant for our educational programs.

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FEATURE STORY

The Whys

Rest Easy: Sleep Problems are Common but ‘Fixable’

By Terri McLean

If your child with Down syndrome has trouble sleeping, he or she is not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 76 percent of children with Down syndrome have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.

What’s more, if not addressed, these problems often persist into adulthood; by some measures, the prevalence of sleep difficulties nears 100 percent as children with Down syndrome get older.

So, what’s a parent to do?

According to Chris Azbell, M.D., assistant professor of pediatric otolaryngology at the Kentucky Children's Hospital in Lexington, there’s plenty you can do to make sure your child – and you – get the good-quality sleep you need.

“Sleep issues may be a very common problem, but they are a very fixable problem,” said Azbell, who is a DSACK board member.

“There are ways we can figure out what is going on and there are ways to help. Sometimes that means going down the medical or surgical route, and sometimes that means talking with sleep medicine doctors and other health-care providers and getting on a better schedule and better routine.”

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There are two underlying causes of sleep problems – physical problems and behavioral problems. The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) identifies several physical reasons why children with Down syndrome frequently experience sleep issues. They include facial structure differences, narrow airway in the nose and throat, low muscle tone, poor coordination of airway movements, and obesity. These physical attributes lead to poor breathing and, therefore, poor sleep. Add to that the fact that individuals with Down syndrome also tend to have enlarged adenoids, tonsils, and tongues, causing obstruction in their already narrowed airways. (Because of these characteristics, children with Down syndrome are especially vulnerable to sleep apnea.)

“They might sleep fine when they’re 1 or 2 years old and develop symptoms later. Most frequently, it affects the early elementary school ages.”

-- Chris Azbell, M.D. But there are also behavioral causes that can impact the quality of sleep. Most importantly, these include poor “sleep hygiene” practices. Examples of poor sleep hygiene include keeping irregular bedtimes and viewing electronics before bedtime. But problems also can occur when parents frequently give in to a child’s demands, such as asking for the toilet, food, drinks, or more bedtime stories.

Signs and Symptoms A number of signs can indicate whether a child has sleep issues. According to the NIH Library of Medicine, some of the more prevalent include: restless sleep, snoring, making gasping noises, frequent waking during the night, anxiety at bedtime, reluctance to go to bed, trouble getting out of bed, insistence on sleeping withparents or siblings, heavy breathing, apneic pauses (a pause in breathing lasting at least 10 seconds), daytime sleepiness, excessive napping, teeth grinding, nightmares, and even bed wetting.

However, some children, especially those with sleep apnea, may show no symptoms at all. The only clue might be difficulty paying attention during the daytime or experiencing learning problems, Azbell said. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a sleep study for all kids with Down syndrome between the ages of 3 and 4, he said, adding, “Sleep apnea in particular can be severe without obvious symptoms, and you want to address that as early as possible.”

As with any child, sleep problems in children with Down syndrome often develop over time. “They might sleep fine when they’re 1 or 2 years old and develop symptoms later. Most frequently, it affects the early elementary school ages,” Azbell said.

While the effects of sleep problems are troubling enough at nighttime, they often show up in daytime behaviors, too. Research shows that there is a link between a child’s sleep disturbance and the occurrence of daytime behavior difficulties. According to Down Syndrome Education International, children who don’t sleep well may show signs of irritability, aggression, and hyperactivity. Disturbances might also affect a child’s concentration level.

In children with Down syndrome, this may manifest itself in temper tantrums, using fewer words to communicate, and having trouble learning new skills, according to the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). Adults with sleep difficulties might refuse to participate in normal activities, be less willing to engage in conversations, forget parts of their usual routine, and have difficulty following directions.

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Focus On Sleep Apnea Disordered breathing during sleep – called sleep apnea – is the most common sleep issue experienced by children with Down syndrome. Studies have suggested that 53 to 76 percent of children with Down syndrome have sleep apnea, compared to 1 to 4 percent of the rest of the population, according to NDSS. Although some children with sleep apnea may be asymptomatic, others snore, cough, choke, exhibit signs of restlessness while sleeping, sleep in unusual positions, sweat excessively, and, most alarming, have periods when breathing actually stops. There are two main types of sleep apnea – obstructive sleep apnea, the most prevalent, and central sleep apnea, which is much more rare and may be harder to treat.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition that occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleeping, causing a blockage in the airway that stops breathing for a few seconds.

The reduction in oxygen intake can present a number of risks for individuals with Down syndrome, including an increased risk of heart disease, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and stroke, according NDSS. “Mild sleep apnea is treatable with medications to help reduce inflammation in the back of the nose or airways. Moderate to severe sleep apnea often requires surgery, including to remove tonsils and/or adenoids. In most kids we prefer to try medical and surgical interventions first prior to a CPAP because of poor tolerance of CPAP in children,” Azbell said.

Parents as Advocates As parents of a child with Down syndrome, you are his or her most important advocate. This is true when it comes to sleep issues. Together with your pediatrician and other sleep medicine professionals, you can find ways for your child to get a good night’s sleep.

“The first step is bringing up your concerns with your pediatrician. Talk about the symptoms in detail, have an examination, and decide what’s next,” Azbell said.

Sleep Study Important for All Children with Down Syndrome A sleep study, also called polysomnography, uses sensors attached to the body to record brain waves, the oxygen level in the blood, and heart rate and breathing during sleep. It is usually conducted at night in a hospital or sleep center.

Promoting Effective Sleep: Some Tips Although a sleep study is noninvasive and painless, it Do’s:

can present challenges, especially for children, said

Do keep regular bedtimes/establish a regular routine,

Chris Azbell, M.D., assistant professor of pediatric

including weekend and holidays when possible.

otolaryngology at the Kentucky Children's Hospital in

Do create an atmosphere that is relaxing, that makes

Lexington and member of the DSACK board.

the child feel safe and secure. Make sure the child’s room is quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature.

“You’ve got a young child and his or her parents in a

Do avoid stimulating activities in the hour before

new, unfamiliar room with strange people in masks and

bedtime, including electronics/screen time.

white coats and electrodes stuck all over your body,” he

Do reward good bedtime behavior – use a star chart or

said. “It’s not going to be a comfortable way for anybody

other reward system.

to sleep, especially for a young child who doesn’t understand why they’re having the test.”

Yet, Azbell said, a sleep study is critically important,

Don‘ts Don‘t use the bedroom for punishment. You should not create an association between bedtime/the bedroom and negative emotions.

Don’t allow cola, chocolate, or other caffeine rich foods or drinks before bedtime.

Don’t reinforce settling and waking problems by giving into demands for drinks, food, stories, etc.

Avoid confrontation. (Requests to go to the bathroom should be allowed within reason, but limit interaction.)

Don’t play “rough and tumble” games to make your child free tired; such games do not lead to a readiness for sleep.

especially for children with Down syndrome who are

-Adapted from Down Syndrome Education International’s “Overcoming sleep problems for Children with Down syndrome.”

Bourne do. Their son Ethan, 18, has had three successful

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more prone to obstructive sleep apnea. It’s so important, that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all children with Down syndrome get one between the ages of 3 and 4, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

To make a sleep study more successful, Azbell said it’s important to make the child as comfortable as possible.

“Parents should bring blankets, toys, books – anything that’s part of the bedtime routine.”

That’s exactly what DSACK parents Jay and Beth Ann studies so far, one about every five years.

“As parents, we’ve made it a goal to have all of Ethan’s medical and dental visits be as calm as possible and avoid any unnecessary fear or trauma, “Beth Ann said. “As much as possible, we’ve avoided having him held down just to get through things because we felt it would just make things harder the next time. Tight restraining doesn’t usually calm kids.”

And because they had heard stories of children taking the sensors off during a sleep study, Beth Ann said they also do other things to prepare Ethan, including watching videos of children prepping for a sleep study. (See recommended videos below.)

“To avoid getting fixated on exactly how it happens in a video, watching multiple videos helps,” she said. “I showed him videos or the parts of videos where the children were being very calm and cooperative and where the equipment was shown or explained. We watched them together multiple times and talked about them.”

“We also, it sounds kind of silly, but we play with masking tape because Ethan is averse to sticky things. He was the kind of kid who didn’t make it out of the office with a Bandaid on,” she laughed. “We literally play with tape. I let him stick it on me, stick it on my face. … So we got to where he could stick it on his face, which was good.”

Visuals are most helpful with Ethan, as is practicing and talking about what is going to happen. The Bournes also find it important to work with a sleep study provider that is accustomed to working with children.

But they also do things to distract him during an actual study: “Singing things that he likes, watching things on his iPad – any kind of calming routine that they already have, you can tap into that.”

“It got to be a family routine when he had to be still and brave that we sang the ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ song,” Beth Ann added. “We’ve even had nurses and practitioners spontaneously join in with us. It wasn’t that the song was

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Ethan Bourne, now 18, has had three successful sleep studies,.

magical; it was the routine of it – that he knew it was going to be OK and that when the song was over that the procedure would be over.”

One thing the Bournes don’t recommend is trying to tire a child the night before. “I was so concerned about sleeping in a strange place and things like that, we stayed the night before in a hotel and went to the swimming pool trying to wear him out. He slept that night like he didn’t sleep at home. They wondered why we even brought him. Just try to keep your normal routine.”

According to Azbell, the goal with a sleep study is to get a whole night’s sleep. “But sometimes we just get a few hours of sleep, and that can still be very helpful in providing a snapshot of how severe the symptoms are.”

The Bournes recommend the following YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADT_Bp0VWtU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjVoqG-4_FY

BE INSPIRED

Initiative Helps Answer: How Can I Be of Service to Others?

By Terri McLean

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve” That quote by Martin Luther King Jr. is something that DSACK’s Courtney Elbert has always taken to heart but especially in recent months. The medical and community outreach coordinator, along with Executive Director Traci Brewer, has been a driving force behind the organization’s push to give individuals with Down syndrome – and their families – opportunities to give back to the community.

“It’s so true. Everybody, whether you have an extra chromosome or not, can be of service to others,” Elbert said.

“We often talk about, as part of DSACK’s vision for a brighter

Above and right: DSACK students, parents work together to pack food boxes for families experiencing food insecurity.

This past August, a group of teens and young adults

future, helping people with Down syndrome be contributing

worked with physician assistant students from the

members of society – to help make the community a little bit

University of Kentucky to create hospital care packages

better of a place, make the world a better place. Now, we’re just

for DSACK families who experience extended hospital

making that vision a reality.”

stays. Earlier, they helped put together summerthemed baskets as a way to say thank you to medical

How? By offering what DSACK is calling GiveBack events.

Already, a group of adults who participated in this past summer’s Next Steps program joined with their families to pack about 90 boxes of food to go to people in the Lexington community who experience food insecurity. During Next Steps, they also worked with Father Norman Fischer to create art

providers who help DSACK make connections with new families.

Coming up in November, DSACK is partnering with UK medical students to share a Friendsgiving meal,

butterflies to give to nursing home residents and made a sign-

create baby blankets, and collect books for various

language video to send to a school in Haiti.

DSACK programs.

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The idea for creating GiveBack events has been “percolating” for quite some time, Elbert said. When adults in the Moving Forward Leadership 101 class at Bluegrass Community and Technical College began exploring service as a form of leadership, the idea gained traction. And then when many of those same adults came together for the Next Steps program and discussed the merits of giving back, “it gave us a final spark of inspiration to say, let’s do this.”

“There are groups out there that are truly in need of volunteers for service, and we have a group truly wanting to give back to the community that doesn’t always get the opportunity to do so,” she added.

So far, the GiveBack events have been targeted to teens and adults with Down syndrome. But that’s not to say that future events won’t be offered for younger students. “We’re going to see how this evolves,” Elbert said.

DSACK is currently seeking ideas for future GiveBack events.

Some of the ideas under consideration include partnering with the Ronald McDonald House to provide a meal for its residents; working with Riding for Hope to make horse treats; and partnering with a local humane society to make catnip toys.

“We’re looking for ideas and connections in the community, whether it’s through your school, your church, or the broader community,” Elbert said.

And remember, she said, “When you’re giving back it’s a broader human response. You feel good to make the world a little better. You feel competent, you feel inspired. I think it helps us all develop empathy. It gives us a reason to come together as a community focused on something larger than just ourselves.”

“We are shifting the paradigm,” she added. “Individuals with Down syndrome are typically the recipients of service. Instead, both the individuals and the community view individuals with Down syndrome as competent, compassionate leaders who help create a brighter future for all.”

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The book is organized by key topics and issues that “provide a solid foundation for helping your child learn FROM THE DSACK BOOKSHELF

what it means to be a sexually healthy person.” These topics and issues are called foundational concepts and

Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality The DSACK Lending Library is full of wonderful

include: The body (function of body parts, care for the body, body changes, etc.)

Privacy awareness (access to privacy, difference between public and private, etc.)

Exploitation prevention (defining exploitation, warning signals, body rights, etc.)

Relationships (types of relationships, dating, sexual attraction, etc.)

Additionally, Couwenhoven addresses predictable

resources for parents/caregivers, grandparents,

developmental stages that are not affected by

teachers, and self-advocates. This issue, we’re

disability; for example, she writes that parents need to

featuring “Teaching Children with Down

prepare their children for puberty. She writes about

Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries, and

these topics and issues in an easy-to-follow format that

Sexuality,” by Terri Couwenhoven, M.S.

includes numerous at-home activities, teaching materials, and breakout points.

As difficult as it may be to believe, it wasn’t that long

Chapters include: Learning about the Body: Key

ago that policies that violate the basic rights to privacy

Information and Ideas for Teaching; Teaching about

and sexual expression of individuals with Down

Privacy; Touch and Affection; Teaching Your Child

syndrome were commonplace. The momentum of the

about the Physical Changes of Puberty; Social Skills for

self-advocacy movement, however, changed all that,

Healthy Relationships; and Friendship and Dating.

according to Terri Couwenhoven, M.S., a certified

Numerous appendixes provide visual teaching aids and

sexual educator and mother of a child with Down

related activities.

syndrome. In her book, “Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries and Sexuality,” she maintains that individuals with Down syndrome – or anyone with cognitive disabilities – have the same rights to information and needs as everyone else does when it comes to sexuality.

Who is this book for? Primarily, it’s for parents because they have the most opportunities to teach their children about their bodies and boundaries, and they can influence what their children learn about sexuality, Couwenhoven writes. But teachers, paraprofessionals, health care professionals, and sex educators might also find it helpful. It is written to be a guide for addressing sexuality issues across the lifespan.

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EMILY INVESTIGATES

EMILY INVESTIGATES

leadership

In this issue, we ask DSACK Administrative Assistant Emily Wright about leadership and what it means to be a leader. Emily was one of 15 students who participated in the Moving Forward class on Leadership 101 at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Here is a summary of our conversation with her.

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How do you define leadership?

What was the most important thing

A leader is someone who has the

you learned about leadership in the

ability to inspire, lead, and influence

BCTC Leadership 101 class?

others. A good leader listens, is

Making a schedule and setting

respectful, and is helpful; someone

priorities in life. Learning how to set

who reaches for the stars. It’s

goals. Knowing what is important

demonstrating the good qualities

and knowing what to focus on.

you have and helping others stay

Who in your life do you consider a

focused.

good leader, and why?

How do you show leadership in

A family friend from Arkansas

your friend/co-worker group?

named Jeannette Pratt. She was my

I try to show empathy and be

librarian in elementary school and

motivational. I always try to be

always taught me how to be

understanding and show my friends

responsible. She always showed me

and co-workers that I have their

how kindness goes a long way. She

backs. I like to share inspirational

was always very encouraging. Her

quotes with them, especially before

heart is always filled with joy – I

our big events so they’re motivated

could always talk to her. She’s very

to be their very best. I try to learn

patient – knows when to listen. She

from my co-workers. That’s part of

inspires me to do great things in my

being a leader, too

life.

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID LEXINGTON, KY PERMIT #591

Our Mission

2265 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 370 Lexington, KY 40504 Return Service Requested

To celebrate and support people with Down syndrome and their families and to educate ourselves and others throughout Central and Eastern Kentucky.