The Government must recognize the specific developmental and educational needs of children and young people with Down syndrome, says the All Party Parliamentary Group on Down Syndrome (APPGDS).
Publishing its report presenting good practice guidelines for the education of those with Down syndrome, the cross party group of MPs and peers stressed that those with the condition should be recognised as a “unique group”. Syndrome-specific approaches to education, tailored to the learning profile of children and young people with Down syndrome, should be at the heart of education for these children, the report argues.
The Group has called on the Government to ensure effective planning and monitoring for this population of children and young people, and develop the inspection framework to take account of good practice with pupils with the condition. The report also tasks the Government with developing centrally-produced, evidence-based guidance on Down syndrome for practitioners.
The APPGDS report is available to download at:
http://appg-ds.org/web_images/APPG_Guidelines_for_Education.pdf
