DSE works to improve early intervention and education for children with Down syndrome everywhere. We support scientific research and provide evidence-based resources and services to help over 120,000 parents and professionals in 170 countries each year.
DSE transforms the lives of young people with Down syndrome by improving understanding of their learning needs and by helping families and professionals to provide effective support, early intervention and education. Our goal is to improve outcomes for all children with Down syndrome, helping them to lead more independent, productive and fulfilling lives.
What's new
Free online presentations introducing See and Learn programmes
We have published new presentations introducing the See and Learn Speech, See and Learn Language and Reading and See and Learn Number programmes. The presentations are freely available to view on-demand online. Find out more...
See and Learn First Vocabulary apps bundle for iPads now available
Our new See and Learn First Vocabulary apps for iPads are now available in a money-saving bundle from the Apple App Store. Find out more...
DSE films now available on-demand online
Our films are now available to rent or to buy on-demand online. Previously only available on DVDs, these include films illustrating activities to support development for babies, early speech and language teaching, and inclusive education in primary schools. Find out more...
New See and Learn kits now available
New and updated See and Learn First Vocabulary and First Phrases kits are now available. Find out more...
Announcing changes in See and Learn Language and Reading
We are expanding our See and Learn Language and Reading programme to introduce additional vocabulary, further grammar and more reading opportunities. Find out more...
See and Learn First Counting now available for iPads
See and Learn First Counting - the first step in our new See and Learn Numbers programme is now available for iPads. Find out more...
What we do
Research
Our research strategy focuses on developmental and cognitive research designed to identify interventions that improve speech, language and communication skills, enhance cognitive development, raise levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy, and support effective inclusion. DSE is a recognised leader in this field with a successful track record spanning more than 30 years.
Resources
We publish books, films, teaching materials and apps offering practical guidance for parents, therapists and teachers.
Our books, films and teaching materials are available from online stores in the UK and the USA. Our apps are available from the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon and the Windows Store.
Additional information about our See and Learn early teaching materials and apps is available on the See and Learn web site.
Many articles and books are also freely available on our Down Syndrome Online web site.
Services
We regularly present conferences and webinars, and plan to launch new online learning courses in 2016.
A Reading and Language Intervention for Children with Down Syndrome (RLI)
Our Reading and Language Intervention for Children with Down Syndrome (RLI) is an evidence-based programme designed to teach reading and language skills to children with Down syndrome. RLI incorporates best practice in structured activities delivered in fast-paced daily teaching sessions. It was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial and found to improve rates of progress compared to ordinary teaching.
RLI provides individualised reading and language instruction designed to meet the particular learning needs of students with Down syndrome. It is based on interventions that have been shown to be beneficial for other children experiencing language and reading difficulties, and incorporates the principles of best practice for all children.