Down Syndrome Act call for evidence

They are seeking people’s views on what should be included in the Down Syndrome Act statutory guidance.

The call for evidence includes questions for people with Down’s syndrome, their families and carers, and professionals.

The call for evidence is available in easy read.

We are pleased that the call for evidence recognises the role of speech and language therapy and the challenges some people with Down’s syndrome and their families can have accessing it.

It states: “We know that people with Down’s syndrome can have poorer health outcomes compared with the general population and other people with a learning disability.

“People with Down’s syndrome and their families and carers can often struggle to access services such as speech and language therapy, additional educational support and appropriate levels of social care support.”

The RCSLT will be responding to the call for evidence. We would urge all speech and language therapists who work with, or are interested in, people with Down’s syndrome and learning disabilities to respond to the consultation themselves too.

The call for evidence closes at 11.45pm on 8 November 2022.

If you would like more information, please contact lorna.baxter@rcslt.org or peter.just@rcslt.org.