GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION RELEASES FAMILY FRIENDLY

DENVER, CO, June 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) announced the release of a family-friendly version of the GLOBAL Medical Care Guidelines for Adults with Down Syndrome (GLOBAL Adult Guideline). The resource is a professional rewrite aimed at accessibility, with input from focus groups of individuals with Down syndrome and their family members. Focus group participants were selected to include gender, race, and age diversity.

The GLOBAL Adult Guideline was published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, in October 2020, and was the culmination of five years of hard work led by GLOBAL and the medical directors of the largest adult Down Syndrome clinics in the United States. It is a technical document written for healthcare providers and covers nine areas – behavioral, dementia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, atlantoaxial instability, thyroid disease and celiac disease.

“We created the guidelines to the highest standards so that we can be published in JAMA,” said Michelle Sie Whitten, President and CEO of GLOBAL. “Any English speaking practitioner can find and implement the guidelines, which is a great gift to our community. Today we’re taking it to the next level, empowering adults with Down syndrome and their families to understand the guidelines and advocate for them with their healthcare providers. Being the parent of a 19-year-old with Down Syndrome is a dream come true.”

The family-friendly adult GLOBAL guide includes helpful excerpt quotes, large photos and fonts, and is color-coded by medical topic. The written version is around 20 pages compared to the technical version which is over 80 pages. The family-friendly GLOBAL policy for adults are available free of charge on the GLOBAL website and in printed form. The print version is expected to be ordered by medical centers, Down Syndrome organizations and other advocacy groups…