When: Thursdays; 6th Nov/13th Nov/20th Nov/27th Nov/4th Dec/Tuesday 9th Dec – 2025 (inclusive) – 6 weekly sessions
Time: 10.00-10.30am
Online Via Zoom
Join Katy Lironi, Down’s Syndrome Scotland’s Makaton Tutor and ABC (Achieving Better Communication) Development Lead for this highly popular, free online course, which is a great introduction to early communication and Makaton signing.
These very popular FREE sessions cover the basics of Makaton signing for babies and introduce songs, stories, rhymes, early communication tips and oral motor exercises. The sessions are fun and interactive, for both parents/carers and babies, teaching families how to best support early communication for their baby with Down’s syndrome and providing contact with other new parents/carers.
The course has been carefully planned to cover a range of exercises, signs, songs and stories across the 6 week period. Sessions include – week 1: saying hello, week 2: eating and drinking, week 3: going places, week 4: play time, week 5: asking for help and week 6: listen carefully, plus many more signs are taught through songs and activities.
Parental feedback suggests that both baby and their parents/carers enjoy the interactive element of this course and learning signs through songs and activities. We do however understand that individual circumstances might mean that you are not able to commit to the day/time as outlined above, or perhaps you will be unable to attend a session one week. All sessions will be recorded and a secure Vimeo link emailed weekly to attendees. If you cannot attend on Tuesdays, you can request to receive the weekly recordings of the whole 6 week block. Please let Katy know in advance if you can’t attend one week by emailing, katy@dsscotland.org.uk.
To book onto this 6 week course please complete the registration form at the link below.
Come and celebrate all things Down’s syndrome with our new-style AGM. Our Board of Trustees, led by our new Chair, Andrea Tonner, would love you to join us online on Saturday 4th October 2025 from 1pm .
All the papers for the AGM can be found below including easy read versions of the agenda and AGM notice.
We hope you will be able to join us.
If you’d like to come please register here.
AGM Papers
Agenda and Calling Notice
Easy Read Agenda
Easy Read Notice
AGM Poster
Minutes of our last AGM (2024)
Annual Report 2024/2025
We are delighted that we can introduce some more in-person ABC Songs, Stories and Signs sessions for children aged 6-12 years (up to 12th birthday or older depending on communication stage)
Come along to our ABC Songs, Stories and Signs face-to-face event on Sunday 7th December at 11.00am in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 12noon).
Sessions take place at Cill Mhanach Wellness Studio, Redhouse Road, Seafield, West Lothian, EH47 7AL and will be hosted by June Flynn, ABC Tutor, from our Achieving Better Communication (ABC) team.
To attend this event please complete the form below. We will then email a reminder of the details of the event (usually a few days before from abc@dsscotland.org.uk).
Event information:
There is no additional cost for those who subscribe to our ABC programme as it includes monthly face-to-face sessions throughout the year. A £5.00 charge (per session) applies to families who aren’t signed up to the ABC Programme.
The sessions will take place once per month (usually last Sunday of the month) and will feature lots of familiar aspects of our ABC online sessions – songs, Makaton signs, stories and communication activities. Face-face sessions also provide a great opportunity for meeting other parents.
Face-to-face ABC Songs, Stories and Signs sessions will be in addition to weekly online ABC or ABC Anytime sessions, which will continue weekly throughout term time.
Each event can accommodate a maximum of 6 children plus a parent/carer and will be on a first come first served basis. Please book only one ticket per family.
Each event needs to be booked on an individual basis, but more than one session can be booked by each family.
Come along to our ABC Songs, Stories and Signs face-to-face event on Sunday 2nd November at 11.00am in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 12noon).
Come along to our ABC Songs, Stories and Signs face-to-face event on Sunday 5th October at 11.00am in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 12noon).
Come along to our ABC Songs, Stories and Signs face-to-face event on Sunday 14th September at 11.00am in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 12noon).
Please come along to our in-person ABC Next Steps session for adults aged 18 years and over on Sunday 7th December at 12.30pm in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 13.45pm).
ABC Next Steps provides a literacy and communication session for adults. You can expect lots of the same activities included in our online sessions – introductions, getting to know you, topic-based conversations and follow up literacy activities and games.
Face-face sessions also provide a great opportunity for adults to meet and continue their communication journey.
Face-to-face ABC Next Steps sessions will be in addition to weekly online ABC or ABC Anytime sessions, which will continue weekly throughout term time.
Each event can accommodate a maximum of 12 adults plus a parent/carer and will be on a first come first served basis. Please book only one ticket per family.
Please come along to our in-person ABC Next Steps session for adults aged 18 years and over on Sunday 5th October at 12.30pm in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 13.45pm).
Please come along to our in-person ABC Next Steps session for adults aged 18 years and over on Sunday 14th September at 12.30pm in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 13.45pm).
ABC First Steps and ABC Songs, Stories and Signs for children aged 0-6 will join together this month to bring you a festive session full of your favourite Christmas songs, stories and party games. Additional family members and siblings are welcome to join in the fun.
Come along to our face-to-face event on Saturday 20th December at 10.30am-12pm for December only.
This session will be at Platform, The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, Glasgow, G34 9JW and will be hosted by Katy Lironi, ABC Development Lead and Makaton Tutor, from our Achieving Better Communication (ABC) team.
The sessions will take place once per month (usually last Saturday of the month) and will feature lots of familiar aspects of our First Steps sessions – songs, Makaton signs, stories and early communication activities. Face-face sessions also provide a great opportunity for meeting other parents.
Face-to-face First Steps sessions will be in addition to weekly online First Steps or ABC Anytime First Step sessions, which will continue weekly throughout term time.
Each event can accommodate a maximum of 10 children plus a parent/carer and will be on a first come first served basis. Please book only one ticket per family. (Usually both parents and a sibling can attend, but please be mindful that the sessions are structured to meet the communication needs of children with Ds.)