The BEST Down Syndrome Awareness Products from Companies you SHOULD support.

Let me start by telling you that I am biased.  Yes, I admit it.  I don’t like to order Down Syndrome awareness gear from big box companies or companies that are in no way affiliated with the Down Syndrome community, you know why?  Because they are just in it for the money and they have no vested interest.  There, I have said it and you now know my bias…so with that out of the way, let me share with you some amazing companies that you WANT to make purchases with.  These companies create Down Syndrome Awareness Products and or products produced by individuals with Down Syndrome.  That means to me that when I make a purchase, I am supporting a family raising a child with Down Syndrome, the dreams of an individual with Down Syndrome, or the future of someone who has Down Syndrome.  To me, that is quite important so you won’t find me ordering tees or other products from any company that is simply putting cool shirts, socks or other items out there.

So, here it is, my recommendations for some amazing companies that you should order from…

Our tribe is creative, innovative, and has a lot to offer.  From individuals with Down Syndrome who have pioneered entreprenurialship to parents who have a desire to spread awareness… You will find this list helpful.

 

1.  Beautiful jewelry created by yours truly and inspired by Cedar himself can be found at 6arrowsdesigns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  A lil something extra has some great Tees and Katie is the mom to a little boy whom she adopted that rocks his extra chromosome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. An Extra Blessing has some of the most beautiful handmade items I have ever owned and Cedar has modeled for more than a few of her designs.  I LOVE Sheila’s crochet work and her daughter is her muse, Dianna also has Down Syndrome and happens to be one of my favorite models.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  I am so impressed by this business, Colettys Cookies are baked and marketed by a beautiful young lady who has Down Syndrome and didn’t let that get in her way of having a business of her own!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Gabe the Babe is a company run by the parents of Gabe, a little boy with Down Syndrome.  I got the chance to meet Kristie this year at the DSDN moms retreat in Arizona and she is such a sweetie.  Not to mention, we own a number of their tees! (My favorite is the Down Syndrome Definition shirt!)

 

 

6. The Glory Days a planner for parents of children with special needs.  This is a fantastic resource that was created by Amanda, mom to Rory who was born not long after Cedar and she also rocks her extra chromosome.

7.  Who doesn’t love some fun and crazy socks?  Especially for World Down Syndrome day, Check out John’s Crazy socks a company run by a young man who has Down Syndrome and his dad.

 

 

 

 

 

8. Laura’s greetings is a notecard company with cards designed by Laura herself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Littlest Warrior is run by Michelle, mom to Eli who has Down Syndrome.  Michelle has gone on to create and design shirts for not only those in the Down Syndrome community but also a host of other special needs loved ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.  Megan Bomgaars is well known for her role on the Emmy award winning “Born this Way” show but she is also an entrepreneur with her own clothing and accessory line.  Check out Megology for some great tees.

 

 

 

 

11.  Need some abstract art?  How about checking out the story behind Sevy Marie?

You can see her painting some beautiful works on her site and purchase some for your home as well.  Sevy was adopted from Bulgaria where she spent her first decade institutionalized before becoming a US citizen.  Her story is beyond powerful and Sevy has Down Syndrome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.  Another face from the show “Born this Way” is Sean who has some of the best “seanisms” you have ever heard.  In fact, these sayings are so iconic that he has been able to start a Tee shirt business with his sayings and we have a few of his tees, check out Seanese.com for this entreprenuer’s company, don’t hold back a man just because he has Down Syndrome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.  This one is a personal favorite, ReevesTees. 

Reeve is a little boy who has Down Syndrome and his mom took the idea of a Tshirt company to the next level by copyrighting her famous “Homie with an Extra Chromie” phrase and employing young adults with Down Syndrome to package all of her tees.  My favorite is that when you get your order you have a card all about the individual who packaged it for you!  All of the employees have Down Syndrome.

 

14. Beyond the Waves

We love Julia and her twin brother, Michael (who has Down Syndrome) and Julia just launched her shop where she makes beautiful jewelry like we do!

 

 

 

 

15. Don’t forget Woven with 47 where you can get tees and custom work done too!  This is a family owned business honoring and supporting beautiful Hannah who has Down Syndrome.

 

Did we miss any of your favorites?  Do you have another shop that is run by an individual with Down Syndrome or the family of an individual with Down Syndrome?

 

 

 

 

 

 

16. Special Needs Games-

This company makes fun and engaging games for those with special needs (and their typical siblings too!)  The best part is they have 2 children with different abilities, including Ryan who has Down Syndrome.

 

Best Cups for Children with Down Syndrome

You are ready to move from a bottle or breast to a cup for your child and you are finding the task a bit daunting, if not down right impossible.  Children with Down Syndrome often have difficulties feeding or coordinating the suck-swallow reflex and it can be a huge challenge to locate a cup that will work while not causing your child to drown in his or her beverage.  Look no further, we have surveyed the moms and come up with a list of some of the most popular cups that will help you in the transition process. These are the Best cups for children with Down Syndrome.

*Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.  Using these links may provide this blog with some added revenue but they will not cost you anything.

 

Let me begin by saying that every child is different and what works for mine may not work for yours, which is why we turned to social media to ask what the most popular cups are for children who have Down Syndrome.  Our personal journey took us to Amazon more times than I care to admit and we own a graveyard of sippy cups that just didn’t make the cut.  None of the sippy cups that worked for my 5 typical children were making the cut and it turns out that it was just as much the liquid I was offering as it was the delivery system I was failing at.

I strongly suggest speech or occupational therapy if you have access, it was actually at a Down Syndrome Clinic appointment when meeting with a feeding therapist that I learned part of Cedar’s difficulty was that the liquids I was trying to feed him were too thin.  His little mouth was flooded with water, juice or whatever else I was offering and when he was unable to process the substance, he simply choked or spit it out.  I couldn’t figure out why this was since he has been breastfed since birth and can easily manage thin breastmilk but I was advised it was the delivery system, when nursing a baby gets what is akin to a spray in the mouth versus a flooding of the mouth so the suck swallow reflex is actually different…who knew?

Once we figured out that we needed thicker liquids we were well on our way to baby steps of success.  For my guy, water doesn’t work and his liquids come from milk thickened with yogurt, baby food purees (like the pouches), and thick juice smoothies.  But wait, not all cups will easily allow for thicker liquids so I was THRILLED when I finally came across this wonderful invention… Boon Snug Silicone Sippy Lids it is what works for Cedar (and it is really the only thing we have had consistent success with)  These lids fit on any cup you have and they are made out of soft silicone.  The spout opens with a very light suck but doesn’t leak.  It also allows for thickened liquids to be released easily.  THANK YOU BOON FOR THIS INVENTION!

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We did have some minimal success with the  Munchkin Click Lock Weighted Flexi Straw Trainer Cup

The problem is that this cup doesn’t allow for thicker liquids though it is a good choice when learning to straw drink.

Now, for all the other suggestions from our Down Syndrome tribe of mamas from around the world…

The top suggested Best Cups for children with Down syndrome is actually not a cup but the Talktools Honey Bear Drinking Cup   This one was suggested by over 80% of the mamas who provided input and it comes with instructions and extra straws.

Next from the mama panel comes the green sprouts Glass Sip ‘n Straw Cup

There were a handful of mamas who had good success using the  Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup .  This cup is great for transitioning to a regular cup later but it does require quite a bit of muscle control for the mouth.  We have one of these for Cedar but he hasn’t yet figured out how to really get more than an occasional sip out of it.  I hope in a few months to try again as I love the idea of this cup.

There were several mamas who suggested these  Flexi Cut Cup 2 oz Blue (Pack of 5) .  After conferring with thier speech therapists.  This is a cup that allows for you to help your child and still see just how much liquid they are getting so that you can adjust how much or how little they should get at a sip.

Have you had success with any of these cups?  Are there other ones that have worked great for your child with special needs and if so, which ones?  Leave a comment below.

Related Post: A Speech Therapist’s Feeding Suggestions