Early Years Development Programme (EYDP)

The Early Years Development Programme is designed for nurseries, preschools and childminders working with a child with Down syndrome. It offers:

• A year-long subscription giving access to expert-led training videos, resources and ongoing guidance and support.
• Short practical videos showing activities for speech, number, play, communication and much more.
• A physical toolkit of resources for use in the setting, plus downloadable extras.
• Monthly online live sessions where staff can ask questions and share successes.

The EYDP is designed to be practical and easy to use, helping early years staff feel confident in supporting your child’s development. 

In England, nurseries can use Disability Access Funding (DAF) – £910 per year for children receiving Disability Living Allowance – which can be used to cover the EYDP subscription cost of £200.

Primary Education Programme (PEP)

For children in reception through to year six, the Primary Education Programme gives schools structured training and resources to support learning and inclusion.

Schools signing up can register as many staff as they wish – from teachers and teaching assistants to lunchtime supervisors and office staff. The programme includes:

• CPD-accredited training for teachers and TAs, covering pupils’ needs, accessing the curriculum and supporting communication.
• A shorter school-wide training module for headteachers, lunchtime staff and others who interact daily with pupils which will support a whole school approach to welcoming a child with Down Syndrome.
• Downloadable resources on literacy, numeracy, classroom strategies, health, friendships, communication and behaviour.
• Monthly Zoom live sessions where staff can raise questions, discuss challenges such as transitions or curriculum topics, and share good practice.

The annual subscription is £100 per child, with a reduced rate for a second child in the same school.

Individualised Behaviour Support

Sometimes schools need extra help managing behaviour that hasn’t improved through their usual strategies. Our Individualised Behaviour support service gives one-to-one advice, including:

• Pre-recorded training on understanding behaviour and creating effective plans.
• Tools such as ABC logs and behaviour templates.
• A personalised consultation to analyse patterns, address challenges and develop positive replacement behaviours.

This service costs £150 per school and provides tailored guidance to help staff support your child’s social and emotional development.

Free resources and extra support

We also work with Twinkl TeachMeets, offering free monthly CPD webinars for teachers and teaching assistants. These sessions cover a wide range of practical topics and include Q&A time.

Parents can play a key role in connecting schools with these services. Through your DSUK parent portal, you can add your child’s nursery or school details. We will then contact the setting directly with all the relevant information and invite them to register.

Services for parents

Alongside our education programmes for schools, we also provide support directly to families, including:

• PADS early development groups (online from 6 months old until school age) – focusing on speech, memory, literacy, number and motor skills.
• Bootcamps on behaviour and toileting – structured 4-week courses with expert guidance.
• Information sessions on topics such as sensory processing, literacy, toilet training and health.

Helping schools help your child

We know that support across the UK can be very patchy – some schools and nurseries have strong local services, while others have none. Our programmes fill those gaps by giving staff the tools, confidence and ongoing guidance they need to support your child effectively.

If you haven’t already, make sure your details are up to date in the parent portal and add your child’s current or future setting. That way, we can reach out directly and invite them to take part.