Early Years Development Programme
Access to training, resources and ongoing support to enable a child with Down syndrome to flourish in your early years setting and promote an inclusive learning environment for all. From September, we're making our education programmes free!
We invest over £100,000 every year in developing and delivering expert support for schools and nurseries. If you’d like to help us sustain that – and reach more children – we’d love your support.
Down Syndrome UK’s Early Years Development Programme is a flexible, online programme created and delivered by experts in working with children with Down syndrome. Designed for SENCOs, portage, early years teachers and nursery managers, the programme equips staff with training, resources and ongoing support to effectively support children with Down syndrome. Access to the programme includes live ongoing support which includes downloadable practical guidance that fits around your schedule and promotes development in your child.
From September, our Early Years Development Programme will be completely free for all early years practitioners. Sign up below and you’ll be the first to receive your invitation to our new platform when it launches in September
With funding from...
Free access to learning and support from sign-up
Why choose us?
DSUK’s Early Years Development Programme (EYDP) is designed and led by experts in their field. You’ll receive a resource package designed for early years professionals supporting children with Down syndrome. This package covers key areas including communication, behaviour, inclusion, learning and physical development. The year-long programme helps staff build confidence and deliver high quality, developmentally-appropriate support. Includes downloadable materials, video training, and a toolkit of printed resources.
Our overview document is a helpful resource to explain the value of EYDP to headteachers and decision makers.
Expert-led
Practical and flexible
Trusted by professionals
Ongoing support
See how EYDP works in practice
In this short video, an early years practitioner shares how EYDP helped their setting use practical strategies to support communication, behaviour and independence – and how it strengthened confidence across the whole team. You can also download the full case study to see how the programme was implemented in day-to-day practice, including examples of resources used and the impact seen both in the setting and at home.
Supporting transitions in the early years
Whether a child is moving to a new nursery room, preparing to start school, or finding the smaller daily transitions a challenge – the right preparation makes all the difference. We’ve brought together guidance and resources to help early years practitioners and families feel ready for whatever’s coming next.
Many of these transitions resources were made free to access from our Early Years Development Programme (EYDP).
What others had to say about us...
Dr Becky Baxter
This programme is designed and led by Dr. Rebecca Baxter, Director of Education and Speech and Language Therapy at Down Syndrome UK. With over 15 years of experience working with schools and families, Becky has successfully supported hundreds of children with Down syndrome of all ages across a range of education settings. Becky has worked collaboratively with experienced professionals across areas of education and health to develop the programme ensuring school staff have access to relevant and up-to-date information from a range of experts in their field.
Our programme is rigorously grounded in the scientific understanding of the learning needs of children with Down syndrome. At the same time our services are firmly focused on practical advice designed to improve outcomes for children with Down syndrome in preschool settings.
Sarah Holton
Nursery Resource Pack
We believe that at preschool age, children see each other just as children, and that nurseries/preschool settings already teach discreetly around differences. We want to provide resources to educate and enlighten the practitioners who work with our children and have put together packs specifically for this purpose.
These include some of our own publications, leaflets, posters and books.
FAQs
Our setting finds it difficult to release staff for training at certain times during the day. How can we access the training?
The training recordings, which cover a range of topics, can be viewed at any time by staff working with the child who has Down syndrome. The library of recordings, information and resources includes speech, language and communication, behaviour, learning, health, physical development and toilet training. These can all be used flexibly throughout the year of your subscription.
Do the support sessions run during the day? Are they at specific times?
The live support sessions take place once a month (3pm on the first Thursday of each month). They are a great opportunity to ask questions about the theme of the session or anything else you would like support with, as well as find out more about the programme and connect with other settings. Links to join are in the education portal and in the ongoing support sections of EYDP and PEP.
Our monthly newsletters for professionals signed up to the EYDP share details of the up-coming sessions. Dates and subject matter are also listed in the EYDP portal.
Does the Early Years Development Programme include information on speech, language and communication?
Yes, the EYDP does include a section focused on speech, language and communication. It’s a very valuable resource especially if your setting’s current SALT provision is limited. Maintaining consistency in the use of signing, visuals and spoken language between home and nursery is important.
Can we have additional copies of the printed resource pack we were sent?
Yes, the printed resources from the pack are all in the relevant sections of EYDP portal for you to print out.
Can parents use the same resources from the EYDP at home?
Yes! Settings can share whichever EYDP resources they wish with parents. Some of the resources are already available to parents via DSUK’s pants4school toilet training programme and PEGS programme for parents. All EYDP resources are downloadable from your portal so staff can easily share specific resources they are using with parents. It is important that the setting and parents communicate about what they are using to ensure consistency for the child.
We’re in Wales — is the Early Years Development Programme relevant?
Yes! While the SEN support systems may differ, families and early years settings in Wales have found the EYDP resources highly relevant and very helpful. Parents of one child told us-
“Our son attends mainstream nursery school and has been so lucky to be part of the Early Years Developemnt Programme…since attending nursery school he has come on leaps and bounds”
The child in our setting has some behaviour challenges. Does DSUK offer support and advice for this?
Whilst children with Down syndrome do have strengths in early social skills, there could also be some challenges. The EYDP includes an extensive library of recordings and accompanying resources to enable staff to support and reinforce positive behaviour, introduce visuals and teach new behaviours.
Should our setting sign up to the EYDP before a child joins us?
Early Years settings can sign up at any point in the year and will receive 12 months membership. Staff can access the online resources at any time to familiarise themselves with the programme and understand about the learning profile of children with Down syndrome before the child joins them. The programme also includes resources and guidance about successful transitions which will be invaluable as staff welcome a new pupil to their class.
Can nursery resources be shared with school before a child starts school?
We would always encourage communication between nursery and school as part of transition. Nursery and preschool settings should share information about what they have been working on with the child during the summer term to help the school prepare for the child’s arrival. At DSUK we have a Primary Education Programme that schools can sign up to in advance of the child starting school, so that they are able to begin training and familiarise themselves with resources before the child starts Reception. Similarly, we would encourage nurseries to sign up to EYDP themselves for the year the child is with them prior to starting school.