The Down Syndrome Research Foundation (DSRF) in Burnaby, B.C., has been forced to "pull the plug" on its brain scanner due to lack of funds.
This is the second year in a row that the scanner has been forced to shut down for six months due to lack of funding. Because federal funding is a major component of several of the potential revenue sources for the scanner lab, as well as other medical and scientific projects, competition for funding has become tight.
Read the full story in Burnaby Now.
Among its other initiatives the DSRF also runs a Specialized Learning Center.
Following is the DSRF Vision Statement:
At the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, we firmly believe that if people with intellectual disabilities are provided with specific and relevant educational instruction they can reach their potential. This will allow them to contribute to their community thus requiring less dependence on government resources. Without meaningful instruction and interventions, their potential is untapped and they are destined to engage in empty activities.
Lifelong learning is the concept that “it’s never too soon or too late for learning”, a philosophy that drives research and program development at the Down Syndrome Research Foundation. Yet for people with disabilities, opportunity for ongoing learning stops at a very early age.
At the Down Syndrome Research Foundation we initiate and participate in research that provides insight into the unique learning style of these individuals. The data collected is analyzed and pilot interventions and educational programs are developed and offered. These programs test the understanding of the brain and are evaluated to observe the impact on our students. Even the slightest increase in cognitive ability, the objective that drives our work, can make a significant difference in the level of support an individual with an intellectual disability may require.
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