Province highlights major investment for young people with Down syndrome

A major investment from the province is aiming to help young people with Down syndrome grow and learn.

On Thursday, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Health Minister Everett Hindley highlighted a $677,000 investment included in this year’s provincial budget, which is going to the province’s Ability in Me (AIM) program.

“For more than a decade now, AIM’s dedication to providing resources and support has really been instrumental for families navigating some of the very, very unique challenges that come with Down syndrome,” Hindley said.

Government ministers visited the AIM program to highlight a $677,000 investment included in this year’s provincial budget. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

AIM is a nonprofit organization based out of Saskatoon that provides specialized therapies and support for children and young adults with Down syndrome.

The organization provides direct therapy for small groups and individuals that focus on speech language and development, focus, sensory processing, literacy skills, social skills, motor skills and self-help skills.

AIM’s 121 learners range in age infants to 22, and come from 47 different communities. The organization’s therapy and programs promote an inclusive environment at home, in schools and in the broader community.

“Our government wants all families and all students to succeed and reach their full potential,” Cockrill said. “We also believe that every child has the opportunity to have a high-quality education.”

AIM’s executive director Mel Norris shared some of the successes the program has seen, highlighting what she called a “golden moment” with an occupational therapist and a 20-year-old learner who had been working on a skill for years successfully completed a task they had been working on at home.

“The excitement exuding from him, his mother, and especially our occupational therapist Meghan, was such an inspiration and motivation for all of us,” she said.

In the last decade, the government has invested over over $4 million in AIM.