About Down’s South London (DSL):

Founded in 1998, Down’s South London provides vital free services to children with Down’s Syndrome and their families in South London. The children access a unique package of early intervention speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy from a team of highly skilled therapists with specialist knowledge. Over the last 22 years it has supported hundreds of children and their families. DSL is also a family support network, providing much needed support and information sharing as well as valuable friendship opportunities for parents/carers and the children themselves. Our service is paid for by voluntary donations and through a range of fundraising initiatives by DLS's families, friends and wellwishers. We're run by a group of parent volunteer trustees to ensure all proceeds go directly to the therapy service.

Why is DSL therapy special?

DSL's service targets areas of therapy that are too often either unavailable to families, too infrequent or not specialised enough to make a real difference to our children. Early intervention is vital and, with waiting lists for the NHS growing, we encourage early referrals, right from birth.

DSL’s specialist therapists see each child weekly, providing them with a personalised multi-disciplinary therapy programme to assist their development in all these areas and lay the foundations for them to grow into independent adults who contribute actively to society.

Parent testimonials:

Beth’s father Matt said: “The speech and language therapy at DSL is truly world class - it's been a blessing and far more specialised than anything we have been able to access through the NHS. Beth also has access to a great friendship group of other children her age which has made her genuinely proud to have Down’s Syndrome ‘like my friends Imany and Theodora’”.

Orla’s parents Mariam and Kent said: “We are so lucky to have access to such highly specialist therapists at Down's South London. They go above and beyond the therapy sessions too by sharing their expertise and experience of every aspect of life with a child with Down's Syndrome. I don't know what we would do without them.”

Olive’s parents Stacey and Stu said: “We are so grateful to the wonderful team at DSL for their professional and personal support over the past two years. They have unlocked Olive’s ability to communicate with confidence and have helped us to work therapeutic practices into our daily routine. They approach their work with enthusiasm, skill and a great deal of warmth.”

Zephy’s mother Sarah said: “We love DSL, it has been a huge source of physical and emotional support for Zephy and the whole family.”

Elliott’s father Justin said: “DSL has made all the difference to our family - not only have the targeted therapies been instrumental in getting Elliott to walk and talk, the sense of community and the support we have received have been incredible.”

Imany’s parents Ilia and Hicham said: “When we had Imany, we didn't know where to go for direction at first, then we found DSL. From that day, every time we found ourselves walking on a wobbly step, DSL would give us the stability needed to regain control. They have always been something Imany and we have looked forward to every week - their help is huge in our daily life and Imany's progress is the evidence of their passionate and hard work. Our words are never enough to describe how grateful we are.”

Lucy’s parents Ruth and Adam said: “We were lucky enough to meet the amazing team at DSL when Lucy was just 6 months old and they quickly became our trusted advisors. Their expertise combined with their dedication to and love for our children is incredible and we are so grateful for everything they have done for Lucy and our family.”

Mara’s mother Aelene said: “Having a child with Down’s Syndrome can be overwhelming but DSL took us under their wing from the start. With their help, education and support we now feel confident as parents that Mara will reach her full potential and that we are in the best hands possible. Thank you DSL!”