Find a Support Group
Whether you’re a new or expectant parent, a family of color, father or grandparent of someone with Down syndrome, if you’re looking to connect with others in your shoes, MDSC and our dozens of local support group partners around the state can help. Read below for information about our annual Support Group Leader Retreat.
Arlington
Amigos DS
Geovanna Vicente
857-888-1043
Arlington Down Syndrome Parents
Anne Pelz
617-905-5200
Athol Area
North Quabbin Up Syndrome Social Group
Informal get-togethers for families of all ages with a loved one with Down syndrome including caregivers, grandparents and siblings
Karon Parker
978-871-5020
Attleboro/Franklin Area
Trisomy 21 Club
Shannon Paul
508-695-4930
Mom’s night out each month with quarterly playgroups.
Facebook page
Berkshires Area
BCARC Down Syndrome Family Group
Chris Ferrari
413-499-4241
Group meets periodically and hosts a variety of social events throughout the year
Facebook page
Brockton Area
Brockton EI/BAMSI support group
Susan Stratoti
508-326-9872
Monthly Tuesday evening meetings; both informal get-togethers as well as outside speakers; children welcome at the informal meetings.
Cape Cod
The Meet-up!
Sarah Rock
203-554-3619
A group for folks on the Cape who have kids with Ds and other genetic and developmental quirks to get together, share information, have play dates and dinners, make plans and more!
Facebook page
Central Mass
Central MA Family Group
Jessica Young
774-239-5992
Meets every other month on a Saturday morning; families with school-age children or a prenatal diagnosis; all family members welcome.
Facebook page | 2021 Schedule
Fitchburg Area
Down Syndrome Support Group
Kathy Black
978-602-8697
Meets monthly on the first Saturday of the month from 10 AM – noon.
Foxboro Area
Foxboro YMCA Playgroup
Hollie Mendillo
Samantha Devoid
401-487-3123
Informal play group for families with children 0-8; all family members welcome
Greater Boston
T21 Travelers Network Facebook Group
Private secret Facebook group supporting families of younger children with Down syndrome. Please contact firstcall@mdsc.org for more information and/or to be added to the group.
Martha’s Vineyard
Up Club!
Family connections and resources on MV and host a variety of events
Lisa Brown
774-563-0132
North Shore
Gettin’ Down in the North Shore
Jenny Graves
978-360-2797
Caren D’Agnese
781-771-6272Informal play group for families with younger children.
Facebook page
Somerville
Somerville Down Syndrome Family Engagement Group
Lianor da Cunha Hillerstrom
917-583-6226
Southeastern Mass.
21 FrienDS
Kim Legendre
508-989-2706
A nonprofit family and support group started by parents with the same interests in mind. Meets monthly through play dates, familiy activities, seminars and informational meetings.
South Shore Area
Braintree Support Group
Jeanne Zarrella
781-789-6035
Mom’s night out monthly; currently families have children 4-22.
South Shore Parents and Siblings of Adult Children with Special Needs
Taffy Nothnagle
781-383-0895
Host periodic dinner meetings to offer support and sharing.
South Shore Play Group
Danny Jarboe
Quarterly playgroup at the Hanover YMCA for families of children 0-6 and their siblings.
Western Massachusetts
Down Syndrome Resource Group of Western Mass.
Jennifer Johnson
Website
Provides a variety of events for families with children of all ages.
Play Group for Families with Younger Children
Anna O’Rourke
413-262-7008
The Down Syndrome Program Resource Group of Western MA invites families of younger children to come connect, share, learn and play. Meets every other month on a Saturday morning at Jericho in Holyoke.
Facebook page
Massachusetts-wide
MDSC New Family Socials
Sarah Cullen
781-221-0024
Meets every month on a Saturday morning; families with children up to age 4; all family members welcome.
MDSC 4-7 Play Group
Sarah Cullen
781-221-0024
For families whose child with Down syndrome is age 4-7 and siblings; Quarterly activities.
MDSC 8-12 Group
Sarah Cullen
781-221-0024
For families whose child with Down syndrome is age 8-12; Quarterly activities.
Autism Spectrum Disorder/Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome-Autism Connection
Charlotte Gray: 978-394-8416
Jeanne Doherty: 978-761-3950
Virtual support group the last Tuesday of every month at 8pm to network and share resources.
Facebook page
Boston Children’s Hospital Speaker Series
Down Syndrome Program
Angela Lombardo
857-218-4329
Website
Monthly, educational talks that may be attended or viewed on-line.
Breastfeeding
Julia’s Way
www.juliasway.org
Support group for breastfeeding moms the first Thursday of each month at 1PM. For more information please contact Ella Cullen.
Brothers & Sisters
Brothers & Sisters Programming (not a support group)
781-221-0024
More information on Brothers & Sisters
Exclusive workshop track geared specifically for youth siblings of people with Down syndrome each March at MDSC’s Annual Conference.
D.A.D.S Group
Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome
Jeff Roback
339-788-1460
Website
Facebook page
Variety of DADS meetings and family events
Grandparents
MDSC Grandparents Support Group
Sue Laing
413-519-2777
Barbara Sherman
603-508-1715
Regional meetings for grandparents and monthly Zoom group.
Special Health Care Needs
Parents of Children with DS and Other Special Health Care Needs
Jeanne Doherty
978-761-3950
Co-hosted with Boston Children’s Hospital Down Syndrome Program. Meets quarterly.
Mental Health
MDSC Mental Health Support Group, Resource Page
Colleen Endres
781-221-0024
Patti MacPhee
For parents and caregivers of teens and adults with Down syndrome and mental health challenges. Every other month meetings facilitated by Mary-Frances Garber, licensed genetic counselor. Workshops with guest speaker held 2-3 times per year.
Mosaic Down syndrome
Mosaic Down Syndrome Support Group
Sonya Cabral
617-308-7441
Support and information for families whose child has Mosaic Down syndrome.
Facebook page
Learn more about MDSC’s diversity initiatives here
African American/Black Families
21 Shades
Jessica Avila
617-942-1526
Melissa Elow
617-416-5240
Terri James Solomon
347-882-9694
Monthly calls and social events; Open to all family members. Second Thursday 8-9 PM.
Facebook page
Portuguese-Speaking
Amigos DS
Geovanna Vicente
857-888-1043
Social events for Portuguese-speaking families in the Arlington area
Familia Up Down
Denise Ribeiro
508-615-7637
www.familiaupdown.org
Host a variety of events for Portuguese-speaking families in the greater Worcester area and across MA
Organizamos uma variedade de eventos para familias de lingua portuguesa na area da grande Worcester e em toda area de MA
Spanish-Speaking
Familias Latinas Unidas por el Sindrome de Down
617-953-6589
Patria Espinal
Meets montly on the first Saturday of the month; all family members welcome; currently mostly families who have a teen or an adult.
Facebook page
Spanish Support Group for Families Whose Child is 10 or Younger
Veronica Dyer
(857) 891-1487
Bonnie Fishman
617-887-3817
Co-hosted with the MGH Down Syndrome Program; monthly Zoom meeting.
Rhode Island
Down Syndrome Society of Rhode Island
Website
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Down Syndrome Association
603-479-1589
Website
Maine
Maine Down Syndrome Network
866-571-2223
Website
Connecticut
Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut
888-486-8537
Website
Vermont
Champlain Valley Down Syndrome Group
Website
National Organizations
Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network
Website
Facebook Page
LuMind IDSC
781-825-1300
Website
National Down Syndrome Congress
1-800-232-NDSC
Website
National Down Syndrome Society
1-800-221-4602
Website
Global Down Syndrome Foundation
303-321-6277
Website
MDSC Affiliates
We are proud to support the important work of two organizations through their affiliations with the MDSC- Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome (D.A.D.S.) and the Down Syndome-Autism Connection (DSAC).
Massachusetts D.A.D.S., an affiliate of MDSC, is an organization of fathers of children with Down syndrome. D.A.D.S.’s mission is to assist and support each other and their families through fellowship and action.
Members come together at monthly meetings to share insights, stories, and experiences that are unique to fathers of children with Down syndrome. They invite expert speakers to discuss medical, educational, financial, social and many other challenges that affect their children’s lives.
D.A.D.S. objectives are:
- To create a network of fathers willing to develop a program based on the needs of the fathers themselves.
- To enhance a father’s knowledge and provide resources for engaging with children and individuals with Down syndrome.
- To enhance personal advocacy skills.
- To heighten a family’s ability to cope with the unique challenges of raising a child with Down syndrome.
- To provide a safe atmosphere of support where fathers can openly share.
For more information visit the Massachusetts D.A.D.S. website.
The Down Syndrome-Autism Connection™ is the only nonprofit organization dedicated solely to co-occurring Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder (DS-ASD) in the United States.
The Connection was founded in 2007 in Denver as a collaborative project by parents and professionals seeing a great need to reach out to families and individuals affected by DS-ASD. In 2011, they became their own non-profit organization. While they are headquartered in Colorado, they care deeply about your journey no matter where you live. In this age of accessible technology, they are able to support people from coast to coast, and even overseas. They are gathering a global community in support of those with DS-ASD.
Their mission is to provide education and support to individuals facing the unique challenges caused by co-occurring Down syndrome and autism.
Their goal is to ensure that families, teachers, and healthcare providers receive the education and support they need — with the ultimate goal being that children and adults with DS-ASD will receive the understanding, education, medical care and opportunities they so greatly deserve.
If you are a parent wondering if your child (or adult child) may be affected by autism spectrum disorder, they want you to know that you are not alone. If you are a professional wanting to learn more, they are here for you, too! Thank you for joining the DS-ASD community!
You can contact the DSAC by emailing dsac@mdsc.org or visit the DSAC Facebook page.
DSAC became an affiliate of the MDSC in 2011, falling under our 501(c)3 non-profit status. “By joining forces together, the MDSC and DSAC will ensure that all families who have children with the dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism feel welcome and have access to the resources and supports they need.” said Maureen Gallagher, Executive Director of the MDSC.
Featured Image: The MDSC has begun bringing together more than two dozen leaders in the Down syndrome community from across the state for a Support Group Leader Retreat. The group shares experiences and strategizes how to advance our mutual goal of strengthening supports for people with the Down syndrome across the state.
Support Group Leader Retreat
MDSC is committed to ensuring that families and individuals with Down syndrome have the local supports and resources they need. Since 2014, we have brought together dozens leaders in the Down syndrome community from across the state for a two-day Support Group Leader Retreat.
Over the weekend, Support Group and Play Group Leaders gather to share experiences and strategize how to advance our mutual goals of strengthening supports for people with the Down syndrome and their families whatever their location, background or life circumstances.
