GiGi’s Playhouse celebrates Down Syndrome Awareness Month

WESTON, Wis. (WSAW) - Gigi’s Playhouse in Weston is asking the community to show their acceptance and support for the Down Syndrome community during the month of October.

October is Down Syndrome awareness/acceptance month and the Playhouse is giving out packets of window decorations that schools and businesses can display to show they stand behind that community.

“This packet is really representative of GiGi’s and being more accepting, being more kind, being more generous, which is really our Generation G campaign. It’s the conscious decision to be a little bit better every day, and we could all use a little bit of that as a community,” said Gigi’s Playhouse Wausau Founder and Board President Erica Erdman.

October has another big development in store for GiGi’s. They are rolling out a new one-one-one literacy program to help their participants with communication skills.

Trained volunteers will meet with the participants on a weekly basis to do activities designed to help people with Down Syndrome learn to read and write.

The pilot program lasts six weeks and is a test to fine tune the process for a full roll-out in the spring.

“It really teaches our participant at the level that they’re at, and makes it fun and engaging. We have three tutor rooms at the playhouse: our littles our middles and our teens and adults. So really it’s geared around where that individual is at but then they have their own space to be able to come and learn,” Erdman said.