BUFFALO, N.Y. — Adapting to society can be a challenge for anyone but especially for people who are living with Down syndrome.
A new program is coming to Western New York to help individuals with Down syndrome — no matter their age — at no cost.
Four-year-old Paul Mondschein was born with Down syndrome. His biggest fans are his parents, Will and Emily Mondschein, the directors of development at Gigi's Playhouse in Buffalo.
Gigi's Playhouse is a free therapeutic-based educational and life skills program for people living with Down syndrome.
Gigi's has 45 locations across North America, offering everything from speech therapy to building social skills, healthy cooking, and fitness. Gigi's even offers career development to better prepare adults with Down syndrome. It helps them find meaningful jobs when they're done with school, which is something Will Mondschein says is hard to find, especially in more rural communities.
The plan is for Gigi's to open in December this year.
Will and Emily Mondschein can't tell us exactly where it is located just yet, but they're excited to bring this resource to a very deserving community here in Western New York.