About the DSDN App

A free online community for parents of children with Down syndrome

Why are we moving to a custom DSDN App?

DSDN’s mission is to connect, support, and provide accurate information to parents—and the medical professionals who serve them—from the time of diagnosis through age 3 while fostering the opportunity for lifelong connections. Our online support groups are an integral part of how we fulfill our mission, but in recent years, we have run into more and more blockers because of our heavy reliance on Facebook as our support platform.

Here are some of the things we hear most often, and how moving to the DSDN app will help:

“No one is seeing my posts”

In Facebook: Sometimes when one of our members posts into a group, that post is not seen by their fellow group members and, as a result, the member does not receive the support they are looking for.

In the DSDN App: Cultivating connections and support is our #1 goal with the DSDN app. New posts will always be the first thing you see when you are in one of our groups. You won’t be fighting the Facebook algorithm anymore!

“I missed the information you shared about _______.”

In Facebook: Parents often share that they miss information about the gifts, scholarships, retreats, adoption grants and other programs and resources that DSDN offers because of the way Facebook’s algorithm works.

In the DSDN App: Information about all of DSDN’s programs and resources will be shared and consolidated in one spot, making it easier for you to keep up-to-date without scrolling through hundreds of groups and posts.

“I had no idea DSDN had a group for __________.”

In Facebook: Often parents don’t know all of the groups that DSDN offers because they aren’t easily accessible or findable on Facebook. As much as we try to share about our groups, they often get missed.

In the DSDN App: Our topical groups connect parents around specific topics and concerns. It is integral to the DSDN support model and that is reflected in the DSDN app. All of our groups will be a click away - parents will immediately see all of the DSDN groups and can easily join those that are relevant to them.

“I won’t join DSDN’s groups because I don’t want to be on Facebook.”

In Facebook: There is a portion of the Down syndrome community that we are missing completely because we host our online support groups on Facebook. More and more parents have been asking us to get off Facebook, and we regularly hear from new parents, “I need the support from DSDN but I’m not getting on Facebook.”

In the DSDN App: A much higher percentage of the population owns a mobile device and uses mobile applications versus the percentage of the population that uses Facebook. We are removing this barrier to open up access to even more families.

“That resource is so helpful but I can never find it.”

In Facebook: Pinned or featured posts with useful information, like AAP guidelines for your child’s 6-month check-up, are no longer easy to find like they used to be on Facebook.

In the DSDN App: Pinned posts will always be at the top of our groups.

We’ve worked really hard to create an experience that takes the best of what we have in Facebook and elevates that experience in ways that are meaningful to this community. We’ve created a space just for you—parents of children with Down syndrome—by parents of children with Down syndrome. We own the groups in the app and can respond to your feedback with actual changes YOU want to see. This app is for you to connect with other parents who “get it,” without the noise of ads and posts from people you’d rather not be following. It’s a place for you to get connected and supported in the way DSDN has always intended.

This is a custom-built app that is fully owned by DSDN. We’ll continue to improve and add to the app over time, so please feel free to share your feedback with us at support@dsdiagnosisnetwork.org. Thank you for being part of our community.

How can I get the most out of the DSDN App?

We hope the app provides an intuitive experience for all users, but we want to provide a few tips and tricks for you to get the most out of our new app.

Tip #1: Share what's on your mind!

Have a question? A concern? Just want to check in? In every group, you’ll see the “Share what’s on your mind” area up top. Or look for the new post icon in every group, which you’ll see regardless of how far you’ve scrolled.

Tip #3: Don't miss announcements

Keep up-to-date on the latest from DSDN. A red dot on the “View announcements from DSDN” section lets you know there is a new announcement that you haven’t yet seen. This includes Rockin’ retreat information and other resources that you won’t want to miss.

Tip #5: Easily find new posts

Check the “Recently active” section on the homepage of your app to see when new posts have been made in one of your groups.

Tip #7: Search for something specific

Looking for specific info or a specific post or in a group? Use the search functionality by clicking on the magnifying glass icon to the right of the members list in the group.

Tip #2: Quickly navigate the app

The menu at the bottom of your screen will help you navigate the app. From here, you can find a list of all DSDN groups, view notifications when there is activity on your posts, view or change your settings, and easily return home.

Tip #4: Stay engaged

Make sure you have notifications turned on so you don't miss activity in the app. You'll receive a notification when someone comments on a post you've interacted with or when you are tagged by another user. You can manage your phone notifications through the Settings on your device.

Tip #6: Explore our groups

Our community is built around connection and support. Explore all of the groups we offer in each category or use the search function if you are looking for something more specific.

Tip #8: Tag a user to notify them

Make sure another parent in the group sees your post by tagging them using the @ symbol.

More About The DSDN App

The DSDN App is owned and operated by the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network.

Who to contact with questions

If you have any questions or feedback about our app, or would like to report a misuse, you can email the admins directly at support@dsdiagnosisnetwork.org.