As Ty Neuberger grows older and develops, more and more resources are required to help him reach the best potential he will be capable of in his life.

The four-and-a-half year old, the son of Tim and Angie Neuberger of Weyburn, has Down Syndrome, and as such may be thought to have little chance of making it on his own.

Nov. 1-7 was National Down Syndrome Awareness Week. While no specific events were held in the Weyburn area, Angie Neuberger felt it would be valuable for area residents to be more aware of the challenges and problems Ty faces as a young child, and to know that in many ways, Ty "is just one of the gang" as part of a busy and growing family.

With the assistance of the many resources that are available in the community and through a number of agencies, he will be given the best chance possible. As he is still a year away from starting kindergarten, he is involved in the Mini-Go preschool program at the Family Place, and with the early entrance program through the Sunrise School Division.

In addition, he gets help through the Early Childhood Intervention Program (ECIP), as well as Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina.

The overall goal with all of these programs is to help give him the best chance to learn and develop once he does start kindergarten at Haig School in the fall of 2006, said his mother, Angie.

"He's very busy, and he keeps us going. His biggest challenge at the moment is speech. He can say a few words, but not many," she said, explaining that her son can only get a half-hour a month with a speech language pathologist. Since he is involved with the school board's early entrance program, and works one-on-one with a teacher's aide, the speech pathologist's services are no longer available through the public health system.

"We're doing sign language with him as well, and that's been beneficial. We were recommended to use it just because it'll help reduce some of the frustration for him as he communicates his needs or wants," said Angie.

Ty goes every second month for occupational and physical therapy at Wascana, because children with Down Syndrome often have low muscle tone. The exercises he does there, and with the intervention workers from ECIP once every two weeks, are helping him develop his motor skills, including his fine motor skills, such as putting shapes into a shape-sorter, or putting puzzles together.

"ECIP has been our biggest resource. They and Mini-Go have been a real godsend to us," said Angie.

There are other resources available to help as well, such as the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living, through which the Neubergers are able to meet other families with Down Syndrome, and there is an online support group for parents, through the Down Syndrome Canadian Parents website, as well as information through the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.

"Through the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living, we attend family things. It's good to meet other families of Down Syndrome, because they can pass on knowledge and information and experience about things that have worked for them," said Angie.

Asked if they know how Ty is doing in relation to other children his age with Down's, she said it's very much an individual thing, and noted in some areas Ty is doing better than other kids, while in some areas other children are doing better than Ty.

"We've certainly had successes. When a typical child reaches a milestone such as walking, the parents are proud, but when a child with special needs reaches a milestone, you're ecstatic," she said.

Another problem a child with Down Syndrome may have is sleep apnea, and recently Ty spent some time at the Regina General Hospital having tests to see if this is a problem. One recommendation is to have the tonsils removed, but the Neubergers are going to have an eye, nose and throat specialist look at him before making Ty have the surgery.

Meanwhile, both parents are kept running with Ty, who is constantly on the move and busily getting into things. Angie said they met the parents of an older boy, and they assured the Neubergers he will eventually calm down.

"He's fine. He's quite the character, and everybody who meets him is quite taken with him," said Angie.

Part of his development, too, is playing with his nine-year-old brother and 11-month-old sister, Charity. He likes to imitate what they do, and when Ty's at day care, all the kids want to play with him, because he's fun and energetic.

Angie noted when she was growing up, she was fearful of children with special needs, because they were kept separate in their own classroom; now, these children are integrated into the mainstream at school and in life, and Angie feels it's healthier not only for the child with a special need, but for the "typical" children, who can learn that these are ordinary children with the same needs and interests they have.