Children with Down Syndrome

Children with Down Syndrome

Down syndrome affects many people in this world. Not only does it affect the person diagnosed as Downs, but it also affects their family and everyone around them. There are physical characteristics that help you identify somebody with Downs. There are also some health concerns that you need to worry about. In this essay I will give you a clearer understanding of what Downs syndrome is, and what it means to have Downs.

Down syndrome can be caused for three different reasons. The most prevalent reason is called trisomy 21. This means that rather than having 46 chromosomes you have 47. This is the cause for approximately ninety- five percent of the people affected by Down syndrome. The extra chromosome is usually found on the twenty-first pair. The next cause only affects 1 percent of the Downs population. It is known as mosaicism. This is caused from an error during cell division right after conception has occurred. It has been seen that with mosaicism some of the cells have 47 chromosomes while other cells only have 46 chromosomes. The last reason can be traced back to the parent's. It is known as translocation. The twenty-first chromosome is translocated on to another chromosome. The parents could be carrying the chromosome that translocates. This form of Down syndrome affects only 3-4 percent of the people living with Downs.

There are some health concerns that you should also be aware of when dealing with someone with Downs syndrome. It has been found that between sixty and eighty percent of people with Down syndrome has a hearing deficit. If you were dealing with a young Downs syndrome child it would be a good idea to have their hearing checked. It is also common to have a congenital heart diseas...

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...ge role in the child's development and these meetings show the parents how they can be more involved and help in the child's learning. This will continue through their whole life. When they become adults they will have what is known as an Individual Service Plan (ISP). This occurs once a month. The adult with Down syndrome sets their own goals, sees what goals they have met, and decides where they want to go from there.

As you can see a person with Down syndrome may entail more of your time and energy, but in my experiences I have found it to be worth the time and energy. They are very loving people that deserve a chance in life just like everyone else. Just remember they have to work twice as hard to get half as far in life as you do. So maybe there is something we can learn from them like how to appreciate the little things, while still doing our best in life.