Down Syndrome Presented by Heather, Lynn and Mary

Agenda  Fact or myth?  What is Down Syndrome?  What causes it?  Three types of Down Syndrome  Physical and social Characteristics  Challenges in an inclusive classroom  Teaching strategies  Activity

Fact or Myth  People With Down Syndrome have Severe Cognitive Delays.  Most children with down syndrome are born to older parents  Down syndrome is hereditary and runs in families.  The average life expectancy of an individual with DS is 50 years of age  Social understanding is usually a strength in children with DS

What is Down Syndrome?  It is a congenital disorder arising from a chromosome defect causing intellectual and physical abnormalities. It is a defect involving chromosome 21, usually an extra copy.  Down syndrome children have an extra pair at chromosome 21. There are normally 46 chromosomes in each cell, 23 inherited from your mother and 23 from your father. When some or all of a person's cells have an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21, the result is Down syndrome  Down syndrome affects 1 in 800 babies

What causes it?  There is no cause known for Down syndrome but research has shown….  The only factor known to affect the probability of having a baby with Down syndrome is maternal age.  Less than 1 in 1,000 pregnancies for mothers less than 30 years of age results in a baby with Down syndrome.  For mothers who are 44 years of age or above, about 1 in 35 pregnancies results in a baby with Down syndrome.  Because younger women generally have more children, about % of children with Down syndrome are born to younger women.

3 types of Down Syndrome  There are three types of Down syndrome. People often don’t know the difference or can’t tell the difference between each type without looking at the chromosomes because the physical features and behaviors are similar.

Trisomy 21  About 95% of people with Down syndrome have Trisomy 21. This means there is an extra number 1 chromosome in each cell.  This is the most common for of DS

Translocation Down syndrome  This type accounts for a small percentage of people with Down syndrome (about 3%)  This occurs when an extra part or a whole extra chromosome 21 is present, but it is attached or “trans-located” to a different chromosome rather than being a separate chromosome 21.

Mosaic Down syndrome  This type affects about 5% of the people with Down syndrome. Mosaic means mixture or combination.  For children with mosaic Down syndrome, some of their cells have 3 copies of chromosome 21, but other cells have the typical two copies of chromosome 21.  Children with mosaic Down syndrome may have the same features as other children with Down syndrome. However, they may have fewer features of the condition due to the presence of some (or many) cells with a typical number of chromosomes.

Physical Characteristics Some common physical features of Down syndrome include:  A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose  Almond-shaped eyes that slant up  A short neck  Small ears  A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth  Tiny white spots on the iris (colored part) of the eye  Small hands and feet  A single line across the palm of the hand (palmar crease)  Small pinky fingers that sometimes curve toward the thumb  Poor muscle tone or loose joints  Shorter in height as children and adults

Social Development  For children and adults with Down syndrome, social understanding is usually a strength, beginning in infancy.  Individuals with DS are more aware of one’s tone of voice, facial expression and body posture.  They are able to pick up the main messages about feelings and behave in an appropriate way, despite the delays in their development of spoken language.  Good social understanding of the behavior of others can also enable children with Down syndrome to be skilled at being naughty as they know exactly how to provoke the reactions they want.  Social Development depends largely on family environment and high expectations at home and at school

Challenges in an Inclusive classroom  Behaviors seen in children with Down syndrome are not all that different from those seen in typically developing children. However, they may occur at a later age and last somewhat longer.  May wander off  Can be stubborn/ have oppositional behavior  Attention problems  May have ADHD/OCD  Slow learning  Speech and language delays  Difficulty communicating/temper tantrums

Teaching/learning Strategies  Children with DS are very capable learners who are excited and eager.  DS students are visual learners. Better visual memory may be one reason why children with Down syndrome enjoy learning with a computer.  They understand a lot more than they can say, and more from what they see not hear. They need to be shown examples.  Need help to remember instruction, ex. Shorter instruction or visual cues  Teacher expectations need to be high and the same as the other students.  DS students need to be where there are less distractions, see and hear better  Use manipulatives when necessary  DS students can read facial expressions and body language at a high level

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Bibliography    kidshealth.org › Parents › Diseases & Conditions   dsawa.asn.au/children/education/teaching-strategies.html  gigisplayhouse.org/.../five-instructional-strategies-for-children-with-down  down-syndrome down-syndrome    