Down Syndrome

What Is Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a common chromosomal disorder. It is a condition in which a baby is born with an extra chromosome number 21. It can cause different looks, give intellectual disability, developmental delays, or even heart disease. Down syndrome can decrease attention spans and slow down processing speeds.  

What Problems will Students with Down Syndrome Face?

Students with Down syndrome can have medical problems other then intellectual disabilities. These medical problems include gastrointestinal and heart disorders. People with Down syndrome are also more likely to have vision disorders, which can include cataracts. Attention span, verbal memory, and communication which are all behavioral may have problems. Delays in speech and motor skills are also a tendency. 

What can Teachers do?

1. Because kids with Down syndrome can have short-term memory, teachers can allow them to have more time to learn and to allow more practice so they can understand subjects. 

2. Students with Down syndrome can also have hearing and vision problems. To fix this, teachers can let students with Down syndrome sit in the front of the class. Teachers can also use signs and gestures to make it easier for kids with Down syndrome to understand. Rephrasing questions can also help.

3. Breaking tasks into smaller steps will help students with Down syndrome focus on one step at a time. This can reduce frustration and give more success. Making classroom routines can make students predict what’s happening so they aren’t confused as well.

4. Teachers can incorporate multisensory learning so kids with Down syndrome can engage in multiple senses. Giving interactive lessons or activities can enhance understanding. Using physical objects like beads or counters are examples. Teachers can use Melissa & Doug Abacus - Classic Wooden Educational Counting Toy With 100 Beads - Walmart.com and Cubes and number  blocks.  Pictures of these items are found at the bottom of this page.

What can Parents do?

1. In early stages of life, giving physical, speech, occupational, etc. therapy is a good idea. It can help develop during the student's childhood and increase development. 

2. Encouraging your child to talk with humor is another great idea. Humor and sarcasm can help him or her understand how to communicate with other people, including other peers and their teachers. 

3. Asking your kids to do chores is a way to help them learn skills for life. For example, if your kid spills something, ask them to clean it up themselves. This way, they'll learn how to fix things in life as they grow older. 

4. https://www.globaldownsyndrome.org/ is a worldwide website with information and events for kids with Down syndrome.