explanation

Down Syndrome

General : If you have Down’s syndrome, you have an extra chromosome in each of your cells. Chromosomes carry all information we inherit from our parents, which affects how we look, grow and feel.

Explanation 1 : Humans usually have 23 pairs of chromosomes, but people with Down’s syndrome have an extra copy of one chromosome. It doesn’t sound like much of a difference. But that extra chromosome affects how the body and mind develop. That’s why people like Stacey, Richie, Maria and Jack may take longer than other children to learn to walk, speak, read and write.

Explanation 2 : At birth, babies with Down’s syndrome tend to be small and their muscles may be weak. People with Down’s syndrome are also more likely to have heart defects, and many have problems with their eyesight or hearing. They also tend to have skin problems and may have a lot of coughs and colds, so they need to take extra care of themselves.

Explanation 3 : One in every 1,000 babies is born with Down’s syndrome. It happens all over the world. Women of all ages can have babies with Down’s syndrome, but it is more likely if a woman has a baby when she is in her late thirties or forties.

Explanation 4 : Stacey has Down’s syndrome. Every morning, her older sister, Jo, and Stacey walk to their school. It’s just down the road from where they live. Stacey needs extra help with her reading and writing, but not with her favorite lesson, art. She often draws pictures of the family pets, especially of the dog.

Explanation 5 : Richie is five years old and he has Down’s syndrome too. He loves playing with his big sister, Megan. When Mum and Dad first brought Richie home from the hospital, they were very worried about him, but Megan thought the new baby was great. Now, none of them can imagine life without Richie.

Explanation 6 : Maria is 22 years old and she shares a flat with three other young women, Sandy, Tina and Rachel. They all have learning difficulties, Sandy is deaf, Mari has Down’s syndrome. The four flatmates do their own shopping and lokk after themshelves, with a little help from Liz and Jim who live next door. Maria has a job at the local library.

Explanation 7 : Jack catches a bus each morning to take him to a special school for children with learning difficulties. The school is in another town, and the journey takes about an hour. Jack likes the other children at the school, but they don’t live near him so he can only see them at school. He wishes he could go to the same school as his brother, Ben, so that he could make friends with those who live nearer his home.

Source : Unruh, J.F. (1994). Down syndrome : Successful parenting of children with Down syndrome. Fern Ridge Press.