Down Syndrome

Jessica Colon
EDU 215
Definition of Down Syndrome

- Down syndrome occurs when an individual

has a full or partial extra copy of
chromosome 21.
- There are three types of down syndrome
- Trisomy 21
- Translocation down syndrome
- Mosaic down syndrome - only affects
2% of those who down syndrome
How to Identify Down Syndrome

- Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial

extra copy of chromosome 21.
- Can be detected during pregnancy by screening and diagnostic
tests
- Screening tests mainly are blood tests and ultrasonic tests
looking for extra fluid behind the babies neck which could
be the cause for a genetic problem
- These tests can determine the baby’s risk of aquiring down
syndrome
- Diagnostic Tests
- Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)—examines material from
the placenta
- Amniocentesis—examines the amniotic fluid (the fluid from
the sac surrounding the baby)
Prevalence
- Every 700 babies in the United States is born
with Down syndrome, making Down syndrome
the most common chromosomal condition.
About 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are
born in the United States each year.
- The chance of having a baby with down
syndrome increases as women get older.
Symptoms

- Can acquire many different physical characteristics

- Which can be:
- Flattened face
- Almond eyes that are slanted up
- A short neck
- A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth
- People with the syndrome may also have other health problems. They may be born
with heart disease. They may have dementia. They may have hearing problems and
problems with the intestines, eyes, thyroid, and skeleton.
Treatment

- Treatments are based upon every individual's needs physical and intellectual.
- Early intervention can be used which is a range of specialized programs and resources
that professionals provide to very young children with Down syndrome and their
families. These professionals may include special educators, speech therapists,
occupational therapists, physical therapists, and social workers can be extremely
helpful from the very beginning for a baby diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
- Speech Language therapy can highly help these individuals further.
Three General
Facts

- There is a down
syndrome registry
where parents and
families can be in
contact with each other
to learn and share
information about down
syndrome.
- Down syndrome occurs
in people of all races
and economic levels.
- Life expectancy for
people with Down
syndrome has
Three Teaching Strategies

- Establishing a IEP for the student to accommodate their needs and

capabilities
- The student should be allowed time with certain therapists
throughout the school day to further advance their needs.
- Can give the student assistive devices to help their abilities in the
classroom
- Treat the student as a individual not based on their down
syndrome abilities
Source

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/downsyndrome.html

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/downsyndrome

https://www.ndss.org/about-down-syndrome/down-syndrome-facts/