Essay On Down Syndrome

Down syndrome was named after John Langdon Down, the British doctor who discovered the syndrome in 1866. The syndrome was not linked to chromosome twenty- one until 1959 by Jerome Lejeune. Down syndrome, the most common genetic condition, occurs in one out of six-hundred and ninety-one kids in the United States. This syndrome is caused by an extra number twenty-one chromosome, also known as trisomy twenty-one. In most cases it is caused by nondisjunction; which is sister chromatids of the twenty first chromosome that do not separate properly causing the child to receive an entire extra copy of that chromosome. In some unique cases this syndrome can also be caused by translocation and mosaicism. Children born with Down syndrome have some very unique physical characteristics; such as, low muscle tone, slanted eyes, big mouths, and a simian crease across the palm. These characteristics and many others are common but of course not found in every case of the syndrome. One characteristic that is found in every case is some amount of cognitive delay. Most people with Down syndrome suffer mild to moderate delay, although some unique cases of the syndrome deal with very severe cognitive delay.
While a baby is still in the mothers’ womb there are tests and procedures to be done that can see if the baby will have Down syndrome. But with today’s technology there is still no way for the doctors to tell if the child with Down syndrome will be severely delayed. The cognition of a child with Down syndrome depends much on the environment he or she is placed in. The way the child is taught and raised will have a huge impact on the outcome of his or her development; just as it does with any child. Stress and anxiety in children with Down syndrome a...

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...hrough actions. People with Down syndrome also hear and completely understand the main idea in a social setting even when they do not know all the words spoken; and then behave accordingly. This has been seen by many researchers as good social skills and social understanding. The social skills of a person with Down syndrome are higher than any person with the same delay in cognition and communication. This is why such a large percentage of the Down syndrome population is able to participate in social events and in the workplace.
Each child with Down syndrome is going to differ when it comes to his or her cognitive delay. The environment and social atmosphere sounding the child will affect the way the child develops, as it will affect any child. The wide range and differences amongst the people that have Down syndrome is what makes them all so special.