Down Syndrome Children: Is Their Play Appropriate for the Environment?

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Special needs is a generic term used in a clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be a medical, mental, or psychological defect. Examples of disabilities include autism, Down syndrome, dyslexia, blindness and others. Statistics show that .14% of babies are born with Down syndrome, which is one in every 691 babies (Statistics of Children with SN). Although Down syndrome is a well-known problem and disability, professionals are trained to enforce verbal skills and symbolic play, as well as asking volunteers to participate in community involvement with special needs children. From society's perspective, Down syndrome children have become a serious complication in the world. Disabled children with special needs like Down syndrome are not given the directed attention needed for appropriate treatment. In 1862, John Langdon Down characterized Down syndrome as a separate form of mental disability but he broadened his research in 1866. By the 20th century, Downs has become the most recognizable form of mental disability in the world because of the physical characteristics that distinguish their disability (Patterson, 137). Some symptoms include a small-flattened face, bowlegs in some cases, and generally, their tongue is too big for their mouth so it usually hangs outside of their mouth as well as other physical characteristics exemplifies a Down syndrome child (Wedro). Down syndrome, Downs or DS, occurs in children who have an "extra copy of chromosome 21." Ninety-five percent of Down syndrome cases are Trisomy 21 (nondisjunction), four percent are translocation, and one percent is mosaicism. There are roughly 400,000 cases of Downs in the United States toda... ... middle of paper ... ...14. Patterson, David, and Alberto C. S. Costa. "History Of Genetic Disease: Down Syndrome And Genetics-A Case Of Linked Histories." Nature Reviews Genetics 6.2 (2005): 137-147. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Pellegrini, Anthony D. The Role of Play in Human Development. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. "Statistics of Children with Special Needs (Updated For 2013)." The Inclusive Church. N.p., 3 June 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, FPG Child Development Institute. "Promoting Language And Literacy Skills In Children With Down Syndrome. FPG Snapshot #60." FPG Child Development Institute (2010): ERIC. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Wedro, Benjamin. "Down Syndrome." MedicineNet. Ed. Charles Patrick Davis. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. "Who Can Play?" Miracle League of the Triangle. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

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