What is Down Syndrome?
Down Syndrome is thought to be the most common genetic etiology of mental retardation. This condition has been found to occur in approximately 1 in 800 live births. The genetics of the condition are such that the individual has an extra copy of chromosome 21.
Physical Features Associated with Down Syndrome:
- Decreased muscle tone seen at birth
- Excess skin at the nape of the neck
- Flattened nose
- Small ears
- Small mouth
- White short hands with short fingers
Cognitive Features Associated with Down Syndrome:
- Moderate mental retardation
- Weakness with grammatical aspects of language
- Relative strength with spatial reasoning tasks
- Verbal short term memory is more impaired than visual memory
- Weakness with daily living skills (self-care skills)
- Relative strength with social skills
Interventions for Children with Down Syndrome:
- Speech and language therapy with possible addition of sign language
- Visually-based interventions for teaching, reading and vocabulary
- Occupational therapy for sensory integration and motor development