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More information about Down syndrome is below, and Little Lauryn has her very own page HERE.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder arising at the time of conception. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition – one in every 691 babies is born with Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is characterized by a variety of unique features and a wide range of abilities in physical and cognitive areas of development. A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, and upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm (called a Simian crease). Each person with Down syndrome is unique and may possess these characteristics to different degrees or not at all. All people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the talents and strengths each individual also possesses.
There are over 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the US. Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. Women over the age of 35 are at a higher risk of having a child with Down syndrome. However, more than 80% of children with Down Syndrome are currently being born to mothers under the age of 35, due to higher fertility rates in younger women.
Down syndrome Preferred Language
Down syndrome Preferred Language
- There is no ‘s’ at the end of Down. The preferred spelling is Down syndrome, rather than Down’s syndrome. Down syndrome is named for the English physician John Langdon Down, who characterized the condition, but did not have it.
- People with Down syndrome should always be referred to as people first. Instead of “a Down syndrome child,” it should be “a child with Down syndrome.” Also avoid “Down’s child” and describing the condition as “Down’s,” as in, “He has Down’s.”
- Down syndrome is not a disease – a person cannot “catch” Down syndrome. It is a syndrome - people “have” Down syndrome, they do not “suffer from” it and are not “afflicted by” it.
- While it is unfortunately clinically acceptable to say “mental retardation,” you should use the more socially acceptable “intellectual disability”. There are many movements in the Special Needs Community, including “Spread the Word to End the Word” at http://www.r-word.org/ to stop the use of the word “retarded”. This word is typically used in a hurtful way and suggests that people with disabilities are not competent.
Much of the above information came from the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) website. Click HERE to view Myths and Truths about Down syndrome.
