Most adults with Down syndrome are aware they have Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome live ordinary lives filled with extraordinary needs. You cannot have mild or severe Down syndrome. Either you have it or you do not.
In a study of self-awareness among 77 children with DS using interviews, standardized tests, and photographs, over half were considered to have some level of self-awareness about their diagnosis but 13% refused to talk about their condition during their interviews [Cunningham and Glenn, 2004].
People with Down syndrome can feel angry, sad, embarrassed or excited. In fact, rather than always being happy, people with Down syndrome are at higher risk of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviour than the general population.
Mental abilities vary, but most people with Down syndrome have mild to moderate issues with thinking, reasoning, and understanding. They'll learn and pick up new skills their whole lives, but they may take longer to reach important goals like walking, talking, and developing social skills.
Yes. A woman with Down's syndrome can have children. If her partner does not have Down's syndrome, the theoretical chance of the child having Down's syndrome is 50%. There have been only a few reports of men with Down's syndrome fathering children.
Those with Down syndrome nearly always have physical and intellectual disabilities. As adults, their mental abilities are typically similar to those of an 8- or 9-year-old. At the same time, their emotional and social awareness is very high.
Both men and women can pass the genetic translocation for Down syndrome on to their children. Having had one child with Down syndrome. Parents who have one child with Down syndrome and parents who have a translocation themselves are at an increased risk of having another child with Down syndrome.
They have similar features due to extra genetic material that affects growth of the maxilla (part of the skull) and the bone, cartilage, and connective tissue in the head, known as the cranial neural crest. 15 It creates common Down syndrome features such as upturned, almond-shaped eyes and a smaller head.
Some of the children with Mosaic Down syndrome that we know do not actually look as if they have Down syndrome - the usual physical features are not obvious. This raises some important and difficult social issues and identity issues for both parents and children, which parents have discussed with us.
People of all ages with Down syndrome can and do enjoy a variety of relationships with family members, friends, acquaintances, community members, and even sweethearts and spouses.
Nearly 99% people with Down syndrome expressed love for their families, and 97% liked their brothers and sisters.
Characteristics of Down syndrome
Often students will have strong empathy with others, good social skills, good short-term memory and visual learning skills.
This high prevalence of self-talk does not seem to be widely known. For some parents and caregivers, the fact that “almost everyone with Down syndrome does it” is reassuring. But the content of these conversations, their frequency, tone and context can be important in determining if treatment is warranted.
Up to 60% of children with Down syndrome have severe vision problems that can make their life and learning more difficult. Parents and teachers need to be aware of these problems so they can proactively ensure that any visual difficulties are detected and dealt with.
However, according to Myra Madnick, the former Executive Director of the National Down Syndrome Society in New York, "Despite all of the gains individuals with Down syndrome have made, loneliness is a major problem".
They often have mild to moderate intellectual disability and may have specific challenges with attention span, verbal memory, and expressive communication. Behavioral problems such as stubbornness, impulsivity, and temper tantrums may be more common in children with Down syndrome.
Mosaicism, or mosaic Down syndrome, is diagnosed when there is a mixture of two types of cells. Some have the usual 46 chromosomes, and some have 47. Those cells with 47 chromosomes have an extra chromosome 21. Mosaicism is usually described as a percentage.
Pulmonary infectious disease is the leading cause of mortality in Down syndrome, caused by both intrinsic (morphological factors) and extrinsic (immune dysfunction) factors. Listed in each organ cartoon are genes implicated in disturbed heart, lung and immune function.
People with Down syndrome usually have an IQ (a measure of intelligence) in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children. Some common physical features of Down syndrome include: A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose.
There is some data that show that individuals with Down syndrome have increased leptin levels which correlates with higher rates of obesity. This is consistent with reports of family members and caregivers who have shared that their loved ones with Down syndrome never seem to get full.
Down syndrome is not new — in fact, the first evidence of its existence dates back 2,500 years. The facial features of DS are found in some ancient pottery and paintings. The syndrome is named after John Langdon Down, an English doctor who published a clinical description in 1866.
Does Down syndrome run in families? All three types of Down syndrome are genetic conditions (relating to the genes), but only 1% of all cases of Down syndrome have a hereditary component (passed from parent to child through the genes). Heredity is not a factor in trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) and mosaicism.
These figures indicate that, in a group of 1000 babies with Down syndrome, some 14 or 15 babies will be a twin or a triplet, with their other twins/triplets unaffected, and 2 or 4 babies will be identical twin pairs, both with Down syndrome.
Yes, individuals with Down syndrome can drink. However, it is important to be mindful of the potential effects of alcohol on individuals with Down syndrome, as they may be more susceptible to the harmful effects of alcohol compared to typically developing individuals.