Down Syndrome:

Second Life

an inclusive education.

Do you know what is Down Syndrome?

Do you know what is the average of people born with this syndrome?
Certainly, talking about Down Syndrome (DS) is no longer a taboo subject in
society, but a lot of people still don’t know its cause and characteristics.
Its name comes from the first doctor that identified this syndrome, Langdon
Down. DS is also known as Trisomy 21, corresponds to an anomaly in the genetic
material of the Chromosome 21. Each fertilized egg normally has 23 pairs of
chromosomes. This anomaly is presented when chromosome 21 is duplicated (or
triplicated). This extra copy affects the development of the embryo physically and
mentally. Some of the physical characteristics that these persons present are: they
have a thick tongue that comes out from their mouth, small hands and feet, they

Get tied for LOVE, HOPE and for the World Down Syndrome Day.
are smaller than the normal height of
a child or adult; and mentally like:
delay in language development, oral
motor difficulties, among others.
According to the website Down España:
“It is normally seen in all ethnicities,
all countries, with an incidence of one
per 600-700 conceptions in the world.”

Do you know what inclusion means?

According Merriam-Webster dictionary the word inclusion means “the act or
practice of including students with disabilities in regular school classes”
and this is the exact definition we are want to develop in society.
Due to the lack of information, society has excluded people with DS. Many of
them are marginalized or not being treated as they deserve. We should start by
understanding, that each of us are quite unique, and that the intellectual capacities
of people with DS do not make then less worthy. They can achieve what any
normal person can do, although they will require more effort and above all a lot of
love from their parents.
They must have an earlier intervention program, as much as in physical
therapy as in their language development, being these the special
necessities presented along their development. “Recognizing also that
discrimination against any person on the basis of disability is a violation of the
inherent dignity and worth of the human person” states clause h of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional
Protocol.
 And what happens with the educational inclusion?
Educational inclusion is all about adopting the methodological actions in
the necessary aspects that guarantee the participation of the student.
In Guatemala we do not have inclusion in the educational system. We have
extremely segmented special education, when there really should exist only one
type of education.
According to a study called “'A comparison between the regular classroom and
special education in teenagers with Down syndrome:
implications for parents and teachers”, people with
DS should be integrated with the ones that do not
have these special characteristics. In an ordinary
education they are in touch with words and phrases
that act as construction blocks, these ones help their cognitive development and
their affectionate state by being involved with their friends and teachers.
The curriculum needs reformations or adaptations that are necessary for education,
such as: the learning rhythm, didactic methodology, and the use of a text book
among others.
“Full inclusion in the curriculum leads to much better literacy and numeracy skills,
and general knowledge.” states the Inclusive Education for Individuals with Down
Syndrome article.
What can you do as a teacher?
Despite the fact that we do not have the knowledge on how to treat people with
these special characteristics, the biggest change begins in social inclusion:
Educating society about including people with DS; to not being discriminative,
accepting with love, seeing without disdain, and understanding that
everyone is unique, but also special.

Labor inclusion,
There are organizations like “Margarita Tejada” that offer special programs for
labor inclusion, helping people with DS to be included and considered in any
vacancy or job opportunity. In Guatemala we have some examples of this inclusion
with McDonald’s Guatemala, Café Consciente; in other countries you can find
them lecturing at universities, working in coffee shops, representing grand
brands, and as fashion designers.

Let’s live and educate the Down

syndrome inclusion!
Let’s be part of the change.

Down Syndrome World TM