Homie With An

Extra Chromie
Vincent O’Neil
EDU 203
Ms. Sgobba
What is Down “Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder
caused by the presence of an extra copy of
Syndrome? chromosome 21 or by a portion of chromosome 21
translocated (attached) to another chromosome in one
of the affected child's parents. It is not inherited in
most cases but is caused by a random genetic
abnormality” (Frey 562).
Founder of Down
Syndrome
“The disorder is named for John Langdon Haydon Down
(1828–1896), a British doctor who pioneered the care and
education of children with the syndrome that now bears
his name, as well as publishing the first scientific
description of it in 1866. The cause of Down syndrome
was finally identified in 1959 by Jérôme Lejeune (1926–
1994), a French pediatrician and geneticist” (Frey 562).
Derogatory Terms of the Past

• “Down syndrome was sometimes referred to in the past as

Mongolian idiocy or mongolism because the facial features of
some children with the syndrome were thought to resemble
those of people from Mongolia. In 1965 the World Health
Organization (WHO) stated that mongolism should no longer
be used as a synonym for Down syndrome, following a request
from the organization's Mongolian delegate. Mongolism is
presently considered a disrespectful term and should not be
used in discussions of the condition, although the word still
occasionally appears in print” (Frey 562).
 Although Down syndrome is caused through
random cell creations, “There are three known risk
factors for having a child with Down syndrome:
Risk Factors 1. Mother older than 35 years of age and/or
father older than 42
2. Having a previous child with Down syndrome
3. Either parent being a carrier of the
genetic translocation for Down syndrome” (Frey
562-563).
Besides these three risk factors, “There are no
lifestyle or environmental factors known to cause
Down syndrome” (Frey 563).
Effects

• Physical
• “an additional skin fold at the inner corner of the
upper eyelid (epicanthic fold)
• a short neck
• white spots on the iris of the eye known as Brushfield
spots
• a round face
• ears that are smaller than normal
• a flattened area at the back of the head
• missing teeth or delayed development of teeth
• protruding tongue and a tendency to breathe through
the mouth
• an extra-wide space between the big toe and second
toe” (Frey 564).
Effects

Psychological
•“The average IQ scores of children with the
syndrome are between 35 and 70” (Frey 562).
•“Dementia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders,
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and
Depression” (Frey 566).
 • “At the turn of the twentieth century, a person
with Down syndrome (DS) was expected to live
only about 9 years. Today, life expectancy is
about 56 years” (Cohen et al. 221).
• The life expectancy of a person with Down
Life syndrome is affected by the fact that, “Between
Expectancy 40% and 60% of infants with Down syndrome are
born with severe heart defects; others have
blockages of the esophagus and small intestine.
These defects may require surgery shortly after
birth. These children are also at increased risk of
childhood leukemia” (Frey 562).
 • There is no cure
Treatment • Treatment is highly personalized, depending on
their mental and physical needs
• “Children with Down syndrome often need
extensive physical therapy in order to learn to
walk and move normally, and are at increased
risk of obesity as they grow older” (Frey 562).
 • Acknowledging and understanding that people
with Down syndrome develop slower than
others will help with assessments and learning.
• “In general, children with Down
syndrome develop on a slower timetable than
other children” (Frey 565).
As Educators