There's a common misconception that children with Down syndrome have predetermined limits in their ability to learn, but this is entirely false. It's impossible to predict the degree to which a baby born with Down syndrome will be intellectually disadvantaged.
What is certain is that people with Down syndrome have the potential to learn throughout their lifetimes and that their potential can be maximized through early intervention , good education, high expectations, and encouragement from family, caregivers, and teachers. Children with Down syndrome can and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives.
They simply reach goals at a different pace. People with Down syndrome often are regarded as particularly happy, sociable, and outgoing. While in general, this may be true, it's important to not stereotype them, even when it comes to labeling them with such positive characteristics. People who have Down syndrome experience a full range of emotions and have their own characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and styles—just like anyone else. There are some behaviors associated with Down syndrome that are largely due to the unique challenges the condition presents.
For example, most people with Down syndrome tend to need order and routine when dealing with the complexities of daily life. They thrive on routine and will often insist on sameness. This can be interpreted as innate stubbornness, but that's rarely what's going on.
Another behavior often seen in people with Down syndrome is self-talk—something everyone does sometimes. It's thought that people with Down syndrome frequently use self-talk as a way of processing information and thinking things through.
As you can see, it's hard to separate out some of the signs of Down syndrome from its potential complications. Keep in mind, though, that while many of the above issues pose undeniable concern, others simply chart a course for an individual that is out of "the norm. That said, people with Down syndrome are more likely than otherwise healthy people to have certain physical and mental health issues. Care throughout one's life can be complicated by these additional concerns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 75 percent of children with Down syndrome will have some form of hearing loss.
In many cases, this may be because of abnormalities in the bones of the inner ear. It's important to detect hearing problems as early as possible, since being unable to hear well can be a factor in speech and language delays. Children with Down syndrome are also at an increased risk of ear infections. Chronic ear infections can contribute to hearing loss. As many as 60 percent of children with Down syndrome will have some type of vision problem, such as nearsightedness , farsightedness , crossed eyes , cataracts, or blocked tear ducts , according to the CDC.
Half will need to wear glasses. The National Institutes of Health NIH states, "Down syndrome often causes problems in the immune system that can make it difficult for the body to fight off infections. The condition is particularly common in Down syndrome because of physical anomalies such as low muscle tone in the mouth and upper airway, narrow air passages, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, and a relatively large tongue. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons lists a number of issues affecting the muscles, bones, and joints of people with Down syndrome.
One of the most common is an upper neck abnormality called atlantoaxial instability AAI , in which vertebrae in the neck become misaligned. It doesn't always cause symptoms, but when it does it can lead to neurological symptoms such as clumsiness, difficulty walking or an abnormal gait e.
About half of all babies with Down syndrome are born with heart defects, reports the CDC. These can range from mild problems that are likely to correct themselves over time to serious defects that will require medication or surgeries. The most common heart defect seen in infants with Down syndrome is an atrioventricular septal defect AVSD —holes in the heart that interfere with the normal flow of blood. An AVSD may need to be surgically treated. Children with Down syndrome who aren't born with heart problems will not develop them later in life.
People with Down syndrome tend to be at an increased risk for a variety of GI problems. One of these, a condition called duodenal atresia , is a deformity of the small tube-like structure the duodenum that allows digested material from the stomach to pass into the small bowel.
In a newborn, this condition causes a swollen upper abdomen, excessive vomiting, and lack of urination and bowel movements after the first few meconium stools. Duodenal atresia can be successfully treated with surgery soon after birth. Another gastrointestinal condition of note in Down syndrome is Hirschsprung disease —an absence of nerves in the colon, which can cause constipation. Celiac disease, in which intestinal problems develop when someone eats gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, is more common in people with Down syndrome as well.
In this condition, the thyroid gland makes little or no thyroid hormone, which regulates bodily functions such as temperature and energy. Hypothyroidism can be present at birth or develop later in life, so regular testing for the condition should be done beginning when a baby with Down syndrome is born.
Hypothyroidism can be managed by taking thyroid hormone by mouth. According to the NIH, this seizure disorder is most likely to occur during the first two years of the life of a person with Down syndrome or to develop after the third decade. About half of the people with Down syndrome develop epilepsy after age It's also vital to understand that, despite what may appear to be innately unshakeable cheeriness, higher rates of anxiety disorders, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder have all been reported in Down syndrome.
These psychological problems can be successfully treated with behavior modification, counseling, and sometimes medication. They have an extra chromosome or part of an extra chromosome. Researchers believe that this extra genetic material 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.
It creates common Down syndrome features such as upturned, almond-shaped eyes and a smaller head. Down syndrome is a lifelong condition. Services early in life will often help babies and children with Down syndrome to improve their physical and intellectual abilities. Most of these services focus on helping children with Down syndrome develop to their full potential. These services include speech, occupational, and physical therapy, and they are typically offered through early intervention programs in each state.
Children with Down syndrome may also need extra help or attention in school, although many children are included in regular classes. The views of these organizations are their own and do not reflect the official position of CDC. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.
Birth Defects. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Facts about Down Syndrome. Minus Related Pages. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. It really helps, but I also challenge myself to do well. For instance, my goal was to be in a typical English class by 12th grade. I try not to let things like that upset me and just think of all the good things in my life. One of my favorite things to do is write poetry, and this singer my dad knows recorded some of my poems as singles.
Right now someone else is singing my songs, but someday, I want to be the one singing. One day I looked in the mirror, and I saw someone in my head, a famous person or someone who was somebody, and I just knew: I will be a singer. I just know that if I work really hard and be myself, I can do almost anything. But I still have to remind myself all the time that it really is OK to just be myself.
Sometimes all I see—all I think other people see—is the outside of me, not the inside. My poems are all about my feelings: when I hope, when I hurt. Treat me with respect, and accept me for who I am.
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