The other day I was watching "Wheels," the ninth episode of the hit TV series Glee. I primarily watched this series because of the beauty of music that that is shared every week, but I am also impressed that the show makes an extra effort to make us understand issues about those who have disabilities or part of minorities. For this episode, it centered around Down syndrome.
No parent would want his/her child to have this kind of genetic disorder, but there's nothing much he/she can do to reverse the situation if his/her child does have it. It will be a lifelong issue that the surrounding family has to deal with, albeit it shouldn't hinder the child at all from nurturing his/her talents and become an effective member of society.
Well, basically, Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder characterized by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. The disorder has been known for many decades already, with John Langdon Down describing it during as early as 1866.
People suffering from this order tend to have lower than average cognitive ability and development disorders. They are also more susceptible to having cognitive heart defects and thyroid dysfunctions. They also tend to have physical features like microgenia and almond-shaped eyes.
As a parent, it is your duty to make sure that the life of your child with Down syndrome as normal as possible. Talking to your child as if he/she really has a disorder or treating him/her in an extra special way is not a very good advice, since these children are also intelligent enough to recognize that they have the syndrome. They just want to feel as normal as any child out there. It wouldn't hurt to make them feel that way. There are a lot of individuals out there who achieved great success despite Down syndrome. Don't lose hope that your child can be among these achievers someday.
I've found this excellent article talking some family do's and don't's when dealing with children with Down syndrome. Check it out and learn from it.
