Down's Syndrome

Two of our friends from Certitude have Down's Syndrome, Ciaran and Tanisha, but they both have different forms of it. I decided to do some research for my own benefit.

Down's Syndrome is a genetic disorder where a fetus is formed with a third copy of chromosome 21 whereas the average human has two copies. This is detected before birth via ultrasound and the mother of the baby can choose to have an abortion or carry on with her pregnancy.
At birth, down's can be instantly detected by: an epicanthic fold which is the fold in the corner of their eyes which should disappear at 3 months of gestation, a gap between their big toe and other toe, a flat and broad face, short neck, protruding tongue due to a small mouth, Brushfield spots (white spots on the iris), short limbs and fingers, hyperflexibility of the joints, poor muscle tone (people with down's syndrome aren't very strong for this reason), weak reflexes and cry,smaller head than average, fontanel on the baby's head is larger due to slow growth, flat nose bridge, smaller, lower set ears and the hands are flat with broad fingers, a flexion on the fifth finger and a single crease in their palm.

As they grow older, other things can affect them such as sight and hearing issues, mental retardation (a typical person with down's syndrome has an IQ of around 50, a normal human would have an IQ of about 100), infertility in men and females will find it hard to conceive, heart disease and cancer are more common to people with down's but recently, this has been reduced with new medicine.

There are three different kinds of  down's syndrome; two of them being spontaneous and one of them being genetic (particularly is the parent/s have/has down's syndrome). A child with down's syndrome can meet all the milestones a normal child can depending on their individual severity and can attend a school alongside normal children with a learning assistant if necessary. They can also have jobs and live independently with visits from occupational therapists. Being a part of an environment helps their development and allows them to interact and live lives like any other normal person. Stimulation, good healthcare and quality education programmes are key to helps those with down's syndrome lead long fulfilling lives.

Ciaran has the personality of an average young man. He is outgoing, likes his women, has a strong personality and loves to chat with people. He's more known for his productions that he likes to put on. For Wizard of Oz, his group was only meant to perform one scene but he was adamant to finish the whole thing, and he directed the whole thing and he was very proud of it. Ciaran seems to love his disney stories and he knows them of by heart.

Tanisha seems to be more laid-back and a little bit more quiet. She likes to talk to you and she's very affectionate; she will hug you and not let go. She understands things (like ciaran) very well and has a very individual way of dancing.