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I am a young single mother who is new to motherhood. My son Ethan is 2 and is facing a disability that is called Down Syndrome. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21.

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The symptoms of Down syndrome vary from each individual. Individuals with Down syndrome may have different problems or symptoms at different periods of their life.
There are Physical symptoms which can cause poor muscle tone, short neck; with excess skin at the back of the neck, or flattened facial profile and nose. (etc)
There are also, Intellectual and Developmental symptoms which can cause short attention span, impulsive behavior, delayed language and speech development.

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About Down Syndrome:
https://www.ndss.org/about-down-syndrome/down-syndrome/
Down Syndrome Association: https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/
Common Treatments:
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/down/conditioninfo/treatments
Specialist:
https://www.globaldownsyndrome.org/research-medical-care/medical-care-providers/california/

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Current day, Ethan is attending a daycare center and he is finding difficulty to communicate with his teachers and those around him. Many teachers or care providers may not know how to react when Nathan is not cooperating or showing signs that he is feeling uncomfortable or confused.

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- It is important to communicate with the parent of the child to find a way in assisting the child.
- Find understanding on why the child is acting the way she/he is.
- Find techniques on assisting with developmental symptoms.
- Reassure the child with comfort. SHOW THEM YOU CARE.
- Use visual aids
- Create positive experiences for the child in many different environments and with many different individuals.

- Understand that you may have to repeat an activity many times before she/he can do it well.

- Lastly, VERY IMPORTANT: to make rules and guidance for the child. Always make the child feel important.

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Being welcomed to motherhood is beautiful thing and becoming the mother of Nathan is much more beautiful. Nathan's disability is what makes him even more special in this world. Of course, things get tough, but it is always important to keep a positive attitude and reassure yourself and your child that everything is okay. Nathan is a special and precious child who needs special needs in his life, but seeing him develop is so amazing. He is different from other children his age, due to not physically looking the same or intellectually learning things at the same pace as others. At the end of the day, Nathan is still a beautiful little human and I would not change him for the world.

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As time goes on, I am still learning new things about Nathan. I was introduced by many agencies and professionals as Nathan began to grow. These agencies assist him with many developmental skills. The therapy sessions assist Nathan in becoming more comfortable around others and assisting him in learning things about himself. Many of these agencies helped me gain more knowledge about my precious son Nathan. At the end of the day my understanding of Down Syndrome has grown tremendously! Nathan deserves the best.

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Nathan is growing and gaining that comfort in socializing/interacting with other children.

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It is important to show awareness towards children and individuals with Down Syndrome .

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Being a single mother with a child with a special disability is tough. Trying to support Nathan financially is very difficult because I may not always have enough to pay for specialists or agencies. Insurance does not always cover all of the needs that Nathan deserves today and in the future. There are many associations that help children with his special need, but not every child is eligible for the funding. Unfortunately, Nathan is not eligible for every funding. It is tough at times, but things will soon get better.