Living With Down Syndrome by Jayrose

This is Brooklynn

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-16 18:40:17 UTC

Brooklynn is my cousin, she has Down Syndrome. She was born on April 10th 2010. She is strong willed, funny super smart and cute. Her mom is a single mom with 4 kids. 4 year old twins, a seven year old and an eight year old.

Causes of Down Syndrome

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-16 18:51:48 UTC

The main cause of down syndrome is an extra chromosome. Most people have 46 chromosomes, where as people with down syndrome have 47. This occurs when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. The random copy is called nondisjunction. When the cell is supposed to split it usually one pair of chromosomes goes to each cell, when nondisjunction happens, one of the cells gets both chromosomes go into one cell and none go into the other one. The division issue usually occurs at the beginning stages of sperm and egg. Older woman are more likely to have a child with down syndrome

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jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-16 19:01:14 UTC

The Discovery of Down Syndrome

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-16 20:11:34 UTC

Down syndrome was initially identified as a disorder in 1866, by John Langdon although there he was incorrect about the cause. The cause was identified in 1959, which is pretty recent, considering the development of other medical discoveries.

Symptoms of Down Syndrome

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-16 22:14:57 UTC

Some of the symptoms include
* Upward slanting eyes not matching the child's ethnic group
* Small neck
* Small head
* Excessive flexibility
* Short height
* Flat facial features
* Protruding tongue
* Poor muscle tone
* Tiny white spots on the eye called Brushfield Spots
* Relativity small hands and fingers and feet
* Broad, short hands with a single cress on the hand
* Unusually small ears
* Learning disability
* Delayed development
* Loss of hearing
* Obesity
* Thyroid disease
* Lazy eye
* Congenital heart disease
There are different levels of capability

Diagnosis of Down Syndrome

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-16 23:10:45 UTC

Screening tests such as ultrasounds and blood tests can diagnose down syndrome before birth. Another way to be diagnosed before birth are diagnostic tests such as chorionic villus sampling and aminiocentesis. You can also be diagnosed after birth based off looks and a physical exam. Blood tests can also be done.

Aunt Ronica's Experience with Brooklynn

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 00:53:09 UTC

When my Aunt Ronica first had Brooklynn she was confused, she had gotten no indication that her second child would have down syndrome. She was too young for the doctors to suspect anything. Confused my aunt was visited by Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona came to visit her, this was an organization founded by a mother of a down syndrome kid. Their main goal is to comfort new down syndrome parents. When they came to visit her they explained what it would be like to have Brooklynn around, how to cope and experiences of other parents. They gave her hope and told her about information.( We attend the walk every year.) Right at birth Brooklynn received help through the state, until 3 years old. Although this helped her greatly all of the medical issues caused financial strain, and following schedules was hard.

The Brooklynn Experience cont.

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 05:45:06 UTC

Aunt Ronica had to sacrifice time to take Brooklynn to therapy two times a month per therapist. During the week my mom would take care of Brooklynn, and her sister Angelina. Therapy consumed a lot of time until Brooklynn was old enough to attend special needs preschool. Exactly when Brooklynn turned 3 the twins were born, seeing as they were born on the same day. When Brooklynn began school there were many concerns that my aunt had and still has such as Brooklynn being bullied or taken advantage of. There was also the concern that Brooklynn would run off into the street or somewhere potentially dangerous without anyone noticing, as she did with us. Although there are some limitations with Brooklynn, I think that everyone will tell you she is more than worth it.

Dealing with it

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 05:47:54 UTC

Currently there is no cure for down syndrome. There are treatments of course, many babies who have down syndrome start therapy early, speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy so that children can grow into highly functioning adults. Most of the time parents are introduced to the early intervention program. A program that helps parents get therapy and other methods of treatments such as doctors appointments for people with heart defects and medical issues associated with down syndrome.

Current Research

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 06:01:57 UTC

Current research from Down Syndrome Educational International shows that children that have daily reading and language training have progressively more skills in those areas then those without.
https://www.dseinternational.org/en-us/research/

Support

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 06:08:13 UTC

Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona
This is a group that holds a yearly walk that we attend and it uses the money to help educate and help parents of down syndrome children.
https://www.sharingds.org/
DDD

  This group helps the parents of kids with down syndrome children and other disabilities, by providing dental care.

https://www.sharingds.org/

Videos

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 06:13:03 UTC

http://www.parents.com/health/down-syndrome/raising-a-child-with-down-syndrome/

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 06:35:09 UTC

Brooklynn and her friend

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 06:35:59 UTC

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 06:37:32 UTC

jaylynnarchu — 2017-04-17 06:38:29 UTC