Down's Syndrome: The Benefits of Early Intervention.
There are millions of children born with disabilities each year in the United .
States. Many of these children are born with Down's Syndrome. Although .
these children are born under a great strain, they are still capable of learning and .
functioning in our society. With proper assistance and guidance these children .
can be taught skills to harness their full potential. In this paper, I will discuss the benefits of early intervention for children with Down's Syndrome.
What is Down's Syndrome?.
Let me begin by explaining what is Down's Syndrome. Down's Syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality occurring once in approximately every one thousand live births. The three types of Down's Syndrome are trisomy 21, translocation and mosaicism (Pueschel 10). Trisomy 21 is caused by the presence of an additional chromosome. Instead of having 46 chromosomes, there are 47 chromosomes present in each cell. The presence of an additional chromosome accounts for approximately 95 percent of individuals with Down's Syndrome.
The second type of abnormality is called translocation because the extra .
chromosome is attached or "translocated" on to another chromosome .
(Pueschel 12). It usually relocates on to the fourteenth, twenty-first or twenty-.
second chromosome. This is the only form of Down's Syndrome that is hereditary, meaning the parents are carriers of the extra genetic information. .
This form of abnormality is found in about three to four percent of individuals with Down's Syndrome.
The third form, mosaicism, occurs in about one percent of individuals with .
Down's Syndrome. This type of genetic abnormality occurs as the result of an .
error in cell division soon after conception (Benke 7). Some cells have 47 .
chromosomes and in some cases, others have 46 chromosomes. .
Characteristics of Chromosomal Differences.
Secondly, I will discuss the physical attributes of alterations in genetic makeup.