DOWN SYNDROME



Teaching Students with Down syndrome



Teaching Students with Down syndrome

Down syndrome is a disability that was first described one hundred and thirty-five years ago. Evidence in paintings and sculptors from thousands of years ago has however supported the idea that Down syndrome was not new from the 19th century (Wishart 1998). It has nonetheless been a controversial disorder since Down's paper on it was first published. Since then, Down syndrome has been referred to by a variety of names and our understanding of the disorder has developed increasingly with the years. Initially referred to as Mongolism, followed by Down's syndrome and finally by either Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome, the disorder that I will refer to by the latter has had much light shed on it as a result of years of research and an understanding of what it is as well as what it not. The following research paper will describe some historical facts that date back to Down's description of the disorder, followed by current prevalence rates, it's known and assumed causes, characteristics, and finally teaching strategies for the inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome and its characteristics were first described by John Langdon Down in a paper entitled "Observations of an ethnic classification of idiots." It was in 1866, at a time when Charles Darwin's theory of evolution had gained quite some attention; the British scientist, Darwin had proposed the concept of natural selection as well as the concept of ancestral descent -(Encarta 2000). Down's observations on what he called "Mongolian type of idiocy" (Down 1866: 260) emphasized the disorder's source was the result of racial degeneration. It is clear to see that this was a period when racist theories of the evolution of man were quite common. As outlined by Lane and Stratford in their book 'Current Approaches to Down's Syndrome', in 1844, theorist Robert Chambers stated the brain's stages went "from that of a fish's, to a reptile's, to a mammal's, and finally to a human's". This last category, the human's brain, also went through stages from the "Negro, Malay, American, and Mongolian nations, and finally [the] Caucasian" (1987:4). It is no doubt that this period's ignorance was due to a lack of understanding of the two main observable characteristics of the disorder: the intellectual challenge associated to it as well as the physical appearance of the individuals. Inclusion has gained much interest in the past years and the outcomes that are achieved through it have made it a priority in education. Acknowledging that all individuals with Down syndrome are different in their abilities and their interests, it is clear that teaching strategies will vary greatly from one child to the next. The overall goals remain that the children will develop new skills, they will acquire appropriate behaviors, and they will foster independence in their behavior and learning (Pueschel & Gieswein 1993). It is clear that these goals remain important regardless of whether the child has Down syndrome or ...