Down syndrome is a genetic condition that occurs at conception. It occurs due to the division of chromosome 21, which is why Down syndrome is referred to as trisomy 21. Which means it is an extra copy of a chromosome. Down syndrome is not an illness and cannot be cured, and each person who has Down syndrome is different in physical features, health and intellectually. There is no known cause for Down syndrome and can happen to anyone world wide. Down syndrome is the most common chromosome disorder that we know of. One in every 700-900 babies world wide will have Down syndrome. Although this number is lower in Australia.(Down Syndrome Australia) Because no two people are the same the impact that having Down syndrome is also different however there will be an intellectual and development delay to some extent. Common differences to Down syndrome are a bent little finger, excess skin
on the back of the neck, low muscle tone which can affect development physically plus swallowing and eating. Some other developmental experiences may be delayed, they can be physical delays such as sitting up and walking, short in stature and speech delay. Some people with Down syndrome can have heart and thyroid disease, hearing and eyesight problems. A student with Down syndrome that has health issues may need regular time off school for appointments which will impact on the education of that student. A student may also require reinforcement of rules and expectations to maintain correct behaviours. Due to physical development they may take longer to complete tasks such as eating lunch, going to the bathroom and general movement through out the class which can be disruptive to other students. Accommodations however have to be made to insure the needs of the student are being met.