Down Syndrome – Examining the Choice of Down Syndrome as the Disability to Create Awareness

 

Down Syndrome – Examining the Choice of Down Syndrome as the Disability to Create Awareness

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Definition of Down Syndrome 

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that results in delayed motor, language, and cognitive skills with physical abnormalities in an individual (Amjad and Muhammad, 2019). It is a chromosomal situation where some genetic materials delay the mental and physical development of students (The Nemours Foundation, n.d.). Children with Down Syndrome mostly have cognitive, psychological, and emotional disabilities that affect their learning in the classroom. It results in issues like uneven development of the brain and the body, physical characteristics, language, and intellectual disabilities (DSAWM Educator Manual, 2016).

The Choice of Down Syndrome to Create Awareness Among Student Teachers of Disabilities in General

Students with Down Syndrome become the victim of cognitive impairment with poor thinking and learning abilities. It delays the cognitive development of the students, which results in poor judgmental skills, short attention span, impulsive behavior, slow learning, and slow language development (Special Olympics, 2020). Such students are prone to autism spectrum disorder and other abnormalities. On the other hand, they will get major psychological and emotional impairment related to their mental health problems with fewer adaptive behavior problems such as disruptive, inattentive, and oppositional behaviors, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum conditions, loss of cognitive skills, social withdrawal, stereotypical behaviors, sleepiness, etc. (NDSS, 2022). Due to the mental concerns, the students will also face serious emotional disabilities with an increased risk of Alzheimer´s disease (Down Syndrome Education International, 2022).  Such students can be helped if certain strategies are appropriately followed. Most Importantly, raising awareness of Down Syndrome in the classroom through integration and inclusion of students with special needs could help them improve their knowledge and attitude toward such disabilities (Campbell, Gilmore, & Cuskelly, 2003). The teachers’ positive attitudes and their belief toward the inclusion of children can bring differences in educational outcomes, especially for students with Down Syndrome. This is because the teacher could support students in an inclusive classroom with appropriate teaching materials and procedures and can accommodate them based on their needs (Campbell, Gilmore, & Cuskelly, 2003). According to Krause (2020), the attitude of the teacher toward students with Down Syndrome plays a vital role whereby they reflect on what he knows about Down Syndrome (cognitive), his emotional reaction towards such students (affective), and his behavior toward such students (Behavioral). Even supportive counseling services can be exercised to anticipate their impact. 

Physical Disability - The Choice of Another Disability to Create Awareness among Student Teachers of Disabilities in General 

Students with Down Syndrome usually have some major health-related issues with hearing and seeing impairments. The loss of hearing and seeing is often observed among students with Down Syndrome (NDSS, 2022). Such disabilities have a serious impact on their learning process. Bringing changes to the seating arrangement in the classroom and the classroom setting has a greater impact on such students (Henkler, 2018). On the other hand, changing the teaching strategies using clear speech, the teacher’s position while teaching, using their peers to pass the information, providing extra time for any activity, using bigger size visual aids, etc. (Yogiraj, 2021). 

One Disability to Choose to Raise Awareness if Only to Choose One 

One disability to choose to raise awareness of would be the physical disability of students. This is because such disabilities limit students' access to see and hear the teaching materials due to their seeing and hearing disabilities. The teacher’s main role should be to make the curriculum inclusive and accessible to such students so that they do not face barriers to learning. Shifting the instructional approach from normal to specialized instruction including special and inclusive educational needs strategies would solve not only the hearing and seeing disabilities but also other disabilities. By doing so, the teacher can promote his students’ independence for a successful learning process and make the classroom free of physical and visual clutter (Willings, 2016) inclusive of cognitive, psychological, and emotional disabilities. 

To conclude, any forms of stereotypical views of children with Down syndrome should be eradicated, and the teacher should be affectionate and friendly with students having Down Syndrome and should demonstrate a high level of understanding of individuality (Campbell, Gilmore, & Cuskelly, 2003). Moreover, the teacher needs to design an inclusive policy within the classroom.

 

References

Amjad, H and Muhammad, Y. (2019). Teaching Students with Down Syndrome: Perspectives of Special School Teachers and Psychologists. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337339877_Teaching_Students_with_Down_Syndrome_Perspectives_of_Special_School_Teachers_and_Psychologists

Campbell, J., Gilmore, L., & Cuskelly, M. (2003, December). Changing student teachers’ attitudes towards disability and inclusion.  Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 8(4), 369-379. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/4305/1/4305.pdf

Down Syndrome Education International. (2022). Mental health, behavior and intellectual abilities of people with Down syndrome. https://library.down-syndrome.org/en-us/research-practice/11/1/mental-health-behaviour-intellectual-abilities-people-down-syndrome

DSAWM Educator Manual. (2016). Supporting the Student with Down Syndrome in Your Classroom. https://www.dsawm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Educator-Manual-No-date.pdf

Henkler, Ed. (2018). Teaching Suggestions for Visually Impaired Students. https://theblindguide.com/teaching-suggestions-for-visually-impaired-students/#:~:text=Position%20the%20student%20in%20a,the%20board%20and%20increase%20concentration.

Krause, N. (2020). Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Inclusion of Children with Down’s Syndrome Within Mainstream Educational Settings and the Influencing Variables. A Thesis for Cardiff University’s School of Psychology. https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/133929/12/Thesis-%20Natasha%20Krause-%2031.07.20%20(1).pdf%20PAGES%20REMOVED.pdf

NDSS. (2020). Mental Health Issues & Down Syndrome. https://www.ndss.org/resources/mental-health-issues-syndrome/

NDSS. (2022). Vision and Down Syndrome. https://www.ndss.org/resources/vision-down-syndrome/

Special Olympics. (2020). Down Syndrome. https://www.specialolympics.org/about/intellectual-disabilities/down-syndrome

The Nemours Foundation. (n.d.).  Down Syndrome Factsheet (for Schools). https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/down-syndrome-factsheet.html

Willings, C. (2016). Classroom Design Tips. https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/classroom-design-tips.html

Yogiraj. (2021). Teachers’ role in teaching of hearing-impaired students in class. https://www.yogiraj.co.in/teachers-role-in-teaching-of-hearing-impaired-student-in-class