Leadership Qualities of the National Down Syndrome Society

The York Area Down Syndrome Association (YADSA) is an association that supports families whose children have Down Syndrome. YADSA has partnered with York College of Pennsylvania for an incredible event where I had to opportunity to work with a student with Down Syndrome over two events. I worked with Kira, she is a high school student that is shy at first, but quickly comes out of her shell. She is a silly and outgoing person, who loves cheerleading, science, and Disneyworld.

As a child, Down syndrome was a part of my everyday life. I was watched after every day for the first ten years of my life by a women who was also looking after her sister who had Down syndrome. To me it was nothing unusual. It wasn’t until about eighth grade that I realized that to other people it wasn’t normal, it had a negative connotation. Growing up around a person who has Down syndrome made me see things differently than others. Once I realized not everyone else’s perspectives were the same as mine I became really aware of how others treated and reacted to people with Down syndrome. Its years later and I came across a story told by a women named Bethany Van Delft about Down syndrome.

They believe that pregnant women should be offer screening for Down syndrome no matter their age. Before women who were over the age of 35 were suggested to get a Down syndrome screening done. However, now they are suggesting that any woman who is currently pregnant should be offered the chance to have a screening done. The goal of this test is to provide women with the best high quality detection rates with just a few false positive results. As the director of this organization and having a child of my own that has Down syndrome this topic could be difficult to approach in the aspect of seeing the reason why people would want to know whether their child has down syndrome or not. The two main reasons for wanting to know if a child has Down syndrome in the early stage of pregnancy is to consider terminating the pregnancy or so that they have time to make living arrangement to accommodate to child’s special needs. In this case I do agree that women should be offer the opportunity to know if their child might have Down syndrome to prepare themselves physically and emotionally. This would allow them to have time to prepare a good life for this child and accommodate to their special needs. However, women should not use this screening as an opportunity to terminate pregnancies just because the child has Down syndrome. I know that

A person with downs syndrome has extra chromosome. The defect usually involves the twenty first chromosome. With this chromosome defect you do not develop like the average human being. With Down syndrome you have a short body stature and your face has a very broad profile, the most noticeable way to tell if someone has Down syndrome is their ears and their eyes are aligned differently than someone who doesn’t have downs syndrome. When you are growing up with Down’s syndrome your speech develops much slower and it is much harder to annunciate your words. some over time can develop great speech and some

Down syndrome occurs in people who were born with three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. This extra genetic material is what brings about the effects of Down’s syndrome. It is often characterized by an impairment of cognitive (process of thought) ability. Most people with Down syndrome have lower than average, mild to moderate, cognitive ability and this cannot be predicted at birth. A smaller number fall into the severe impairment range. Physically, people with Down’s syndrome are smaller in stature, have less muscle tone, and have noticeably different facial features. The number of these births occurs approximately in one out of every one thousand (ndss.org). As of 2007, the number of people in the United States with Down syndrome stood at about 350,000. These numbers will shrink because now (most) potential parents can know the condition of the fetus early. This information is included to let the reader relate to the struggles that some with Down syndrome goes through.

The National Association for Down Syndrome is governed much like a traditional corporation, with a board of directors and staff members, although it is a nonprofit. "NADS is the oldest organization in the country serving individuals with Down syndrome and their families. It was founded in Chicago in 1961 by parents who chose to go against medical advice and raised their children with Down syndrome at home" (About NADS, 2012, NADS). From its inception, NADS was designed to provide support for parents of children with Down syndrome and their offspring. Its key stakeholders are parents and children, and it strives to educate the larger community about the disorder and to cultivate community resources to better enable parents to raise their children in a supportive and loving environment that caters to the children's special needs. Information-gathering and dissemination, support, and advocacy on a national and local level are all part of the organizations' mission.

Individuals with Down syndrome are becoming increasingly integrated into society and community organizations, such as school, health care systems, work forces, and social and recreational activities. Individuals with Down syndrome possess varying degrees of cognitive delays, from very mild to severe. Most people with Down syndrome have cognitive delays that are mild to moderate.

Do you have a family member with Down syndrome? Neither did Esther Gomez-Nieto, until 15 years ago when her grandson Alexander was born. In fact, she knew very little about Down syndrome at all. Years ago when Esther emigrated from Cuba, she had no idea the eventual path her life would take. She got married, had kids, then returned to school later in life, and became an educator and a grandmother. However, her most significant contribution to the world began when she founded Alexander’s Angels, Inc. in 2007, an organization for Down syndrome advocacy, service, and research.

Caring for a child with Down syndrome is difficult and it is up to the parents to be the ambassadors, medical experts, health coordinators and whatever else the child may need (Isgro, 2013.). How they get treated may due to how they are portrayed in media. However, these women learned that they can make online

Down Syndrome is “a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21. This genetic disorder, which varies in severity, causes lifelong intellectual disability and developmental delays, and in some people it causes health problems.” My cousin, Brian, has Down Syndrome and has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. On Sunday October 9, 2016, in Peoria, Illinois, I volunteered at the Heart of Illinois Down Syndrome spaghetti dinner. The food is donated from LaGondola Spaghetti House. There is a live raffle, as well as a silent auction. Throughout the afternoon and evening, there is a 50/50 raffle along with live entertainment. This is a non-profitable fundraiser. The money that is raised goes to the Heart of Illinois Down Syndrome Association to support: Support and Advocacy, Resource Library, Conference Stipends, Learning Program, Recreational Scholarships, Monthly Newsletters, New Parent and Grandparent Packets, Family Networking Opportunities, Quarterly Social Events, Speaker on Disability Issues, New Parent Open House, Workshops, and Collaboration with Service Agencies.

“Special Needs: Caring for the Older Adult with Down Syndrome.” (Herron- Foster and Bustos, 2014), create awareness around tailing services to best serve people with Down syndrome. This article is informative about observing signs and how to be preventative or proactive to ensure higher qualities for people with Down

Down syndrome doesn’t just show up during your life, you’re not going to just start noticing you have Down syndrome in the middle of your life or be diagnosed with it later on. You’re born with it; you have no way to get rid of it at any time. You can’t change it. Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that is linked to intellectual disability. Each human should have 46 chromosomes, 23 from the father, and 23 from the mother. But whenever you have a child with Down syndrome they are born

There is no single, standard treatment for Down syndrome. Treatments are based on each person's personal needs, limitations, and strengths. A child with Down syndrome would likely receive care from a team of health professionals, which includes physicians, special educators, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and social workers. “Early intervention” refers to a range of specialized programs and resources that professionals provide to children with Down syndrome as well as their families. A variety of therapies can be used in early intervention programs to promote the greatest possible development, independence, and productivity. Some of these therapies include physical therapy, speech-language therapy, occupational

Those with Down syndrome often experience physical issues such as poor muscle tone and poor immune function (Carmeli, Kessel, Merrick, & Bar-Chad, 2014). Individuals who are born with Down syndrome often need extensive help making adult decisions throughout their lives, but the severity of cases varies heavily within individuals that have Down syndrome. Down syndrome has some clear physical features, but it also has a number of features that affect the individual; for instance, individuals with Down syndrome are more likely to experience problems with congenital heart disease (Glasson, Dye, & Bittles,

Many people think that a person who has Down syndrome doesn’t live a normal life. Although they do have to work harder at some things, they can do most things that everyone else can do. Some have more issues than others. People with Down syndrome face obstacles such as physical and behavioral abnormalities, health issues, working, and social development skills, but there are different ways we can help.