With Education, Employment, and a Better-Informed SocietyIndividuals with Down Syndrome can Prosper in LifeRoger is a handsome blonde, blue-eyed boy but one can tell he is different from most other children. His physical features are somewhat strange. Roger's face is broader and his nasalbridge flatter than usual. And his eyes, they appear to slant upward and have folds at the inner corners. His mouth is small and the roof of his mouth is very narrow. Not to mention his small ears which fold over a bit at the top. Touching his hands they are tiny, his fingers shorter and his fifth finger seems to curve slightly inward. These are all physical signs of a child with a disordercalled Down syndrome, a chromosome disorder. While there is no actual cure for Down syndrome I believe parents can give their children the opportunity to live longer, happier more capable lives than any prior generation of people with Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome have the potential to fit into society and lead normal lives by education, employment and support from a better-informed society. One may ask why looking at a disorder like Down syndrome is important in relation to science. This is because approximately three to five thousand children are born with Down syndrome each year. And it is believed there are about two hundred and fifty thousand families in the United States who are affected by Down syndrome (Moss). Down syndrome occurs when certain events occur during cell division to cause the wrong chromosome number as a result. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder characterized by the presence of an extra #21 chromosome. Instead of having forty-six chromosomes in each of his/her cells, a person with Down syndrome has forty-seven. It is believed that during cell division of a sperm or egg, the two #21 chromosomes do not separate properly which is called nondisjunction (Starr, pg184). There are three main types of chromosome abnormalities that can occur with Down syndrome, which are trisomy, translocation, and mosaicism. Trisomy occurs when a child has an extra 21 chromosome known as trisomy 21. This means that a child with Down syndrome has forty-seven chromosomes in each cell, instead of the normal number of forty-six chromosomes. This form of chromosome error, trisomy 21, is found in about ninety five percent of persons with Down syndrome. In three-four percent of people with Down syndrome, the second type, translocation occurs. Translocation happens whenan extra 21 chromosome is attached or translocated on to another chromosome. With this type inone-third of the cases a parent is the carrier of translocation and that is why it is important to examine the parents' chromosomes. The last chromosome abnormality is mosaicism. This type results from an error in cell division soon after conception and with it some cells have forty-seven chromosomes while others have forty-six chromosomes. However, only one percent of individuals has this type of chromosome abnormality (Moss). Although having a child with Down syndrome may be difficult at times, education is important for a child with Down syndrome to be able to prosper in life. Although the vast majority of children with Down syndrome function in the mild to moderate range of mental retardation they have many abilities and if given the chance there is no limit to what they can accomplish. Often the memory, insight, creativity, and cleverness that a child with Down syndrome can possess is very surprising. As with all children, quality education in neighborhoodschools and preschools or at home is important to provide the child with Down Syndrome the opportunities that are needed to develop strong academic skills. Children with Down syndrome often attend regular schools in regular education classes with differing levels of support. Most graduate from high school and some are enrolled in post-secondary educational programsincluding colleges and vocational programs (Down Syndrome: For New Parents). A parent may be scared to enroll their child with Down syndrome into school for the fear of rejection their child may face but by not taking that risk one will never be able to know what he/she can accomplish. By allowing an individual with Down syndrome to attend school one can expand their knowledge and creativity, create valuable relationship with other students, and has a better chance to be more successful in life. Another important aspect of enabling a Down syndrome individual to lead a normal lifeis allowing them to work. People with Down syndrome are employed in everyday jobs such as clerical workers, computer operators, assistant coaches, photographers, teacher assistants, etc. This means that people with Down syndrome are becoming more and more contributing and tax paying members of their communities. Historically, employment in the competitive labor force for individuals with Down syndrome was viewed as unattainable. According to Unger, "if individuals with disabilities received vocational training or employment services, they most likely received them in sheltered environments." This is a problem because individuals who participate in sheltered work environments usually received wages below the federal minimum wage rate and perform their jobs alongside other workers with disabilities. Oftentimes, the tasks that individuals perform within the workshop environment do not translate into jobs in their real life communities. Therefore, individuals with disabilities rarely leave these sheltered environments and ultimately spend their careers in employment environments that foster dependence. It is an unfortunate, unnecessary, and problematic situation when millions of Americans with Down syndrome spend their working adult years in these types of work environments when their abilities, skills, and motivation could be of benefit to employers in theircommunities. However, in recent years the participation of Americans with disabilities continues, and the National Task Force on Employment of Persons with Disabilities through an Executive Order issued by President Clinton in 1998. This committee, chaired by the Departmentof Labor, is responsible for developing "a coordinated and aggressive national policy to bring adults with disabilities into gainful employment at a rate that is as close as possible to that of the general adult population" (Unger). Working is as important to person with Down syndrome as anyone
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