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... them, maybe deformed. There may also be a whole between the two lower chambers. This condition is called Ventricular Septal defect. There are less common defects, involving a whole between the two upper chambers, problems with the heart valves, and the major artie's attach to the heart. Most children with down syndrome have the same quality of sight as other children and develop the same control of their eyes, but because eye sight can affect other facets of development, it is especially important to make sure your childs eye sight is normal as early as possible.
The three most common eye defects are crossed eyes, nearsightedness, farsightedness and cataracts. The ears of babies with Down Syndrome tend to be smaller than normal, which can cause some problems. This middle ear is smaller as well, and that is where most ear problems start. The middle ears of children can often become filled with fluid. Treatment of ear infections ranges from medicine to surgery, depending on the severity of the ear congestion. Other problems that children with Down Syndrome may have are thyroid problems and vertebrae instability.
Human development is a complex process of growing and acquiring skills. The foundations of the developmental process are in a babys genetic make-up and their environment. There are many factors such as psychological, biological, cultural and environmental factors that have a tremendous impact on the way one develops. Development is an evolving process that is subjected to both positive and negative influences. Erik Erikson developed a psychosocial theory that divided the development process into eight stages. We will examine the first three of these eight stages and compare how a child who is considered to be normal develops in contrast to a child who is born with Down syndrome develops.
These first three stages are crucial to the development of a child in that the changes that occur during these times are extraordinary. A child will develop a general control over their body and will become a social being. The first stage is Trust vs. distrust, which takes place during the first year of infancy. In this stage it is very important for the infant to learn that they can trust their primary caregiver for affection, protection and comfort. If this is not learned, then the child will develop distrust because their needs are not being met.
This is a time for laying foundations. Being able to establish love, security and trust will help motivate a baby to move, explore and challenge themselves. Babies born with Down syndrome are no different than a baby who is normal at this stage of development. It is just as important for them to learn how to trust their primary caregiver and it is even more important their needs are being met at this stage of development. As a child with down syndrome advances to the next stage, their development tends to slow down. Babies in this stage are working on their gross motor skills such as crawling, walking and using large muscles like the legs and arms.
For a simple task like smiling, it can take a month or two longer for a baby with Down syndrome to achieve that task. Another task like rolling over, can happen when a baby is about 8 months for a Down syndrome baby compared to about 3 months for a child who is normal. The second stage, Autonomy vs. shame and doubt, covers the years 1 - 2.
During this stage, children gain control over eliminative functions, learn to feed themselves and are allowed to play alone and develop a sense of independence. If a child is too restricted during this stage, then they can develop a sense of shame and doubt about their own abilities. For infants, this stage represents a period of transition. Changes that will occur at this stage are so critical for the babys life. There are three major changes that will occur during this stage. The first is the start of independent movement.
The next is the understanding of object permanence and the third is the beginning of the use of language. An activity such as sitting alone, can happen for a normal child around 7 months. For a Down syndrome child, it can be expected to happen around 10 or 11 months. Another activity, crawling, will usually happen around 12 - 13 months for a Down syndrome baby where as this usually occurs around 8 months for a normal child. Not that much of a difference really, even a normal child can take a little longer to develop these activities.
The third stage, Initiative vs. guilt, takes place from 3 to 5 years. This is where the childrens motor and intellectual abilities continue to increase. This is a period of intense skill development. It is so important in this stage for a caregiver to accept the childs developing initiative. If they fail to do so, a feeling of guilt will be instilled upon the child.
Some of the tasks being accomplished in this stage for a Down syndrome baby are standing, walking, talking in words and sentences. These tasks are being accomplished, but at about 6 to 7 months behind a normal child. It is so important for the parents to be involved in their babys development, especially when that child has Down syndrome. Most of the children will choose to learn new tasks in the way that is easiest for them. Because of the unique characteristics particular to babies with Down Syndrome, they need special guidance to help them master these stages of development.
In many ways, raising a baby with Down syndrome will be the same as raising any other baby. But there will be some differences as well. As a parent of a child with Down syndrome, you have to be very conscious about the childs development. You will have to help direct his or her development and also join in, in this work... Teaching is a very important job of the parents and the professionals as well. One of the methods a parent can use is observing.
The characteristics a parent would be observing are responsiveness, is the child alert? Is he or she aware of his environment? A parent would also be observing movement. This would include observing how a child grasps objects or is the child using just one side of the body? A third area of observation would be communication. What you would be observing here is looking to see if the child understands familiar words or names.
You could also just be observing to see if certain activities or movements motivate the child to talk. A couple of other areas that should be observed are sensory input, responsiveness or energy level. There are a variety of teaching strategies that can be used to make teaching your child more effective. You need to be a consistent as you possibly can. Being more consistent in your approach will foster new learning. You also have to have well-defined expectations.
If the goals you set are too lofty for your child, then these tasks might not get accomplished. You also need to be very positive in your approach. Youll need to use a lot of praise a d other positive rewards in order to motivate your child to learn. Repetition is also a very important part of the learning process for your child. You as a parent, might get bored easily with repetition, but it is important to stay focused in this step. Lastly, take small steps.
Too big a task might mean not being able to accomplish certain tasks.
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