Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the addition of an extra chromosome. People with Down Syndrome have 47 chromosomes in their cells instead of 46. The duplicate chromosome is chromosome 21, which is why Down Syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21. Down Syndrome occurs at conception and can affect both genders, people from all ethnic and social groups and to parents of all ages.
Therapeutic intervention to help a child with gross motor difficulties is important to:
Physical features:
Developmental features:
Diagnosis alone is NOT the solution. It simply opens the door to getting the help that is needed by arming all involved with the relevant information.
The ‘help’ still needs to be provided. The help that is provided (at least from a therapy perspective) will reflect:
More specific implications of not seeking treatment will be influenced by the common difficulties that are most influencing your individual child.
For more information see the relevant fact sheets under areas of concern or refer to the other relevant resources section below.
Diagnoses are used to label a specific set of symptoms that are being experienced by a child.
This label then helps to narrow down and specifically tailor what:
A diagnosis helps the child and their carers (parents, teachers, health professionals, carers) to:
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND IN WHICH WE OPERATE AND PAY OUR RESPECTS TO ELDERS PAST, PRESENT, AND EMERGING. OUR FAMILY IS FOUNDED ON HOSPITALITY, THE BELIEF THAT EVERYONE IS WELCOME! DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUITY ARE CELEBRATED, REPRESENTED, AND SUPPORTED IN OUR PEOPLE, OUR CUSTOMERS, AND OUR COMMUNITIES.