Down syndrome behaviour

Down syndrome is a congenital health condition usually identified at birth or shortly thereafter. Children born with Down syndrome usually have normal weight at birth but soon afterwards, they start growing at the much slower rate than their peers do. Children with Down syndrome will usually have very low muscle tone and may develop much slowly on many different fields. They normally reach developmental milestones (such as crawling, walking, or talking) much later than other children do. The exact symptoms will normally vary from one to another patient, but in many cases, these children are immediately recognizable, since they share a couple of features. Patients with Down syndrome usually have eyes that appear to have an upward slant with skin folds in the inner corners, a small nose and small ears, flattened facial features, and single deep crease along the palms of the hands. In addition to these physical features, patients with Down syndrome also share some behavioral characteristics.

Down syndrome behavior

There is no special personality type associated with Down syndrome. It is very hard to talk about behavioral symptoms and traits of people with Down syndrome, since it may lead to stereotyping these individuals. However, most of the people living with children with Down syndrome often report that these patients are very happy, outgoing and sociable. On the other hand, the personalities of these individuals may drastically differ. People with Down syndrome have their own personalities, and may experience different emotions. What is common for all of them is that they share certain coping mechanisms and specific behaviors. For example, patients with Down syndrome usually insist on strict routines. They may even sometimes appear as stubborn. However, one should understand this is not a personality trait but rather a way to cope with a complexity of everyday life.

Another common thing is that people with Down syndrome often engage in self-talk. However, for persons suffering from Down syndrome, this is just a way processing information and thinking out loud.

However, people with Down syndrome are at slightly increased risk of various psychological conditions such as an anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Causes of Down syndrome

Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that occurs when a child has an extra chromosome. Normally, a child gets two sets of 23 chromosomes, from mother and father. In Down syndrome, a child is born with 47 chromosomes, instead of the normal 46. The extra chromosome is responsible for numerous developmental and health problems.