I don’t often see as much representation of Down Syndrome within the neurodivergent community, and since October is Down Syndrome Awareness month, I think that means now is the perfect time to expand our understanding.
So fellow curious minds, let’s get started.
In this episode we will learn:
The three types of Down Syndrome
The incidence of Down Syndrome
Common expressions of Down Syndrome
The medical conditions that have an increased risk of occurring in people with Down Syndrome
The episode concludes with a tribute to Daniel "Dan the Man" Wheat. An extraordinary man who left us way too soon. Thank you for being a friend Dan.❤️
I don’t often see as much representation of Down Syndrome within the neurodivergent community, and since October is Down Syndrome Awareness month, I think that means now is the perfect time to expand our understanding.
So fellow curious minds, let’s get started.
In this episode we will learn:
The three types of Down Syndrome
The incidence of Down Syndrome
Common expressions of Down Syndrome
The medical conditions that have an increased risk of occurring in people with Down Syndrome
The episode concludes with a tribute to Daniel "Dan the Man" Wheat. An extraordinary man who left us way too soon. Thank you for being a friend Dan.❤️
I'm Jessica Kidwell, and this is Neuroversity a space to expand our understanding of neurodiversity and elevate neurodivergent voices and experiences. I don't often see as much representation of Down syndrome within the neurodivergent community and since October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I think that means now is the perfect time to expand our understanding. So, fellow curious minds, let's get started. Down syndrome is a naturally occurring genetic condition where there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. That means that the genes located on chromosome 21 can be overexpressed in that individual. In the US, one in 772 people are born with Down syndrome. There are common characteristics associated with Down syndrome, but the individual impact they have varies from person to person, much like all other neurodivergent diagnoses. And much like other neurodivergent diagnoses, down syndrome is a lifelong condition, an inextricable part of the person, and is not a disease or defect that needs to be cured. Instead, there are a wide range of ways to support each person with Down syndrome to maximize their success in the world. I want to clear up a common confusion on whether we should say Down syndrome or Down syndrome. English physician John Langdon Down was who characterized the condition, but he did not have it himself. And since an apostrophe S connotes ownership or possession. Those within the Down syndrome community prefer not to use it and that's why you will hear me and most others say Down syndrome. Additionally, within the Down syndrome community, person first language is preferred. As a reminder, I did an entire episode on person first versus identity first language. Within the neurodivergent community as a whole, there's a wide range of preference between the two types of language, but specifically in the Down syndrome community, person first is definitely preferred. This means that when referring to anyone with Down syndrome, you will hear a person with Down syndrome instead of a Down syndrome person or a Down person. As I said in that episode and I will reiterate here take your cue from the community that you are in and don't be afraid to ask someone which language they prefer.
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There are three types of Down syndrome Trisomy 21, translocation and mosaicism. Trisomy 21 is when the person has a complete extra copy of chromosome 21. This is the most common type of Down syndrome, occurring 95% of the time. Translocation is when a full or partial copy of chromosome 21 is attached to another chromosome. This happens in 3% of people with Down syndrome. And mosaicism, the rarest type of Down syndrome, is when only some cells in the body have a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21, while other cells do not. This happens 2% of the time. 99% of cases of Down syndrome are sporadic, which means it happens by chance Only 1%, and also only occurring within the translocation type of Down syndrome.
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Is there a hereditary component at all? And although there is no direct cause for the sporadic occurrence of Down syndrome, there has been studies done that show advanced maternal age increases the incidence of Down syndrome. For example, at the maternal age of 25, the incidence of Down syndrome is 1 in 1200. At maternal age 35, it is 1 in 350, and at maternal age 45, it is 1 in 30. Other than maternal age, there is no definitive scientific research that Down syndrome is caused by environmental factors or the parent's activities before or during pregnancy.
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As I said earlier, down syndrome can impact every person differently, but here are some common expressions of Down syndrome Low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, a single deep crease across the center of the palm and cognitive delays. People with Down syndrome are at an increased risk of certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, thyroid conditions and seizure disorders. Remember that every person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and therefore those characteristics and risk of medical conditions vary from person to person and, just like all other neurodivergent types, there's a high likelihood someone with Down syndrome will have co-occurring neurodivergent diagnoses, most commonly, but not limited, to obsessive compulsive disorder and autism, there is a wealth of support and information online for anyone who wants to learn more about Down syndrome. The societal stigma and limitations associated with Down syndrome has changed dramatically through the years. Once seen as a life sentence of hardship and disability, down syndrome is being celebrated as yet another unique opportunity to live a full, productive and happy life. I will link to several sources in the show notes that have been helpful to me in informing this episode, and I'm looking forward to future episodes where I elevate the voices and experiences of people with Down syndrome. I went to end today's episode on a personal note by honoring Daniel Dan, the man Ryan Wheat, who passed away on October 30th 2022.
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Dan was born at Naval Air Station, pensacola, florida, on March 24th 1975, to Dave and Ginger Wheat. Dan was born with Down syndrome and doctors told his parents he would never walk or talk and would probably die before age 10. He proved those doctors wrong with the love and support of his family and friends. Dan was a friend to everyone he met. He made us all better people and he was truly one of a kind. Dan loved the world as it was, with no yearning for something different or more. He only knew to love unconditionally. It's hard for most people to understand how perfect the world could be if we saw things the way Danny saw them. Dan never competed for attention or recognition or for people to like him. He just rolled with the punches. And he never judged, just treated everyone the same. He saw people for who they are. You were friendly and respectful, or you weren't. So in honor of Dan and my dear friend Liz, who is one of Dan's sisters and who is desperately missing him as we come upon the one year anniversary of his death, I encourage us all to live our lives more like Dan and to reference his beloved Golden Girls. Thank you for being a friend, dan.
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Neuroversity is hosted and produced by Jessica Kidwell. Our audio engineer is Jarrett Nicolay at Mixtape Studios. Jarrett also created our theme music. Graphic Design for Neuroversity by Kevin Adkins. Web support is provided by George Fox For more information about this episode, ways to support the podcast or anything related to Neuroversity. Please visit our website at wwwneuroversitypodcom. You can also follow us on your podcast app and social media sites. We are at NeuroversityPod on Instagram, twitter, linkedin and Facebook and if you like what we're doing, please tell others about Neuroversity and give us a review on Apple Podcasts. There's plenty of room for more curious minds to enroll.