El síndrome de Down es una alteración genética que se produce al existir tres copias de genes situados en el cromosoma 21. Las alteraciones del código genético suelen afectar al cerebro y, en la mayoría de los casos, conllevan la aparición de una discapacidad intelectual. En esta obra, que ofrece la información más actualizada sobre el desarrollo cerebral en las personas con síndrome de Down, se analizan las relaciones causales entre la genética y la estructura del cerebro, de manera que el lector pueda comprender los mecanismos de plasticidad cerebral y respuesta adaptativa. Estos mecanismos son fundamentales para realizar programas de actuación y de atención temprana en la educación de los niños con síndrome de Down, puesto que la capacidad reactiva del cerebro humano permite que, si reciben los tratamientos adecuados y en una fase temprana, puedan desarrollar su autonomía y mejorar sus niveles de actividad y adaptación. Así, este libro no solo será útil para los familiares de personas con síndrome de Down y para el público general, sino también para aquellos profesionales implicados en los programas de atención temprana, profesores de educación especial y estudiantes de los grados relacionados con estos programas.

This thoroughly updated second edition of MENTAL WELLNESS IN ADULTS WITH DOWN SYNDROME is upbeat and accessible in tone, yet encyclopedic in scope. The size of the book reflects both the breadth of the authors' knowledge--acquired as cofounders of the first medical clinic dedicated solely to the care of adults with Down syndrome--and the number of psychosocial issues and mental disorders that can affect people with Down syndrome. It's the go-to guide for parents, health practitioners, and caregivers who support teens and adults with Down syndrome. MENTAL WELLNESS emphasizes that understanding and appreciating both the strengths and challenges of people with Down syndrome is the key to promoting good mental health. It shows readers how to distinguish between bona fide mental health issues and common characteristics of Down syndrome--quirks or coping strategies. For example, although talking to oneself can be a sign of psychosis, many adults with Down syndrome use self-talk as an effective problem-solving strategy. The second edition includes new chapters on sensory issues (written by Dr. Katie Frank) and regression, expanded and now separate chapters on communication, concrete thinking, and visual memory, and an extensively updated chapter on Alzheimer's disease citing abundant new research. Other chapters cover a range of conditions and assessment and treatment options: What Is Normal? Self-Esteem & Self-Image Self-Talk Grooves & Flexibility Life-Span Issues Social Skills Mood & Anxiety Disorders Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Psychotic Disorders Eating Refusal Challenging Behavior Self-Injurious Behavior Autism Tics, Tourette Syndrome & Stereotypies While it's not inevitable that people with Down syndrome will experience mental health problems, certain biological differences and environmental stressors can create greater susceptibility. Assessment and treatment options are detailed for each condition. With this guide, caregivers will be able to foster good mental health and troubleshoot challenging mental health issues.

Told from a child's point of view, explains the causes of Down syndrome and describes the things people with the condition can do, and the ways in which they, just like other people, may need help.

An argument that more people should have children with Down syndrome, written from a pro-choice, disability-positive perspective. The rate at which parents choose to terminate a pregnancy when prenatal tests indicate that the fetus has Down syndrome is between 60 and 90 percent. In Choosing Down Syndrome, Chris Kaposy offers a carefully reasoned ethical argument in favor of choosing to have such a child. Arguing from a pro-choice, disability-positive perspective, Kaposy makes the case that there is a common social bias against cognitive disability that influences decisions about prenatal testing and terminating pregnancies, and that more people should resist this bias by having children with Down syndrome. Drawing on accounts by parents of children with Down syndrome, and arguing for their objectivity, Kaposy finds that these parents see themselves and their families as having benefitted from having a child with Down syndrome. To counter those who might characterize these accounts as based on self-deception or expressing adaptive preference, Kaposy cites supporting evidence, including divorce rates and observational studies showing that families including children with Down syndrome typically function well. Himself the father of a child with Down syndrome, Kaposy argues that cognitive disability associated with Down syndrome does not lead to diminished well-being. He argues further that parental expectations are influenced by neoliberal ideologies that unduly focus on the supposed diminished economic potential of a person with Down syndrome. Kaposy does not advocate restricting access to abortion or prenatal testing for Down syndrome, and he does not argue that it is ethically mandatory in all cases to give birth to a child with Down syndrome. People should be free to make important decisions based on their values. Kaposy's argument shows that it may be consistent with their values to welcome a child with Down syndrome into the family.