DOWN\u27S SYNDROME - MEDICAL AND LEARNING ASPECT

Downov sindrom ali Trisomija 21 je kromosomska motnja, ki jo povzroči dodaten 21. kromosom, torej ima človek tri kromosome 21 namesto dveh. Večina primerov Downovega sindroma ni podedovana, samo eden od stotih primerov kaže na to, da je sindrom podedovan po materi ali očetu. Tveganje, da se rodi otrok z Downovim sindromom, raste sorazmerno s starostjo matere, stopnja tveganja se občutno poveča med 35. in 40. letom starosti. Skoraj vsako nosečnico skrbi, da bi se ji rodil otrok s hujšimi prirojenimi nepravilnostmi. Nekatere od teh nepravilnosti je mogoče danes odkriti že med nosečnostjo s presejalnimi in diagnostičnimi testi. S prvimi se ugotavlja zgolj povečano tveganje, diagnostični testi pa so tisti, ki dokončno potrdijo ali ovržejo kromosomsko nepravilnost. Po osvoboditvi oziroma drugi svetovni vojni smo gradili nov sistem vzgoje in izobraževanja za posameznike z motnjami v telesnem in duševnem razvoju, tako imenovan sistem posebnega šolstva. Nova paradigma na področju razumevanja otrok s posebnimi potrebami opušča segregativno pojmovanje in uvaja integrativno, v zadnjem času pa se v svetu bolj kot integracija uveljavlja inkluzija, ki naj bi bila integraciji nadrejen pojem, saj predstavlja višjo stopnjo v humanizaciji odnosov v družbi in pot k resničnemu sobivanju različnih posameznikov. Ključni namen nove zakonodaje po osamosvojitvi Republike Slovenije je bil zmanjšanje ločenih oblik šolanja in vpeljava inkluzivnih in prožnejših oblik šolanja otrok s posebnimi potrebami. Predšolski otroci z Downovim sindromom se lahko vključijo v razvojne oddelke vrtcev ali v redne oddelke vrtcev, kjer so deležni dodatne specialno- pedagoške pomoči. Na področju osnovnošolskega izobraževanja starši in otroci z Downovim sindromom za enkrat nimajo možnosti izbire med večinsko in specializirano šolo. Drugje v Evropi tem otrokom že omogočajo šolanje v rednih šolah in prav oni so tisti v skupini otrok s posebnimi potrebami, ki se najbolj uspešno vključijo v redne šole.Down syndrome, also refered as Trisomy 21, is a generic disorder, where an embryo has three copies of the chromosome 21 instead of the usual two copies. In most cases, Down syndrome is not inherited, because only 1 out of 100 cases shows that it can be transmitted from the mother or the father. The risk of a child being born with Down syndrome rises directly proportional with the ageing of the mother. This risk increases dramatically between the age of 35 and 40. It is almost every pregnant woman’s greatest concern whether her child will be born with some kind of severe genetic characteristics, even though some of them can be discovered during pregnancy with screening and diagnostic tests. Screening tests are commonly used for discovering exaggerated risk, but the diagnostic tests can actually confirm or disprove the possibility of a chromosome abnormality. After the Second World War, we established a new system of upbringing and education for individuals with certain disabilities in their physical and mental development and named it Special Education. This new paradigm had abolished the segregation and started to integrate these people, but in the recent years the inclusion as a process replaced the integration worldwide. Inclusion represents a much higher humanizing state of social relations and eventually leads to genuine coexistence of individuals, which is its prior aim and vision. Under the new legislation after the Slovenian independence, the priority was set to decrease the number of segregate school programs and gradually replace it with more flexible educational strategies and inclusion for children with special needs. Preschool children with Down syndrome can enroll in departments in kindergartens or in nursery schools, where they receive special pedagogical treatment, suitable for their requirements. Primary schools do not offer such diversity in choosing between the regular and specialized school programs. In contrast, some European countries enable kids with Down Svndrome to enroll in regular schooling. As a direct result, these children are the most successfully integrated in regular schools