It’s time to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month everyone! October is the designated month to celebrate Down Syndrome and let everybody know all the things people with Down Syndrome are capable of, according to the National Down Syndrome Society! For those of you who don’t know, Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder that happens when a person has either a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. This is present from birth, and alters various stages of development, along with causing some specific characteristics for those affected. It is actually quite common, affecting one in every 700 babies born in the United States. Knowing how common it is, now we all realize that it’s a HUGE population of individuals that could benefit from therapeutic recreation services!
Although Down Syndrome does affect some levels of development in individuals, people with Down Syndrome are very independent and capable of doing whatever they put their minds to! They are able to have goals and dreams, go to school and college, have any type of job, drive a car, date, get married, and so much more. As one woman with Down Syndrome says on the National Down Syndrome Society website, “We are more alike than we are different”. However, despite all of these facts that have been proven time and time again, there is still a large stigma around the population that they are less capable or able to succeed than others.
I know what you may be thinking- since people with Down Syndrome are so independent and capable of success, why are therapeutic recreation services so important for them? To answer, I will use a quote from the National Down Syndrome Society’s website: “Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care and positive support from family, friends and the community enable people with Down syndrome to lead fulfilling and productive lives”. So yes, people with Down Syndrome are very capable of success and independent. However, just like many other populations, they still thrive when supportive environments and communities are given to them, which therapeutic recreation programs can do!
According to Club Mates Travel, some especially good examples of therapeutic activities for children with Down Syndrome are anything to do with fine motor skill improvement, arts, music, traveling, and sports. As a recreational therapist, we have the freedom and knowledge to create very beneficial programs for people with Down Syndrome using just our imaginations and experiences! However, here are a few good programs and resources I would take a look at to see their outreach, programs and approaches:
Now that you have some resources and model programs, let’s get the Down Syndrome Awareness Month program planning celebration started!
References:
“5 Recreational Activities for a Child with Down Syndrome.” Clubmatestravel.com, www.clubmatestravel.com/news/5-recreational-activities-for-a-child-with-down-syndrome.
“Down Syndrome Awareness Month & What It Means to Me!” NDSS, 4 Oct. 2018, www.ndss.org/syndrome-awareness-month-means/.
“Down Syndrome Facts: National Down Syndrome Society.” NDSS, www.ndss.org/about-down-syndrome/down-syndrome-facts/.
Comments