Growing up different, especially with something that most people don’t have, isn’t easy, but I like to repeat in all my posts that difficult doesn’t mean impossible.

When we talk about extra chromosome, Down syndrome or trisomy 21 come quickly to our mind. This syndrome is the most common behavioural and intellectual disability that characterises about 4 million people throughout the world.

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of third copy of chromosome 21 which represents the cause of medical and clinical syndrome’s demonstrations.

Trisomy 21 is not a medical disease.

The condition leads to impairments in both cognitive ability and physical growth that range from mild to moderate developmental disabilities.

Fortunately the life expectancy is growing, and, today, a person with Down syndrome generally lives more than 50 years.

Are there common physical problems?

In numerous cases of trisomy 21, people are affected by heart diseases, thyroidal pathologies and visually impaired which need medical support but, in the majority of the cases, they do not undermine their life and growth.

We can recognize people with Down syndrome because of distinct physical characteristic:

• slanting eyes
• short neck and little nose
• small stature
• protruding tongue

Obviously sd people also look like their parent:

• Same hair colour
• Similar character
• Same expressions
• Same habits
• Same idols and passions

Down syndrome affects people of all countries in the world: all religion, ethnic and socio-economic groups.

When a baby with Down syndrome is born, we have to remember 4 key words:

• inclusion
• love
• potential
• independence

Inclusion is what it needs to live a beautiful life.

Love is the basis of life, and it is what a person with Down syndrome gives you like nobody else.

Potential is what the person has inside and it is something which is often not considered when we talk about people with trisomy 21.

Independence is what they are able to reach.

What can children with Down syndrome do?

A child with Down syndrome develops slower than other children, but it can achieve all the basic motor skills!

In fact people with 21 trisomy can:

• walk
• run
• speak
• play
• read
• study
• dream
• love

How can we organize an educational program?

Down syndrome doesn’t need “recovery” or compensation of a particular ability, but a good way to bring out all the potentials is to organize a global educative system.

If your child does something wrong you don’t have to think that the mistake is caused by Down syndrome.

We have to stimulate it like everybody else but in a more intensive way.

In the first year you can help your baby using, for example, coloured toys and you can interact with it telling stories and using visual communication.

The relationship is very important for people with Down syndrome. They have so much love inside that you cannot imagine if you don’t know people like them.

Speech therapy, physiotherapy and special aid teacher can guarantee the permanence of sd child in a school class with normal students.

Remember how important school is!!

Traditional School is better than many medicines, particularly with disabled children.
For example preschool is an enrichment for sd baby and for his family as well.

All the children with Down syndrome need to recognize and have different people with particular educational role: mom, dad, grandpa, teacher, friends.

If an sd child has different experiences in society everyday, it will easily understand the rules of living together.

Simple but operative exercises:

• To focus its attention for example at dinner, you can keep the spoon close, in front of the child’s eyes, helping it to repeat what you are going to do – later on its own.
• Give an sd child examples and encourage it to do things: wash your hands, showing a child how to do it, do it together and then repeat this action many times. Finally, it will understand how and when to do it all alone.
• Raise their self confidence! They need to feel appreciated to do the best.
• Have the same approach with an sd child like you have with everybody else. Don’t be scared.
• If it doesn’t have particular pathologies, one of the best way to grow up is sport.

There is one of the most instructive examples of inclusion in Serbia, thanks to rugby. Watch this video showing a magical way to include people with Down syndrome and how many things they are able to do!

References:

• http://www.cbdown.it/index.php/sindrome-di-down/storia/17-storia
• http://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/italy
• http://www.aipd.it/cms/files/Educazione_libretto_3_AIPD.pdf
• http://www.seeandlearn.org/en-gb/
• http://www.dsaco.net/faq

Photo credit

• Andreas-photography / Foter.com / CC BY-NC
• Andreas-photography / Foter.com / CC BY-NC
• ~Rich Johnson~ / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
• James Cridland / Foter.com / CC BY

The post Down Syndrome appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

For many of us music can be the soundtrack to our life. We associate music with events, people, places – happy songs, sad songs, songs with lyrics that we relate to, classical arias that lift our spirit.

Music can change our mood – can make us smile when we are down, laugh when we might otherwise cry.

Music has a positive effect.

Music can soothe your soul.

Music gives us a way to express emotion.

For some people, it can give a lot more.

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Bono:

Music can change the world because it can change people.

What is music therapy?

Music therapists can help children and adults communicate using music as the medium.

Music therapy is a recognized profession that is used in some health services, e.g. the UK and US. Most music therapists are musicians first who then take a postgraduate diploma in music therapy.

Music therapy uses music to form a relationship between the therapist and the individual using rhythm, melody and tone, accessible instruments and voice.

How music therapy is used will depend on the individual, their reaction to music and their abilities. Some will want to sing, others play an instrument; some may want to compose music. The foundation to music therapy is that everyone responds to sound and this can lead to positive changes in behavior and emotional wellbeing.

Listening to music and playing music is different for everyone, just think of the deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie who ‘feels’ her music.

Here’s a little taster of what music therapy has done for some children.

Nordoff Robbins is a Music Therapy Foundation in the UK. They are known for their work with patients who have autism, though this is only one condition they work with – this is one of their introductory videos.

Sing, Gary Barlow:

There’s a place, there’s a time in this life when you sing what you are feeling.

When can music therapy help?

Music therapy can help people of all ages with a wide range of conditions including autism, cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, dementia, cancer, trauma and mental illness. Primarily it has been shown to help people who have difficulty with communication.

Brand New Me, Alicia Keys:

It took a long, long road to get here, It took a brave, brave girl to try.

Music Therapy and Autism

On September 11 Beatrice Gollini wrote a blog post about autism – which is one of the conditions that can be helped with music therapy. If you want to learn more about autism, read her blog post.

Nordoff Robbins is a music therapy charity in the UK which has worked with autistic children since the 1950s. They have shown that music therapy can help with:

• Communication – in all forms including speaking
• Movement – helping coordination
• Social development – joining in, instead of being outside
• Emotional development – expressing emotions
• Cognitive development – helping learning
• Early intervention –  enhancing development at an early age

Other studies confirm this. In a study of 41 children with autism who received one hour of music therapy a week improvements were seen in inattentive behaviour over a ten month period.¹

Taking part is often difficult for people with autism. Conductor John Lubbock spends many days with selected musicians from his orchestra playing for children with autism at special schools. A bit of a change from the Carnegie Hall in New York or the Royal Albert Hall in London, but the musicians are just as serious about the pieces they play and they have a very receptive audience.

Lubbock has a natural empathy with the children. Even though some carers are sure the children won’t go up to conduct (typically children with autism shy away from social contact), the majority of the children accept his invitation. ‘Some people can be very tense if they’re not used to disability,’ he says, ‘and the children pick up on that instantly. But I’m not scared of these children; I have one at home.’ Lubbock has a son with autism.²

Roar, Katy Perry:

I went from zero, to my own hero.

Music therapy and cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy often have little control over their body – they may want to move in time with music, hold on to instruments, but doing it is very difficult. They are often very aware of the world around them, yet unable to react to it as they wish, or be able to speak and say what they want to do.

Positioning instruments close to children or even taping instruments such as maracas to their hands can enable them to take part in music and communicate.³

Developing a sense of rhythm can help control body movements, help coordination and enable those with cerebral palsy to use their limbs in a fun, artistic way.

The rhythmic aspects of music provide a structure that can help people learn to walk, communicate verbally and enjoy life.

Music and cerebral palsy both affect multiple areas of the brain. Cerebral palsy affects motor skills and is often accompanied by problems with communication, perception, sensation and behaviour – which may arise from different parts of the brain.

Music can form a bridge, as seen in the emerging field of Neurologic Music Therapy. The brain can grow and change in response to stimuli, such as music. Music has been shown to grow neural pathways in the brain by linking the areas dedicated to sound, touch, movement, speech (in the case of singing), and emotion – all areas involved in making music.

Search for the hero, M People:

You’ve got to search for the hero inside yourself. Search for the secrets you hide.

Music and the NDF

At the recent Friendship Games organised by NDF the children were singing and enjoying music – helping them to enjoy their time together. Music is central to our ability to communicate with one another.

You’re my best friend, Queen:

You’re the best friend that I ever had.

The influence of music

The following musical reminder may make you think of a person, a place, a dance – I am sure it will make you smile”¦.. see what a difference music can make!

Get Lucky, Daft Punk:

We’ve come too far to give up who we are.

If you would like to learn more about music therapy

There are associations for music therapy around the world – I have listed some of them at the end of this blog.

If you live in Serbia there is a monthly lecture in Belgrade – see the link to the site and you can contact them for details.

The following video shows how music therapy has helped politician Gabrielle Giffords in the US to recover from a brain injury and it shows how music therapy can help children going through cancer therapy. Do watch it through to the end – see what a high five can mean to a child.

Links to Music Therapy Associations

These are just some of the music therapy associations around the world.

The British Association for Music Therapy
American Music Therapy Association
European Music Therapy Confederation
World Federation of Music Therapy
The Australian Music Therapy Association
The Association of Music Therapists Serbia

You can also download an international index of music therapy organisations from the Nordoff Robbins website – see www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk

References

1 www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130219140100.htm
2 www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/10046513/Music-releases-autistic-children-from-their-chains.html
3 www.midtnmusic.com/cerebral-palsy-symptoms-improved-by-music-therapy/

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