Down Syndrome : Visions for the 21st Century

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Summary: Terrific Compendium
Review: "...a terrific compendium of the wide array of topics...whatever the challenges that lie ahead...we are much better prepared by the information and vision provided by this excellent book." (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, May 2003)

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Summary: Useful Reference
Review: "...a useful reference tool for families and service providers." (Human Genetics)

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Summary: "Exceedingly Valuable"
Review: "...exceedingly valuable for a wide spectrum of individuals: parents, professionals, caregivers, and researchers..." (American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 72, 2003)

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Summary: Recommended Book
Review: "I...consider a copy of this book a must for every institutional and personal library." (Journal of the National Medical Association, March 2003)

Rating:
Summary: Useful Reference
Review: "...a useful reference tool for families and service providers." (Human Genetics)

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Summary: A collection of very interesting articles
Review: At the NDSS annual conference in Washington, DC in 2000, the sponsors asked the participants to share their ideas. This book is a result of that request. Many of the names will be familiar to those who live in the world of Down syndrome. There are articles by Martha Beck Ph.D. and Siegfried Pueschel M.D. on the role of the family; Len Leshin M.D., Pat Winders P.T., and William Cohen M.D. on health issues; George Capone M.D. and Joan Medlen R.D. on psycho-social issues; and Chris Burke on living with Down syndrome; as well as a host of others. The book also features articles on communication, inclusion, advocacy, research, and self-determination. There is a wealth of very useful information in this book. David Patterson Ph.D. writes about the human genome project and what impact it may have on understanding Down syndrome. Libby Kumin, Ph.D. writes about maximizing communication and language skills in infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents. Patricia Logan Oelwein, M.Ed. writes about math and reading skills in children with Down syndrome. There are also a few lesser known names in here such as John Peter Illarramendi, Jeffrey Mattson, Mia Peterson, and Joshua G. O'Neill, all people with Down syndrome who write about their lives, hopes, and dreams. They remind us that people with Down syndrome can achieve a great deal and can live wonderfully fulfilling lives. This isn't a book for a new parent and it certainly shouldn't be your first book on Down syndrome. There are other books such as "Babies with Down Syndrome," that would be a better choice as a first book. But this book does provide a lot of very useful and interesting information. Anyone interested in finding out what is going on in the world of Down syndrome will want to get a copy.

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Summary: Down syndrome
Review: Down syndrome have existed for thousands of years. 3,500 years ago the Olmecs tribe, who lived around the Golf of Mexico made wall reliefs, sculptures and other artefacts that showed handicapped people with Down syndrome features around their temples that seemed to represent a mystical attitude or religious significance. They believed that children with Down syndrome were the result of mating between senior women of the tribe with the jaguar, the sacred totem of the Olmecs and therefore the child with Down syndrome was regarded as a god-human hybrid, the "natural" offspring of this close union with the gods. A number of cave paintings describe sexual relationship between a jaguar and a human and it seems that these children were singled out for special treatment. As they were more frequently born to older and therefore more senior members of the tribe and only a few of the children would survive, gave them a rarity value. Persons with Down syndrome at that time were looked upon as sacred and having religious or superhuman significance.
John Langdon Haydon Down (1828-96) was the first physician to describe in detail the syndrome that came to bear his name. In 1866 he tried to classify the various forms of " feeblemindedness" and concluded that individuals with mental disabilities belonged to different ethnic varieties, such as Ethiopian, Malay and Mongolian. We have learned much since and this book edited by Willian I Cohen, Lynn Nadel and Myra E Madnick in association with the US National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) will give us more thoughts as we enter the new century.
The book has 42, all American, contributors with a multidisciplinary background, who participated in a conference created to try and look into aspects for the next century concerning persons with Down syndrome (DS). There are 32 chapters devided into ten sections: Self-determination, self-advocacy, advocacy, role of the family, health and clinical care, research, psycho-social issues, education and inclusion, communication, math and language skills, and turning the vision into reality.
The vision for persons with DS is that they will be included in all aspects of family, school, work, social, recreational and community life with equal opportunities and rights. Much has been achived, but there is still a long way to go, not only the the United States, but also world wide.
This book puts forward some of the visions and thoughts in an optimistic way and is therefore recommended reading for both family members, caregivers and profesionals working with person with Down syndrome.

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Summary: Stunning vision of the next century of research
Review: The case of down syndrome is one that is complex yet simple, and challenging yet easy. To understand the complexities that must occur to result in an affected patient is beyond most human comprehension. This book does a great job at highlighting the past milestones in research, yet focusing primarily on the future of study in this subject. Bill optomistically creates a nurturing sense of hope in all patients currently affected by this raveging disease, and instills hope for a better life, living life to the fullest