October Down syndrome awareness month on Saba

Remedial/special education teacher at Saba’s Sa­cred Heart School (SHS) Helen Hassell gave a brief ex­planation about Down syndrome to all pupils on Monday, October 2.

This was mainly to acknowledge the existence of Down syndrome among children and to eliminate existing barri­ers between these children and their peers. It was also an attempt to make the pupils aware that chil­dren diagnosed with Down syndrome have the potential and ability to become active participants in society.

A lot of questions were asked and they were answered. Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is typically associated with physical growth delays, characteristic facial features and mild to moderate intellectual disability.

After each session, the pupils were given a Down syn­drome ribbon made by Hassell. She thanked SHS Princi­pal Diane Wilson and all the teachers for the opportunity given to her to promote a better understanding and ac­ceptance of all children.

The Daily Herald.