Children With Down Syndrome Not Sick, Only Have Special Needs, Says Care Foundation
The Founder of Elsali Care Foundation, Mrs Obianuju Emeka- Agadah, has called for more inclusion for children with Down Syndrome.
Obianuju, who spoke to THE WHISTLER said the condition is a genetic disorder and not an illness as perceived by many.
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According to her, every human should have 46 chromosomes but a person born with Down syndrome has extra genetics that causes delay in development, both mentally and physically.
“Down Syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome and is associated with intellectual disability, it is caused by random error in cell division resulting in an extra copy of chromosome 21,”she said.
This, she explained, comes with facing some physical and mental challenges throughout life adding that they are more likely to develop slowly, and are more at risk of some medical conditions.
She went further to highlight some of the physical symptoms to include : almond-shaped eyes that slant up, short neck, small ears, a tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth, poor muscle tone and loose joints amongst others .
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Children with Down Syndrome are different from kids without the condition as they “lack adaptive behaviour , and have problems with executive function and visual equity.”
Lamenting over the high cost of the therapy tools, Obianuju called on the government and the community to help reduce the descrimination and ridicule kids with the condition face, as well as the financial burden.
“The condition differs per child. Some have minor health challenges while some children have severe health challenges like hole in the heart and the likes and would have to undergo speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioural therapy and physical therapy, depending on the child’s needs
“Therapy alone can cost N100,000 to N250,000 or more in a month” she said
Elsali Care Foundation is a non-governmental organisation for children and young adults with special needs such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome.
