Barents often consider their children to be intelligent. They compare their children with other children and talk about how modern children are very smart, intelligent, or gifted. However, the proportion of gifted children in the population is around 2 per cent. So, if we take 100 children at random, we can identify the top 2 children as gifted. Those at the genius level are 1 in 1000. Identifying gifted or genius children can be done through family interviews, discussions with their teachers, observing the child, and ultimately through intelligence tests. Intelligence tests can start from the age of 2, but they are mainly conducted around the ages of 4-5 to make such a diagnosis. Symptoms start to appear from infancy, but the diagnosis can be made according to the criteria we just mentioned.

Gifted children are usually sensitive individuals. They have an emotional nature, meaning their blankets should not be disturbing, and their diapers should be changed immediately when they need it. This is because their nerve endings are much more developed. Due to their highly developed neurons and synaptic connections, they affect other neural connections in their bodies. They have a sensitive nature. Therefore, you need to create an ideal environment for them. It is even mentioned that they may be bothered by the tags on their clothes or collar tags. However, we would like to remind you again that these are symptoms, and not every child who exhibits these symptoms is gifted, nor does every gifted child definitely exhibit these symptoms.

Gifted children start speaking and walking early and tend to be more advanced than their peers. They often display a more mature appearance, like little adults. Their vocabulary may be much more advanced than their peers. So, a child who you think shouldn’t know about certain concepts at their age might already be discussing those concepts. They are sensitive to social events. They may be interested in events like landslides, floods, or earthquakes and discuss what they can do about them in the home environment. They are like lawyers and can remind you of something you didn’t want to remember blatantly.

These are some of the symptoms. We even have children who start speaking when they are 6-8 months old. Some children start reading at 1.5-2 years old. If there are such serious findings, we recommend getting an intelligence test done at an early age, but other than such situations, it is more appropriate to have such a test done at the age of 3.5-4.

What should you do if your child is gifted?

Especially in the education of gifted children, differentiated and enriched education programs yield effective results. However, these are also the efforts that educational institutions should make. If the child’s superior qualities are known, a common understanding can be achieved by discussing this with the school’s administrators, guidance counsellors, and experts. Besides institutional education, what needs to be done in the home environment is also very important. Some of the things that families with gifted children need to do are:

• Speak with a healthy, strong, and rich communication language.
• Provide opportunities for peer enrichment, meaning allow them to be in educational and social environments with other peers who have different developmental characteristics like themselves.
• Identify the child’s special interests in areas such as painting, music, and sports, and provide them with various experiences.
• Engage in joint brainstorming and research on various topics of interest to the child. Provide opportunities for them to work on projects they develop in their minds.
• Engage in interesting mental activities such as logic puzzles, strategy, and mind games.
• Share daily events.
• Play games like attention games, memory games, and matching games.

What should be paid attention to in a gifted child?

In society, gifted children can sometimes be perceived as problematic. In much of the literature, defining intelligence as the ability to adapt to the environment or solve problems and thinking that these children are incompatible and problematic seems to be quite contradictory in itself. Of course, gifted children can also have behavioural problems. However, this does not mean that they are generally problematic. The biggest risk in children with superior qualities is when they learn about their superiority, their self-perception may be negatively affected. When the perception of ‘I am superior’ is established, it is not correct to give messages of dislike or belittlement directly or indirectly to other children. If the child is not aware of this special situation, it is best not to bring it up, and if they are aware, positive statements that accept the child’s ability but do not differentiate them from other people should be given.

How should you treat gifted children?

Gifted children need love, trust, and understanding from others, recognition of their abilities and superior intelligence, a group of friends with whom they can meet their social needs, academic environments where their potential will be revealed and they can demonstrate themselves, knowing that they are also children just like their peers, teachers and Barents who understand and support them the best, opportunities to make their own decisions, enriched environments suitable for their hobbies and versatile interests, and encouragement and appreciation. If the family is consciously involved in revealing the child’s current capacity and developing their talents, it will not only result in significant individual gains but also societal gains. 

How is the future of gifted children planned?

The differentiated education to be provided to gifted children aims to maximize their development and individual success. Gifted individuals should receive education tailored to their capacities. Otherwise, it can lead to both the atrophy of their talents and psychological distress. Many gifted children can easily understand the subjects taught in a regular classroom without studying. Therefore, they may not develop the habit of studying. This can negatively affect their academic success in the future. When these children are not noticed or supported enough, they may try to draw attention with their negative behaviours. If a gifted child is identified, the teacher should provide a richer teaching opportunity.

What are the duties of Barents?

Dreaming is very important for these children. Sometimes, Barents want their children to be rational and realistic. First of all, it is necessary to get rid of these patterns.

Instead of providing ready answers to children’s questions, it is better to encourage them to find the answers themselves as much as possible. For example, if a child asks a question, by directing them with phrases like “What would you do if you were in that situation? Think about it. Maybe you can find it out.” We can encourage them to answer the question themselves, which would give their brain some exercise. Children who are presented with everything they want will have limited material and intellectual development.

What is Down syndrome? What are the symptoms of Down syndrome and why does it occur? What are the types of Down syndrome and how is it treated? Let’s explore the answers to these questions together.

What is Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder inherited through genes. Individuals without Down syndrome have a total of 46 chromosomes. However, individuals with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes. The extra chromosome is called Trisomy 21. This disorder is the most common chromosomal condition. The most common problems experienced by children with Down syndrome are learning difficulties and intellectual disabilities.

Down syndrome presents different symptoms from person to person. The severity of this disorder also varies in each individual. While it may be challenging for some individuals, others can adapt to life more easily. Generally, they may lag behind intellectually compared to the rest of society. Individuals may have lower levels of physical and mental development compared to their peers. They may also experience some problems in their digestive systems and internal organs.

Here, there are also some responsibilities for families. Barents should be knowledgeable about Down syndrome, its genetics, and development. They should support the development of individuals with Down syndrome by not depriving them of education.

Down Syndrome Symptoms

Individuals with Down syndrome have many common and different characteristics. This disorder, which varies from person to person, can be graded as mild-moderate-severe.

Common Physical Symptoms

• Slanted eye structure
• Short neck structure
• Flat facial structure
• Small hand and foot structure
• Weak muscle and joint structure
• Flat nose structure
• Simian creases in their hands
• Short stature throughout life

Common Mental and Behavioural Symptoms

• Unsustainable attention skills
• Learning difficulties
• Impulsive behaviour
• Difficulty in judgment
• Difficulty in speech skills
• Sleep problems
• Late acquisition of toilet training
• Late crawling and walking
• Stubborn and angry temperament

In addition to these symptoms, they are also observed to have difficulty in social skills.

Causes of Down Syndrome

Although the exact cause of Down syndrome is not yet determined, many factors trigger it.

Maternal Age

It is one of the most common problems. The likelihood of having a baby with Down syndrome increases if the mother is 35 years old or older, and the risk increases with age. They are twice as likely to have a baby with Down syndrome compared to a young mother. However, this does not mean that it will not be seen in young mothers. According to research, while the likelihood of a 35-year-old mother having a baby with Down syndrome is 1 in 350, it is 1 in 100 for a mother over 40.

Genetic

If someone in the child’s family has Down syndrome, the likelihood of having it increases.

These are common known causes. However, the mechanism of formation of Down syndrome has not been completely resolved.

Types of Down Syndrome

There are three types of Down syndrome: trisomy 21, translocation, and mosaic. This difference can be understood after genetic examination.

1. Trisomy 21
   It is the most common type in individuals with Down syndrome. There are 3 copies of the 21st chromosome in every cell of their bodies.
2. Translocation Down Syndrome
   It is one of the rarer types. In this type, the extra 21st chromosome attaches to another chromosome, and that chromosome is not freely available.
3. Mosaic Down Syndrome
   It is the least common type. As understood from its name, mosaic means mixture. While some cells in their bodies have 2 copies of the 21st chromosome, some have an extra 21st chromosome. They have common features with individuals of other types but show their symptoms more mildly.

Like all children, children with Down syndrome also have their own unique developments, abilities, personalities, thoughts, and social lives. They will have behaviours and habits they will acquire throughout their lives.

How is Down Syndrome Diagnosed?

Many individuals with Down syndrome receive this diagnosis during pregnancy. Screening and diagnostic tests are applied to the mother. In the screening test, the probability of the baby having a low or high degree of Down syndrome is examined. The thickness of the baby’s neck is also examined by ultrasound. However, the results are not definitive. There is also a possibility of giving wrong results.

One of the most commonly performed tests is dual tests. It is performed in the first three months of pregnancy. Blood is taken from the mother and her hormones are examined. The thickness of the baby’s neck is also examined. If the mother has these tests between the 16th and 18th weeks of pregnancy, she gets more accurate results. After the triple test, the quadruple test is performed. This test is performed in the 4th month. In addition, Inhibin A level is examined.

On the other hand, diagnostic tests are good at finding the probability of Down syndrome but are risky tests for the health of both the mother and the baby. It increases the likelihood of the mother having a miscarriage. They can be applied if confirmed by other tests.

How is Down Syndrome Treated?

There is currently no treatment that completely prevents Down syndrome. However, with many supports, both the individual and the family’s life can be made easier.

There are special education programs that start to be applied to babies at the age of two months. The baby can improve many of its skills to a better level. In later years, by continuing with special education, they can sustain their social, physical, and mental skills. Expectant mothers can also consult with an obstetrician and gynaecologist and undergo some tests if they are planning pregnancy after around the age of 35.

Having an individual with Down syndrome in the family brings many responsibilities. Individuals go through some emotional and physical problems. They need you to hold their hands throughout their lives. With your support, they can have a more functional life. Motor skills and some different abilities can develop. Sometimes there may be moments when they are stubborn or exhibit angry behaviour. You should try to remain patient and understanding as much as possible. During this process, you may feel psychologically affected as well as physically tired.

Just as you do not withhold support from the individual, you should not refrain from seeking support when you need it yourself as a Barent.

Cognitive Development in Children with Down Syndrome

Due to the inadequacies in the neurological systems of children with Down syndrome affecting their mental processes, various developmental processes such as their movements, perception of their surroundings, communication with people around them, learning, vocalisations, coordination, and speech can be negatively impacted. Although some children with Down syndrome may appear more passive, relaxed, indifferent to their surroundings, quiet, or excessively irritable compared to typically developing babies, the majority are not significantly different from other babies in their first months of life.

The cognitive development of babies with Down syndrome follows the same sequence as typically developing children, but their developmental rates are slower and delayed compared to their peers. While this delay may be less severe in some children, it can be much more pronounced in others. Physical development (such as growth in height, weight gain, etc.) of a newborn with Down syndrome with conditions like feeding difficulties, thyroid or growth hormone deficiency, severe heart problems, and similar issues is also slower than expected. This slow growth adversely affects the achievements in the developmental process of a child with Down syndrome. Issues such as having a problem with vision and hearing that go unnoticed and delays in treatment also contribute to learning difficulties.

Language Development in Children with Down Syndrome

The speech and language development of babies with Down syndrome typically show delays from the early years of life. This delay can be due to hearing loss, hypotonia (muscle weakness) in the mouth and tongue muscles, and the effect of the child’s cognitive development. Studies show that babies with Down syndrome are most behind in the language area and that their delay in this area is related to the language-related characteristics of their environment. Typically developing children begin to understand the relationships between words by the end of the second year, while this process occurs much later in children with Down syndrome. Normally developing babies increase the sounds they make around the 3rd or 4th month, then decrease them because they pay more attention to their surroundings and what is being said rather than speaking. Babies with Down syndrome start making sounds later, and since they do not listen to or pay attention to what is being said in the environment, there is no decrease in the sounds they make, and this decrease is observed later. Muscle weakness can also affect a child’s feeding and speech skills. Since the same muscles (facial, mouth, shoulder, and trunk muscles) are used in speaking and eating, muscle weakness makes it difficult to shape words and rotate food in the mouth. Weakness in trunk muscles can also create difficulties in providing necessary support for breathing during speech.

Personal and Social Development in Children with Down Syndrome

The child’s first communication with those around them usually occurs through crying. Studies show that the crying of babies with Down syndrome is both quantitatively and qualitatively different from that of other children, as they cry longer, whine more, and make fewer sounds than typically developing children. Babies with Down syndrome are sometimes referred to as obedient babies because they cry less until the sixth month, which results in less interaction with adults. Although delayed in proportion to their performance, babies with Down syndrome respond to speech by smiling or making sounds, indicating that they want to be picked up, enjoy fun games, and scream to get the attention of others, just like other children. Studies have shown that problems such as heart disease and muscle weakness seen in children with Down syndrome negatively affect their acquisition of self-care skills. When given the opportunity and appropriate education, they can acquire independent living skills and lead less dependent lives. Among intellectually disabled groups, it is known that children with Down syndrome are more social, happy, affectionate, and smiley compared to others.

Generally, children with Down syndrome are described as cheerful, sympathetic, affectionate, social, lively, happy, and able to establish good relationships with their surroundings. However, emotional and behavioural problems can also be encountered in these children. These problems are more frequent compared to typically developing children but less frequent compared to groups diagnosed with intellectual disabilities for other reasons. In addition to attention deficit and problem-solving deficiencies, some problems such as hyperactivity and stereotypic behaviour can also be encountered. These behaviours can be prevented or minimised with appropriate Barental approaches before emerging or settling during early childhood.