Monday, October 27, 2008
Study of How Children with Down Syndrome Learn
The article I read is about how Researchers at the University of Denver (DU) Morgridge College of Education are conducting a study on how children with down syndrome learn. The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund is funding the study. The goal of the study is to improve teaching methods used for kids with down syndrome. Researchers are looking for children from ages 2.5 to 5 to be in the study. It costs nothing to participate in this study. Michelle Sie Whitten says, "There has been little to no research on how our children with Down syndrome learn, especially regarding reading and language, there have been significant breakthroughs in terms of how children with other developmental disabilities learn, and I strongly believe that our kids deserve the same attention." Many of these tests have been put into place with things other than down syndrome, but never before have they conducted studies on down syndrome. I think that this study is a very good idea. Children with Down Syndrome will hopefully improve after this test is held. If researchers can find a better way of teaching kids with down syndrome, then these children will improve in school! I am very surprised that there hasn't been much research before now on how children with down syndrome learn, this is surprising because our technology is so advanced and it wouldn't be hard at all to conduct the study.
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5 comments:
I agree with you Annie, I can't believe that with all the technology that we have, we haven't put together a study for this cause. If there is a educational breakthrough in this study, it could change the lives of all children with down syndrom in schools. My small cousin has down syndrom and she and others could learn knew skills for there life. So i am glad that we are finally taking action to learn more.
I find this topic incredibly interesting. Growing up side-by-side with a classmate who suffers from down syndrome, I have taken to the subject quite a bit. This friend of mine has a very interesting learning background. Although suffering a disability, in early elementary school they excelled in most subjects, especially reading. However as the years went on the rest of the class caught up and surpassed this student, and it became harder for them to learn as they grew older. I would love to see this study go far, and to find a method for helping those who are affected with down syndrome. Keeping my friend in mind I truly hope and pray new advances are made in the field. Not much would make me happier than to see them excel and be content as they make the transition into adulthood.
I completely agree too. We need a study like this so we can better the situation for people with Down Syndrome. My neighbor's son has Down Syndrome and I think it would be awesome for a study like this to be put into action, so he can be helped. I'm wondering why we haven't done this before.
It seems to me though, that technology will not help people in this study. You really need to have that human element in order to help them. This is even more important for kids with down syndrome, as they can seem pretty irrational at times, which technology is not used to dealing with. However, I do completely agree that this study can do nothing but good.
It is also surprising given that so many children have down syndrome these days. I definetly support this research. Kids who have down syndrome have just as much as a rite to good learning as any other child. Like you pointed out, If we better understand how kids with down syndrome learn, then we will be able to teach them and then they will be able to make more out of themselves which I think is very important for them to do because their disability limits them so much already.
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