Welcome to Sundowns Useful Definitions. We have compiled a list of frequently used terms and have defined them in clear and simple everyday language. Click on a term to learn more about Downs Syndrome.
Definition: A rare condition where the top 2 bones of the spine dislocate and damage the spinal cord. Between 10% and 40% of children with Down syndrome may be at risk.
Definition: The study of hearing and hearing impairment.
Definition: Or ASD's, a lifelong disability that affects the way a person interacts and relates or communicates with those around them.
Definition: The most common sign language used by hearing impaired people in the UK.
Definition: To do with the heart.
Definition: A thread like gene carrying structure contained in every cell of the body. Each cell usually contains 23 pairs of chromosomes = 46 in total. For people with Down syndrome some or all of their cells will have 47 as they have an extra copy of chromosome 21.
Definition: The means by which we think, reason, learn, process and remember information.
Definition: Deafness caused when sounds cannot pass from the outer ear through the middle ear to the cochlea.
Definition: Conditions present at birth.
Definition: Money available from local government to provide services to meet care needs.
Definition: A government benefit that may be claimed on behalf of disabled children.
Duodenal Atresia duodenal atresia
Definition: A rare but serious congenital bowel abnormality where part of the small intestine, just after the stomach is not continuous. The condition can be corrected by surgery.
Definition: Anything that supports and promotes a child's development during their early years.
Definition: An ultrasound scan that produces an image of the hearts action.
Definition: abbreviation for ear nose and throat.
Definition: A narrow tube that connects the middle ear to the upper part of the throat.
Definition: What a child says or signs.
Definition: Small precise movement skills used in grasping, holdig and using objects e.g. writing and snowballing...
Definition: A medical condition where food which has already passed into the stomach comes back into the oesophagus and may be vomited up.
Definition: A sequence of DNA on the chromosome responsible for passing on specific characteristics from parent to their children.
Definition: a medical condition in which a mucous like secretion builds up in the middle ear causing conductive hearing loss.
Definition: A treatment for glue ear, tiny tubes inserted into the eardrum under general anaesthetic. They allow the glue to drain away and so can improve hearing.
Definition: Movement skills such as sitting, crawling, walking and climbing.
Definition: A rare medical condition where part of the wall of the large bowel has nerve cells missing, resulting in obstruction
Definition: Another name for long sightedness.
Definition: Under activity of the thyroid gland.
Definition: Floppiness due to reduced muscle tone. This characteristic is common in babies with Down syndrome and affects each person differently.
Definition: A rare and serious congenital bowel abnormality, where part of the small intestine is not continuous. The condition can be corrected by surgery.
Definition: A picture of chromosomes in a cell found by looking at a sample of blood.
Definition: The local education authority, the section of the local authority that is responsible for state schools in an area.
Definition: Any cognitive development that is significantly behind that expected at a particular chronological age. Down syndrome is one of the most common causes of learning disability.
Definition: The local government body that provides services for people living in an area.
Definition: The part of the memory involved in storing information over days, weeks, months or years.
Definition: early years settings, state primary and secondary schools that are used by the majority of children.
Definition: A form of communication that uses sign and gesture based on BSL. It can be used alongside speech to support communication skills.
Definition: an uncommon form of Down syndrome in which only some cells have extra chromosome 21 material.
Definition: A doctor who specialises in the care of babies and children.
Definition: A single crease across the palm, a physical characteristic found in most but not all people with Down syndrome. It is also found in the general population.
Definition: A home visiting educational service for pre school children with additional needs. On Wirral this is currently offered after assessment to children aged between 12 months and 3 years.
Definition: The language that a child understands.
Definition: A big space between the first and second toe common in individuals with Down syndrome. It is also found in the general population.
Definition: abbreviation for special educational needs.
Definition: A special educational needs coordinator has responsibility for identifying children with additional educational needs and making sure that those needs are met.
Definition: Hearing impairment caused by malfunction of the cochlea or nerves running from the cochlea to the brain.
Definition: Also known as working memory. This is the part of the memory involved in processing and storing information for short periods (no longer than a few seconds).
Definition: A form of signing that supports spoken language. It has been developed for children and adults who have learning disabilities.
Definition: A medical condition in which breathing temporarily stops for short periods during sleeping.
Definition: Local authority department which provides services to help meet assessed care needs.
Definition: Schools or early years settings that provide services only for children with learning disabilities and or physical disabilities.
Statement of Special Educational Needs
Definition: A legal document produced by your LEA that specifies your child's additional needs and how these will be met at school. Usually referred to as a `statement'.
Definition: A gland in the neck that produces a hormone which helps control the body's metabolism and growth.
Definition: A form of Down syndrome in which the extra chromosome 21 material is attached to another chromosome.
Definition: The most common type of Down syndrome where all the cells in the body have an extra chromosome 21.
We acknowledge Dfes publication ESPP13 as the source of some of the above definitions.