Down Syndrome and Autism: Can They Coexist?

Sometimes, children with Down syndrome begin to develop atypical or strange manners in their behavior and in the relationship with others that could be related to ASD.

Sometimes, children with Down syndrome begin to develop atypical or strange behaviors in their relationship with others, either at an early age or in adolescence. When this occurs, it’s possible that a Down syndrome with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is coexisting. Although it can differ between studies, it can be from 5 to 10%.

During childhood, it’s possible to observe a series of motor behaviors in children with Down syndrome that may lead us to believe that they are also affected by ASD.

How to Recognize this Coexistence of Down Syndrome with Autism?

-Repetitive motor behavior.

-Focus on lights or other objects, keeping an eye on them.

-Extra rejection for certain foods.

-Problems of receptive language, poor comprehension and use of gestures, possibly giving the-ppearance that the child doesn’t hear.

-Highly repetitive spoken language.

-Sometimes, convulsions, dysfunctional swallowing, a constant movement of the eyes, or severe hypotonia.

-Considerable delay in motor skills.

However, if a child with Down syndrome presents one or more of these behaviors, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she has or will have ASD. The diagnosis must always be made by a specialist doctor.

Characteristics observed among children already diagnosed with both syndromes (ASD and Down syndrome):

-Unusual response (weakness) to sensations; especially sounds, lights, touch or pain.

-Rejection for food.

-Verbalizations and babbling without meaning.

-Aggression or extreme disobedience.

-Hyperactivity.

-Low capacity for attention.

-Impulsiveness.

Correctly and accurately diagnosing the coexistence of Down syndrome and autism is very important and fundamental. Specialists doctors say that diagnosing this in time is the only way to take timely measures, both at the level of therapy and medication. At the school level, it’s also an important issue since the child would need educational strategies, support, methods, and adaptations for a good education and development of the same.

The knowledge and diagnosis will give confidence and tranquility to parents and family members of the child. In this way, they’ll know what to do and how to help for a good evolution.

From the strictly medical point of view, it's the only way that the appropriate and precise actions can be taken at the level of therapy and, in some instances, of medication.

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Where Is Autism Soccer Going Now?

The future looks bright for this amazing organization. 

In 2012, we started Autism Soccer with the hope of helping children with autism spectrum disorder. It was a simple goal, inspired by our CEO Oscar Amuz’s desire of making a difference in his community. All great ideas start just like that: by first believing in ourselves and making our way up, step by step. There have been an enormous amount of volunteers and friends that have helped us along the way. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. We couldn’t aspire for more if it weren’t for them. But now, we are aspiring for more!

In these past five years, we’ve helped around 2,000 children with intellectual and physical disabilities, going beyond assisting autistic individuals. Through soccer lessons, we’ve taught them the importance of sports in their life, and we’ve given them a space to grow up, make friends, have fun, and develop their skills. Every day, we see how sports change their lives and the lives of everyone around them, and we also see how they become happier and overcome their limitations.

Help us reach out to more than 10,000 children across the country!

So it’s only natural that we want to continue on this incredible journey and reach out to as many people as we can. Up until this point, we’ve only been Miami-based, but we’re currently looking to expand operations all across the United States so that we can help as many as 10,000 new children within the next 5 years. With time, hard work, and effort, we know that someday we’ll be able to have an international presence and have an even greater impact in the lives of thousands of children all around the world.

With over 3,000 hours of experience and a comprehensive 80-hour curriculum to train coaches, parents, and individuals involved in the organization, we do more than just working with the children. We pass knowledge forward, so everyone has the potential to change someone’s life and offer kids new possibilities and activities. Thanks to our expertise, we’re one hundred percent ready to face whatever comes in our way and to create new models and sports plans to empower our kids and strengthen their bonds with their families.

However, we know we won’t be able to do it all alone. We need people like you, who understand the value of every human being and love's transformative power to make the world a better place. When you donate, your support goes directly toward purchasing equipment, necessary supplies for our program, as well as improving our operations and administrative processes so we can continue to grow and reach more children every year.

It’s just like our founder says: “I might not be able to change the world but I will like to change my community.” Believe it or not, that’s exactly how people end up changing the world. Focus on what you can do from where you are, and each day, you’ll realize you’ll be able to do more and more for the people who need it the most. Are you on board? Then contact us or visit our webpage to find out all you can do to change many children’s lives! We’re waiting for you!

This is where this organization is going right now, and it's important that this is done correctly.

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Los atletas especiales: ¿cómo cambió el deporte sus vidas?

Para muchos niños con necesidades especiales, a veces solo se necesita un pequeño impulso y una plataforma para lograr sus sueños.

Las discapacidades intelectuales son algo para lo que ni la vida ni la sociedad nos prepara, ya sea que nosotros mismos, o miembros de nuestra familia, nazcamos con ellas o las desarrollemos. Es algo que sencillamente sucede, y es en el camino que aprendemos a sobreponernos a sus dificultades. A veces, cuesta entender que, a pesar de que se es diferente, la vida sigue estando llena de oportunidades y posibilidades. La verdad es que siempre seremos capaces de escribir increíbles historias de vida si nos lo proponemos, sean cuales sean nuestras circunstancias. Si no lo crees, quizá sólo te falta hallar un poco de inspiración y motivación. Y de eso, los atletas especiales tienen mucho.

En el mundo, al menos 300 millones de personas viven con algún tipo de discapacidad intelectual.  Para millones de ellas, el deporte representa una ruta posible, llena de sueños por cumplir, metas que superar y competencias que ganar. Lo mejor es que, en el campo de juego, todos los atletas son iguales. Sin importar su condición, si tienen o no alguna discapacidad, si son más o menos experimentados que otros, todos buscan alcanzar el mismo objetivo: superarse a sí mismos y demostrar que no hay límites cuando la mente aprende a deshacerse de ellos.

No será diferente si eres un atleta especial. Desde que se crearon instituciones como los Juegos Paralímpicos o las Olimpíadas Especiales, los individuos con discapacidades han encontrado un lugar donde ponerse a prueba y demostrarle al mundo y a sí mismos todo lo que tienen para dar. Es un hecho: el deporte trae vida, cultura y desarrollo a cualquier lugar o persona que toca y es una actividad que nos llena de alegría y salud para vivir al máximo con nuestras capacidades.

Para Pablo Ulises Lázaro, atleta autista que forma parte de las Olimpíadas Especiales de México, fueron muchas las cosas que mejoraron en su vida gracias al deporte. Según su madre, luego de que Pablo comenzó a entrenar a los 12 años, su autoestima aumentó, se volvió más enérgico, más autosuficiente, ganó medallas en eventos nacionales e internacionales, conoció a muchas personas, logró su independencia y comenzó a vivir solo.

El deporte puede, sin duda alguna, dar un giro de 180 grados a la vida de cualquier persona. Así fue para Israel, quien es jugador de fútbol mexicano: “me cambió la vida; ahora estoy más feliz, tengo muchos amigos y diario hago ejercicio. Puedo relacionarme mejor con la gente y me emociona mucho todos los eventos a los que voy porque cada día conozco diferentes personas, y mi familia cada día está más orgullosa de mí”.

Para otros, la motivación es bastante simple. Cuando a Kim Chandler, de 38 años, le preguntan sobre sus victorias, ella simplemente responde: “Me gusta ganar”.  Es una nadadora olímpica con múltiples medallas a quien el síndrome de Down no ha detenido en absoluto. Asimismo, Chandler también disfruta de ayudar a otros compañeros y jóvenes atletas enseñándolos a nadar y convirtiéndose así en un modelo a seguir para ellos.

Y así, millones de atletas especiales a lo largo de 140 países han hecho del deporte su pasión y su vida, alcanzando metas que destruyen cualquier prejuicio sobre quiénes son y la forma en que viven su vida. En Autism Soccer, buscamos proporcionar las herramientas necesarias para iniciar a nuestros niños en el divertido e increíble mundo del deporte. Con entrenamiento, amor y confianza, ¡cualquier cosa es posible!

Tener una discapacidad no ha hecho a estos atletas perder la meta de sus vidas.

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What is a Developmental Disability?

This is a condition that will accompany your children throughout their lives. Teach them to live happily with it.

Physical development is measured by established standards in the medical field. These standards are mostly similar and often work as guides for the children’s growth, both physical and psychological. But genetic and diseases usually work against these developments, which turn into the developmental disability. More often than not, this is a condition that affects mental abilities, such as learning disorders in several respects. It’s fundamental for parents and caretakers to know the true implications of this sort of conditions in order to be prepared to work with children with special needs.

What comprises a developmental disability?

Most people think that developmental disabilities are reduced to a certain set of symptoms but in fact, this term is used to group a set of different conditions within a category. That’s why you must know that the variety of development of this condition depends on each child because it might be caused by genetic or other factors.

The symptomatology will vary from one condition to another, which causes a problem with creating a perfect definition of what comprises a developmental disability diagnosis, but doctors often define it as “chronic conditions that impair the physical or mental development”.

Like mentioned above, there are measures of growth that are standard, like: physical and psychological, which work as indicators to study the particular ailment in each case. After these tests, doctors grade the overall conditions, depending on the age of each child to determine the severity of the condition in each individual patient.   

Some of the conditions listed under this term are:

• General genetic disorders.
• Down Syndrome.
• Edwards Syndrome.
• Spina bifida.
• Autism spectrum.
• Fragile X.
• Tourette Syndrome.
• Fetal alcoholism.

Parents and caretakers should have a close connection with their children with this kind of conditions to give them a better and healthy life. That’s why it's important to work with professionals that will help your children with their condition. One of the greatest choices you will ever have is to introduce them to sports. That’s when Autism Soccer comes into play. AS is skilled and prepared to work with a variety of developmental disabilities. Make sure to check their social media to learn what they have for you! What are you waiting for? Contact them now!

The more people know about this condition, the more they can understand it.

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Down Syndrome: Learn About the Chromosome 21 Trisomy

This is an anomaly in the number of chromosomes, specifically in pair 21, where there are 2 of them instead three.

Down syndrome might be one of the most-known genetic syndromes, as it’s present in 1 of every 700 births in the US only, although this number can change according to the mother’s age. In 2016, an estimate of 250,000 families were affected by this chromosomal disorder. The survival rate after infancy has increased drastically, as well as their lifestyle quality. Special programs and various activities have made it easier for them to be incorporated into the academic and professional world. In fact, thanks to these initiatives, these children can live their lives as normally as someone with their condition could possibly live.

These are certain physical traits that are common among children who are born with Down syndrome:

• Slanted palpebral fold.
• Round face.
• Flat nasal bridge.
• Protruding tongue.
• Small mouth (with narrow roof).
• Low muscle tone.
• Flat head.
• Stunted growth.

While these physical features might indicate the condition, other symptoms associated with the syndrome might not be as obvious. Breathing problems related to pulmonary hypertension are frequent and need to be monitored before irreversible damage is done. Epilepsy is also present in 10% of the cases during childhood, increasing significantly once they reach adulthood. Upper spine problems are also common and they should be treated before doing physical activities. Eye complications as cataracts and strabismus are common too, as well as hearing impairments. Intellectual disabilities are part of the general diagnosis and they usually prevent them from reaching an IQ higher than 70, variating from mild to severe impairment.

These problems do not impede them from being curious and methodical, as they can pick up patterns and follow them according to the instructions. While their mental development might be a bit behind than other kids their age, they are able to learn and enjoy activities as well. Parents and caretakers should impulse and stimulate them to participate in groups and should raise awareness for others who might not know how to work with kids with their condition, in order to make their interactions easier and more comfortable.

People who are closely related to these children know the importance of teaching their kids that they can be a part of society, regardless of their particular condition. That’s why it’s key to incorporate them into activities, such as sports, which they can enjoy with their peers. Autism Soccer offers them an alternative to work as a team with other kids who can relate to them while having fun and the much-needed physical exercise to improve their health.

Among the things which characterize down syndrome, there is the fact that they are great at socializing. 

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Interactive Toys: What are They and How to Incorporate Them Into Your Child’s Life

Parents and caretakers know how important it is to keep their children's mind active throughout the day,

Children are almost permanently joyous, looking for ways to interact with the world around them or just to enjoy the activity they are doing. It means they are usually more than happy to play and have fun with the toys they are offered, using them as part of their routine activities. This is key for children with special needs, as kids’ playful nature can work as the necessary stimuli to increase their connections to the world, and to provide them with the perfect opportunity to develop their motor skills. These, among other things, are some of the benefits the usage of interactive toys gives them. It helps them reach their full potential in a non-invasive way.

Some advantages interactive toys have are:

• Socialization skills: Most interactive toys require a certain interaction with the object itself or with other people. This allows them to control the way they relate with others in a non-forced or obligated way but just by sharing.
• Imagination improvement: Creating imaginary worlds is second nature to kids, that’s why they relate so much with tales and interactive toys allow them to feel connected to these.
• Motor development: Interactive toys require physical movement in several senses, and while some of them require kids to move around more than others, they all work on the same basis. Some are highly specialized in improving fine motor skills.
• Cognitive processing: Relating one thing to another might not seem so important for grown-ups, but for children, developing this ability is key. Children with special needs  need to interact and establish bounds to the world around them through things they feel safe with, such as toys while improving their cognitive processing.
• Stress and anxiety release: While sports are great to handle stress, some kids need to do it in a calmer way, that’s when interactive toys come in handy. These elements can be used to soothe them in the long run.

If you want to incorporate them into your child’s life, you need to make sure that you are doing it the right way: offer them as alternatives to the ones they already own. Teach them they can use these objects whenever they want and that it isn’t imperative to play with them. Some parents force their children to use these toys because they are aware of the benefits these can offer for their children’s health, but this will only cause an unconscious association with mandatory activities or punishments.

Children are always happy to use toys in their lives. They use them to entertain themselves, to interact with the world and ones around them, and it helps them soothe their mood. These offer an important stimulation, which impulses them to reach their goals and seek their dreams. Combined with the practice of sports like soccer, they can obtain a great amount of benefits for their overall health. Contact with Autism Soccer to find out how to incorporate sports into your child’s life to help them reach their full potential.

Find out about better options to make your child feel comfortable and able to express while they enjoy their free time. 

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