Speranza Foundation & AJ Hospital/Institute of Speech & Hearing observe ‘Down Syndrome Day’
Mangaluru: Down Syndrome Day, also known as ‘World Down Syndrome Day’, is a global awareness day that is celebrated annually on March 21st. The date is selected to signify the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. And locally, the Speranza Foundation, Mangaluru along with AJ Hospital/Institute of Speech and Hearing, celebrated this day to raise public awareness and understanding of Down syndrome. The motive of the program was to advocate for the rights, inclusion, and well-being of people with Down syndrome.
On the occasion, Dr Ramandeep Kaur, President of, the Speranza Foundation gave a talk on the Importance of three mantras for Individuals with Down Syndrome, namely “Listen-Include-Respect”. This was followed by Ms Rashmi Anant Pai, HOD, AJ Institute of Speech and Hearing who highlighted the importance of inclusion in society and introduced the theme “With Us Not For Us”.
Various games were organized for parents by both the Speranza team and AJ team to provide parents with an opportunity to celebrate the differences yet achievements of their children. The program highlighted -Bringing everyone together to raise awareness; Inclusion of children with problems in society; Bringing smiles to the faces of children and parents, both Down Syndrome and other disorders The team did this by-Wearing different pairs of socks; Playing awareness based games; Performing for kids
The theme for Down Syndrome Day 2023 is “With us not for us”. It focused on promoting employment opportunities and workplace inclusion for people with Down syndrome, highlighting their skills, abilities, and potential to contribute to the workforce. Various competitions were conducted for students of Speranza to bring inclusion and smiles to the faces of children with special needs. Down Syndrome Day is recognized by the United Nations and has been celebrated since 2006. The day is celebrated in many countries around the world through various events, activities, and campaigns, including conferences, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, sporting events, and social gatherings.
You too also can help in bringing smiles to children and people with down syndrome. Children and young people with Down’s syndrome have some level of learning disability. This means they may need help with daily life. What they need help with is different for each person. And this can change as they get older. You can try these things to help with their development, like- Praising them when they learn something new; Speaking clearly and calmly so they can learn from you; Playing, sing songs and reading books together to help with sounds and words;
Try showing them how to do something instead of just giving instructions – this can be easier to follow; Try ways to help them communicate such as Signalong, Makaton or PECS; Try to set routines so they feel more settled – for example, for getting up and at mealtimes; Encourage them to be healthy and active – find activities on the Down’s Syndrome Association DSActive website; Look out for changes in mood or behaviour – they may not be able to tell you if something’s wrong or they’re unwell; and Take them for regular hearing, eyesight and health checks
