DOWN TO SOAR

Who We Are:

Every child has the right to have a good start in life.

In Nepal, children born with disabilities are considered to be a curse from God for doing wrong deeds in their past life.

Usually, children with disabilities are  left alone at home with no hygienic care,  proper food, education and other basic needs for daily living.

Our goal is to spread Down Syndrome education and awareness so parents and children know they all have an opportunity to SOAR!

Objectives:

The objectives for Down To Soar is to provide a center for children with Down Syndrome where they can have an opportunity to thrive and soar in life! We can teach Nepali nurses and doctors as well as staff members and foreign volunteers how to care for children with Down  Syndrome.

PROGRAMS WILL INCLUDE:

-Medical care                         -Organic farming

-Occupational therapy             -Cooking classes

-Physical therapy                     - Athletic programs

-Sign language courses            -  Yoga class

- Music therapy                                   

Each child can find his/her skill set and

utilize their skills so they can play an important role in society as they get older.

Down Syndrome in Nepal

As many as 350 cases of Down syndrome has been registered at Down's Syndrome Society Nepal (DSSN), an NGO that works to support children with Down's syndrome.

The number of cases has been on the rise with the DSSN receiving 10-15 cases every month of late.

According to Shila Thapa, founder and president of Down's Syndrome Society Nepal (DSSN) - “Parents, especially impoverished ones, take children with Down's syndrome as burden to the family, however, it has been found that some well-off families also do not care for children with Down's syndrome”.

A Little information about down syndrome:

Down syndrome, is a genetic chromosomal disorder believed to occur at conception.

It occurs in approximately 1 in 700 live births.

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

Decreased or poor muscle tone

Short neck, with excess skin at the back of the neck

Flattened facial profile and nose

Small head, ears, and mouth

Upward slanting eyes, often with a skin fold that comes out from the upper eyelid and covers the inner corner of the eye

White spots on the colored part of the eye (called Brushfield spots)

Wide, short hands with short fingers

A single, deep, crease across the palm of the hand

A deep groove between the first and second toes

Intellectual and Developmental Symptoms

Cognitive impairment, problems with thinking and learning, is common in people with Down syndrome and usually ranges from mild to moderate. Only rarely is Down syndrome associated with severe cognitive impairment.1

Other common cognitive and behavioral problems may include

Short attention span

Poor judgment

Impulsive behavior

Slow learning

Delayed language and speech development

Down syndrome. (2012). In A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 11, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001992