BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

 Down syndrome is a genetic condition where people are born with an extra copy of chromosomes. Chromosomes are small "packages" of genes in the body's cells which determine how the body forms and functions

Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes with in each cell in their body for a total of 46. A person diagnosed with down syndrome has an extra a copy of chromosome 21, which means their cells contain 47 total chromosomes instead of 46. This changes the way their brain and body develop.

Physical signs of Down syndrome

• A flat nose bridge
• Slated eyes that point upwards
• A short neck
• Weak muscle tone at birth
• Small pinky finger that points inwards towards the thumb.
• One crease in the palm of their hand 
• Shorter than average height

As your child grows, additional symptoms can arise because of the way that their body developed in the uterus, including

• Ear infections 
• Vision problems
• Dental problems
• Being more prone to infection or illness
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Congenital heart disease 

 Cerebral palsy is a disabling physical condition in which coordination is impaired due to damage of the brain. It occurs at or before birth. Cerebral palsy can cause locomotor disability which causes muscular weakness to complete lack of movement in muscles. People affected with cerebral palsy are also likely to have other types of impairment.

There are four main types of cerebral palsy 

• Spastic cerebral palsy

This is the most common type of CP and it causes muscle rigidity and affected people struggle to control their movements, eat and speak

• Athetopd cerebral palsy

It is characterized by involuntary jerky movements of the arms, hands, legs and feet.

• Ataxic cerebral palsy

People as affected with this type feel tremors while making voluntary movements. People with this CP type find it difficult to do tasks that require precise movement of muscles.

• Mixed cerebral palsy

People who have symptoms of more than one type of cerebral palsy are categorized under mixed CP.

 Hydrocephalus is the build up of fluid in the cavities called ventricles deep with in the brain

The excess fluid increases the size of the ventricles and puts pressure on the brain

Cerebrospinal fluid usually flows through the ventricles and bathes the brain and spine column. But the pressure of too much cerebrospinal fluid can damage tissue and cause a range of symptoms related to brain function.

 Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder which affects communication and behavior. Autism can be diagnosed at any age and it's called a developmental disorder. Autism affects the overall cognitive, emotional, social and physical health of the affected individual.

The exact cause of autism Spectrum Disorder is so far unknown. However the following aspects may increase the risks

1. Family history
2. Genetic mutations
3. Being born to older parents
4. Low birth weight
5. Metabolic imbalance
6. Exposure to heavy metals and environmental toxin

Symptoms of autism Spectrum Disorder

1. Abnormal body posturing or facial expression
2. Abnormal tone of voice
3. Poor eye contact
4. Behavioral disturbance
5. Difficult in language comprehension
6. Delay in speech 
7. Inappropriate social interaction
8. Learning difficulty
9. Not social/ social with draw 
10. Problem with two way conversation
11. Repeating words or phrases
12. Self abuse behavior
13. Repetitive movements 
14. Sleep disturbance 

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes recurring unproved seizures.

Not all seizures are a result of epilepsy. Seizures may relate to brain injury or family traits but often the cause is completely unknown.

Seizures are sudden surges of abnormal and excessive electrical activity in your brain and can affect how you appear or act.

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is otherwise capable of speech becomes unable to speak when exposed to specific situations, specific places, or to specific people.

 This is a simultaneous occurrence of two or more disabling conditions that affect learning or other important life functions. These disabilities could be a combination of both motor and sensory nature.

Multiple disabilities could be two different types of physical disabilities, two different types of mental disabilities, or a combination of physical and mental disabilities. Examples of multiple disabilities:

Intellectual Disability and blindness

Mental retardation and orthopedic impairments

Locomotion disability and speech impairment

 Is a condition affecting a person's vision and hearing power at the same time. One important thing to know is that a deaf-blind person may not necessarily be deaf or blind. It is only that their seeing and hearing ability is affected to the extent that their communication skills is affected. 

Some causes of Deaf-Blindness include:

Birth defects 

Genetic mutations

Aging 

Infection

Prenatal complications

Cerebral palsy

Brain injury

A condition that affects someones hearing ability

 Intellectual Disability, also known as general learning disability and mental retardation is a condition characterized by significant limitation both in intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving) and in adaptive behavior which covers a range of everyday social and practical skills. 

Symptoms of intellectual disabilities

• Failure to achieve milestones in motor skills development. (Sitting, crawling, walking)
• Continued difficult with speech and language skills
• Difficult with self helped and self care skills(e.g getting dressed, Washing and feeding themselves)
• Behavioral and social problems.
• Continued infant like behavior
• Failure to adapt or adjust to new situations
• Difficulty understanding and following social rules

Sickle cell disease is a group of blood disorders that cause red blood cells to become sickle shaped, misshaped and breakdown. Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin. This is the protein that binds oxygen and carry it to all parts of the body 

Chromosome II is a gene responsible for producing hemoglobin protein. Sometimes this gene becomes abnormal due to mutation. If a person inherits two abnormal copies of this gene, one from each parent, then that person will develop sickle cell disease. 

The sickle cell gene is passed from generation to generation in a pattern of inheritance. Meaning that both mother and father must pass on the defective form of the gene for a child to be affected.