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Down Syndrome day Down Syndrome day

World Down Syndrome Day

March 17, 2026
Down Syndrome day Down Syndrome day
To advocate for the rights, educational inclusion and well-being of learners with Down syndrome.
According to the World Health Organization, the estimated incidence of Down syndrome is approximately 1 in 1,000 live births worldwide. Down syndrome is a type of intellectual disability caused by the presence of extra genetic material on chromosome 21.

Down syndrome is often mistakenly perceived as a misfortune or a problem—something no parent would want. In reality, much of the discrimination faced by people with Down syndrome stems from outdated or inaccurate information about the condition.

Most children with Down syndrome experience mild to moderate intellectual impairment. Many are fully capable of attending mainstream schools alongside their peers. Common cognitive and behavioural challenges can include a short attention span, impulsivity, poor judgment, slower learning, and delays in language and speech development.

Children with down syndrome benefit from “stories for inclusion”

 

Implementing this project in Ghana and Bangladesh has demonstrated the need for more teacher knowledge and skills on how to support children with disabilities – and children with Down syndrome especially – in an inclusive classroom. It has thus also shown the usefulness of the Teacher Training Module and the Teacher Reference Guide. Storybooks, still to be developed, may be about a character with Down syndrome or alternatively, future stories could be simplified especially for learners with an intellectual disability.

Storybooks about and for children with (different) disabilities play an important role in making difference ordinary. Some of the strategies that can be used with children with Down syndrome are the following:

  • Shared reading builds confidence for children with Down syndrome. Simple ways to encourage this include:
    • Reading the same books again and again; repetition supports understanding.
    • Pointing to words as they are read by an adult, shows how print carries meaning and the difference between print and pictures.
  • Introducing word reading:
    • Due to their relative strong visual strengths, children with Down syndrome learn best through a whole word approach in the early stages.
    • Selecting the correct word from a choice of two words or a small group of words.
    • Naming words aloud when shown.
  • Early word combinations to support language with strategies like:
    • Matching sentences to pictures.
    • Act out the sentence to help with understanding.
    • Building sentences using word cards.
  • The importance of using print – clear and bold
    • Use large, clear words on cards and sentence strips.
    • Keep print consistent so children see the same words in the same format.
    • Use print as a prompt for talking, not just reacting.

Keep in mind, every child is different, also when having the same disability. Every child thus works at his or her own pace (but lots of repetition and consolidation helps).