Introduction on Down Syndrome There are many disorders or syndromes that cause people to behave and act differently than others. Among all these syndromes, I chose one. This is a very rare syndrome and it is estimated that 4% of children in the United States are affected. It is known as translocation Down syndrome. Translocation Down syndrome is a type of Down syndrome caused by rearranged chromosomal material. A child with translocation Down syndrome has 3 #3 chromosomes. 21 instead of the two pairs. Here, one of the chromosomes is attached to another, and the extra chromosome is what causes the health problems associated with the disorder known as Down syndrome. Can Down syndrome be hereditary? Most cases of Down syndrome are not hereditary. When the condition is caused by trisomy 21, the chromosomal abnormality occurs as a random event during the formation of reproductive cells in a parent. The abnormality usually occurs in eggs, but occasionally occurs in sperm. An error in cell division called nondisjunction results in a reproductive cell with an abnormal number of chromosomes. For example, an egg or sperm can acquire an extra copy of chromosome 21. If one of these atypical reproductive cells contributes to a baby's genetic makeup, the baby will have an extra chromosome 21 in each of the body's cells. translocation Down syndrome can inherit the condition from an unaffected parent. The parent carries with it a rearrangement of genetic material between chromosome 21 and another chromosome. This rearrangement is called balanced translocation. No genetic material is gained or lost in a balanced translocation, so these chromosomal changes usually do not cause any health problems, are weak, and are not as vigorous/active as children who do not have Down syndrome. Many children with translocation Down syndrome function differently than others because they face mental and physical problems unlike others and often require physical therapy. Not only that, children with this disorder attend intervention classes to try to improve the disorder and try to improve their physical, mental and intellectual abilities. Additionally, children with Down syndrome have slow motor development (the ability to control their body movements). They also have short-term verbal memory loss. At school, children with Down syndrome should interact with others to build a foundation of social skills that allow the child to be more sociable and participate in classroom discussions. This will improve the level of functioning of a child with translocation Down syndrome.