Introduction
Children with Down’s syndrome are doomed to lead life different from that which normal children have. They demand special care and attention, as well as presence of adults with them all the time. The doctors have been exploring Down’s syndrome (DS) for years trying to prove that children who have this disease also have a chance for normal life. The reviews of two journal articles, one concerning children with Down’s syndrome and the other exploring the education of exceptional children, show that the researchers never abandon hopes that children with disabilities can be full-fledged members of the society.
Article 1
The first article is “Children with Down Syndrome: Discovering the Joy of Movement” by Anne Jobling , Naznin Virji-Babul , and Doug Nichols. This article explores motor skill performance of children with DS, or “clumsiness” which is essential for all of them. The authors of the article review numerous studies in which the researchers agree in the idea that dance programs can be useful for children with DS because they “improve the form and quality of [their] movement patterns” (Jobling, Virji-Babul, and Nichols 34). Dancing allows children with DS to develop space, body, and effort awareness (Laban approach), which further results in their movements becoming less clumsy. These concepts are referred to as Laban’s core concepts of movement; they are discussed together with other researchers’ findings who assumed that movement was “an important part of physical development and suggested that the ability to move makes the environment more accessible for exploration and learning” (Jobling, Virji-Babul, and Nichols 34). The researchers emphasize that in the course of these dance programs children with DS also learn the language of movement, for instance, such words as “up”, “down”, “around” “under”, “left”, “right”, etc, which is beneficial for their overall development. The authors conclude by stating that using Laban’s approach may help improve movement skills of children with DS and make the process of acquiring these skills enjoyable.
Article 2
The second article is “Individualizing Literacy Instruction for Young Children with Moderate to Severe Disabilities” by Christopher Kliewer and David Landis. This article is concerned with the issue of special education for exceptional children, or children with disabilities (such as those having DS). The authors begin the article with turning attention to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990) which made education equally accessible for children regardless of their possible mental or physical abnormalities. The article discusses whether children with disabilities should study in single classroom with normal children. The opinions of the specialists regarding this issue differ with some stating that this would be beneficial and others claiming that such “desegregated” education will put extra psychological pressure on children with disabilities. The article presents a qualitative study in which the researchers explore “teacher perceptions of the meaning of curricular individualization for preschool through primary-aged students adjudged to be moderately to severely mentally disabled” (Kliewer and Landis 85). The authors f the article continually interviewed teachers of preschool-grade children and analyzed school experiences of children with disabilities. The researchers drew a conclusion that individualized education is more beneficial for exceptional children.
Conclusion
In sum, children with Down’s syndrome, as well as children with other disabilities cannot be treated, but their state can be improved though, for instance dance programs. In addition, segregated education proved to be more effective for exceptional children than integrated one this is why their needs in individualized approach cannot be ignored.
Works Cited
Jobling, Anne, Virji-Babul, Naznin, and Nichols, Doug. “Children with Down Syndrome: Discovering the Joy of Movement.” The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 77.6 (2006): 34.
Kliewer, Christopher and Landis, David. “Individualizing Literacy Instruction for Young Children with Moderate to Severe Disabilities.” Exceptional Children 66.1 (1999): 85.