Understanding children with and without Down Syndrome

For the past few decades, the Interest in the cognitive profile of children with Down Syndrome has been robust, with a large number of published studies discussing the atypical and unique profile of their cognitive abilities. However, there is no clear understanding of the cognitive profile of individuals with Down Syndrome and how this differentiates from other forms of intellectual disability. The uniqueness of the cognitive make-up of individuals with Down Syndrome will contribute to a better understanding of the specific strengths and impairments of this population, as well as to the development of more effective educational programs suitable for them (Grouios and Ypsilanti; Genetics and Etiology of Down Syndrome; Edited by: Subrata Dey; 2011). The present study is designed to highlight the strengths, limitations and the relationship between different intellectual aspects of children with Down syndrome having mild intellectual disability. Input from this study can be used by the rehabilitation professionals and the special educators for developing the appropriate interventions and training programmes, so that the quality of life of persons with disabilities can be enhanced.