Cognitive and adaptive capacity of minors with Down syndrome in special education institutions of the city of Medellín

Abstract

The objective of this research is to determine the cognitive and adaptive capacity in children and adolescents with Down syndrome between the ages of 7 and 16 in three special education institutions in the city of Medellín. 39 boys, girls and adolescents with Down Syndrome between 7 and 16 years of age participated in the study. Children and adolescents with Down syndrome present a cognitive capacity between mild and moderate, there is a better performance in adolescents than in younger children, on the other hand, women present skills in both capacities, differences were also found in In the results of each institution, it was observed that people who had high cognitive performance, in parallel, also had it in adaptive ability, which allows determining that these people more easily achieve new learning and adapt to new situations (Flores, 2000 ) The results obtained in this work suggest that children and adolescents with Down syndrome are characterized by having cognitive dysfunction, accompanied by an additional specific deficit in the development of expressive language, especially syntax, alterations in short-term verbal memory . The skills in adaptive behavior are consistent with their level of general intelligence, which implies that there are no severe limitations in functionality, that there are skills in the gnosis and practical functions, which characterize this syndrome; this is also confirmed by studies carried out in this syndrome