A Down syndrome diagnosis is not just a medical fact—it’s a life-altering moment that shapes how families begin their parenting journey. A recent study by Marcela Tenorio and colleagues (2025) sheds light on mothers’ experiences of receiving this news, exploring the ways timing, setting, and communication practices profoundly influence emotional [...]
Research from UC Irvine highlights the critical role of sex differences in understanding and treating Alzheimer’s disease. Irvine, Calif., Aug. 12, 2025 — A groundbreaking study from the University of California, Irvine, has found that women with Down syndrome exhibit more advanced Alzheimer’s disease brain pathology compared to men, even [...]
At a time when education headlines are often dominated by challenges—teacher shortages, test score declines, and funding battles—there’s a bright spot emerging from Ann Arbor, Michigan. According to newly released data, the Ann Arbor Public Schools district has seen a significant rise in graduation rates among two historically underrepresented student [...]
Published July 11, 2025 · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Cortical visual impairment (CVI)—a neurological condition affecting how the brain processes visual information—is now recognized as the most common cause of childhood visual impairment in the U.S. Yet its occurrence alongside Down syndrome (DS) remains underdiagnosed. A new case series in [...]
When Rachel was born, the world didn’t just question her future—it questioned whether her mother was capable of giving her one. Laura, a young woman with Down syndrome, faced a storm of doubt. Doctors warned her. Social workers advised against it. Everyone seemed to have a reason why she couldn’t [...]
Two new studies, one focused on children with complex medical needs and the other on adults, shed fresh light on how widespread and serious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections can be and the unique susceptibility infants born with Down syndrome may have. Children with Complex Medical Conditions Face Highest RSV [...]
A groundbreaking USC Leonard Davis School study published on June 19, 2025, shines new light on why people with Down syndrome (DS) may develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) earlier and more aggressively—iron may be a core culprit. 1. Why Focus on Iron? 2. Key Research Findings In comparing postmortem samples from [...]
For many parents of children with Down syndrome, the diagnosis feels permanent—rooted in every cell of the body. That’s because Down syndrome is caused by something very specific: an extra copy of chromosome 21. Most of us have two copies of each chromosome, but people with Down syndrome have three [...]
Inspired by Charlotte Woodward’s inspiring journey In June 2012, at just 22 years old, Charlotte Woodward—a young woman born with Down syndrome—received a donor heart after enduring four open-heart surgeries by age 10. Thirteen years later, she is thriving: dancing, learning guitar, earning a magna cum laude degree in sociology [...]
Parenting is a demanding journey, and for those raising children with intellectual disabilities, it comes with a unique set of challenges1. Beyond the daily demands, there are often unseen struggles, and one crucial area that can be impacted is a child’s Parenting is a demanding journey, and for those raising [...]