Biography of someone with down syndrome wikipedia

After working with his father for 18 years, he moved to London to pursue a career in medicine. He became an assistant surgeon, studied pharmacy, and assisted renowned chemist Michael Faraday. In , Down enrolled at the London Hospital Medical College, where he excelled and won a gold medal upon graduation. In , he became the Medical Superintendent of the Earlswood Asylum for Idiots, which he transformed into a model institution.

Down firmly believed in the benefits of education for individuals with intellectual disabilities. In , he founded Normansfield, the first school in Britain specifically designed for such children.

Young actors with down syndrome

This institution was later run by his son. Down's most significant contribution to medicine was his description of the chromosomal abnormality that causes Down syndrome. Although he initially referred to the condition as "Mongolism" due to the resemblance of some facial features to those of certain Mongolian ethnic groups, the term was later changed to Down syndrome in to avoid its offensive connotations.

His son, Reginald, added the presence of a simian crease to the description of Down syndrome in In , Brushfield identified distinctive pigmented spots around the edge of the iris in individuals with Down syndrome, known as Brushfield spots. John Langdon Down's contributions to the understanding and treatment of intellectual disability have left an enduring legacy.