Current genetic and demographic findings in Down's syndrome: How are they presented in college textbooks on exceptionality?

Recent evidence indicates that for Trisomy-21, which accounts for about 95% of all cases of Down's syndrome, the father contributes the extra chromosome in 20-25% of the cases where parental origin is demonstrable. New statistical findings suggest a relationship between advancing paternal age and the occurrence of Down's syndrome births. Current and predicted shifts in child bearing patterns, increased use of prenatal diagnosis, and pregnancy termination among older women all prompt a re-examination of the manner in which Down's syndrome is being presented in the academic literature. A survey of 39 recent college textbooks in mental retardation, special education and abnormal psychology indicates that dated and oversimplified models of the etiology of Down's syndrome are being presented.