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How does meditation affect down syndrome individuls?

Let me be frank with you.I believe that they are treasurable souls and enjoy sharing my meditation and yoga experties with them. Here, I'd like to find out more about how meditation affect individuals with down syndrome and what enlightenment means in regards to special needs populations.

Taking into account of the fact that most research funds tend to go somewhere profitable, I don't expect a lot data and findings. Hopefully there is at least some offical or unoffical writing and talking that you know can answer my question.

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    Andrew Horgan

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    Oct 21 2011: I teach yoga and meditation to military veterans with disabilities. Everything from amputations to TBI and PTSD. I believe that meditation in this special needs community gives back control. Control of their bodies, control of their thoughts (including control over debilitating memories of war). It centers them and grounds them in a way that helps organize their minds the way they are comfortable with. In this center they slowly begin to sort out the past, present and future. They see the problems of the mind and filter out the memories and thoughts that are really shackling them to traumatic events in their lives. Once these events are filtered out and identified, they can come to understanding them and placing them in a different priority of their past, present and future. One of the biggest things I'm told is that they finally "Accept Themselves"...or understand maitri. That is their enlightenment.
    I know that our special needs groups are different but the goals are the same. Calming the mind, cultivating mindfulness, loving kindness, compassion in any person is the goal. I think any mind can understand that.

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