16261/4Seth Hyslop is an adorable little boy with an impish smile but he also has from Down's syndrome. As part of an awareness week his parents spoke to JILL CROOKS

WHEN Seth Hyslop was diagnosed with Down's syndrome his parents, Fiona and Rob, felt their world had turned upside down.

Mrs Hyslop noticed herself two hours after giving birth to Seth that he was displaying signs of Down's syndrome and the diagnosis was confirmed.

She said: "I was 34 when I had Seth and I sailed through my pregnancy with no problems. When we were told Seth had Down's syndrome it was a shock. I had a three and a half year old toddler at home (their other son Ethan) and it was scary."

Mr Hyslop, 38, a tradesmen with Aster, said: "It was so out of the blue and I had never come into contact with anyone with Down's syndrome so my first thoughts were 'what do we do now, where do we go?' You are sort of left out in the cold."

The couple left hospital with two leaflets about Down's syndrome and soon after returning to their home in Potterne, near Devizes, they searched the internet and got in touch with the national charity the Down's Syndrome Association.

Down's syndrome is a genetic condition resulting in a level of learning disorder but, with support, the majority of people lead fulfilling lives.

Seth, now five, went to Devizes Opportunity Centre while a baby and received physiotherapy and help with his speech.

Mrs Hyslop has nothing but praise for the opportunity centre but moved Seth to Bright Sparks Pre-school in Potterne when he was two in preparation for going to mainstream school.

Mrs Hyslop, who works as a domestic at Dauntsey's School, said: "I didn't want Seth to be the 'funny' little boy up the road. I felt that Seth needed to be with children he would be going to school with. I was worried about how the other children would react to him, particularly with his speech problems, but they were fine and he was accepted brilliantly."

During the first five years of his life Seth received home tutoring and the family has learned the sign language Makaton.

Many people who have Down's syndrome have heart problems but Seth does not and is a typical five year old who charges about and plays and fights with his brother.

National Down's Syndrome Awareness Week begins on Monday.

Our proudest day

For Fiona and Rob Hyslop, who have lived all their lives in Potterne and went to the village school, it was only natural that Seth should attend the school.

To get Seth into the school they needed a statement of special educational needs, which they obtained after a long process.

The day that Seth started at school was the proudest day for Mr and Mrs Hsylop.

Mrs Hyslop said: "We were up at 6am and at 6.05am he had his school uniform on. Me and Rob were so proud that he went to his local school. Ethan was chuffed that his brother was joining him at Potterne."

Seth is in the same classroom as the reception group of children but there are times when he receives one-to-one support with teaching assistant Sharon Wilkinson. He also attends speech therapy sessions one morning a week.

Headteacher Clare Brookes said: "Seth is involved in everything. Nobody says there are things he can't do and his overall attitude is fantastic."

Mrs Hyslop wants to encourage parents of children with Down's syndrome to pursue a mainstream school for their child if that is what they want.

She said: "We concentrate on Seth's abilities not his disabilities. He has thrived since being at school and he loves it. He gets really upset when he can't go to school."