Apert syndrome is a rare condition, with a birth prevalence of approximately one in 65,000. This article provides an up-to-date review of the literature on Apert syndrome from a variety of perspectives, ranging from surgical management to personal accounts. The purpose of the review is to provide a holistic description of the syndrome which should be of assistance to those interested in understanding the impact of Apert syndrome on children and young people with the syndrome. Children with Apert syndrome are at risk for a range of impairments, disabilities and consequent complex needs which can have implications for their personal development, social inclusion and education. As a consequence, those involved in the care of children and young people with Apert syndrome have the challenging task of balancing the management of surgical interventions alongside the needs of the growing child.

The relationship between music and mathematics has often been the subject of discussion, both inside and outside the field of education. As part of an exciting project on a European scale, the paper explores the changing contexts in Catalonia (Spain) and England (UK) in relation to the integrated approach to the teaching of music and mathematics. We analyse three areas: academic literature, the curriculum frameworks, and publications and resources prepared by and for teachers. Our findings suggest that due to the more favourable attitude towards cross-curricular approaches in education, more progress has been made in England, in terms of developing resources to support an integrated approach to the teaching of music and mathematics, than in Catalonia. Nonetheless, teachers in both locations are very interested in developing these approaches. Although there is a need for further teacher training and support, there is evidence of progress already being made in schools.

There is very little research on cognitive outcomes and challenges for children with Apert syndrome. This paper describes the findings of a 2½-year longitudinal exploration of the development of arithmetic skills in 10 children with Apert syndrome, who were aged between 4 and 9 years at the beginning of the study. There is evidence to suggest that children with Apert syndrome underachieve in mathematics, especially in areas requiring competence and confidence arithmetic. This study explored the changing strategies the children used as they developed their arithmetic problem solving skills. Of particular interest were the roles of finger gnosis and finger mobility in supporting the development of these skills. A case study approach was adopted in order to explore the children's problem solving strategies in depth. Children with Apert syndrome are born with their fingers fused and undergo several operations with the aim of ensuring that they have as many functioning fingers as possible. Finger gnosis and finger mobility were both seen to support arithmetic problem solving strategies and skills and reduce the reliance on mental strategies alone. This study found that children with Apert syndrome are disadvantaged if they are not supported to develop their finger gnosis and finger mobility skills. The findings have implications for children with Apert syndrome, but also add to the literature on the role of finger gnosis and finger mobility in the development of skills in early number and arithmetic.

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