Computational approximations to intellectual disability in Down syndrome

Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability characterized by a number of behavioral and brain alterations. Despite the wealth of empirical research and the high incidence of Down syndrome, it has been relatively disregarded in the field of computational modeling. In this chapter we argue that our understanding of Down syndrome and intellectual disability could benefit from computational modeling. We review the main clinical and neurological features of Down syndrome and a number of computational models that cover some of these features. We discuss these models in the context of the modular and neuroconstructivist approaches to atypical development, and point to future directions in computational modeling of Down syndrome by describing how extensions of the reviewed models should result in a better understanding of both typical and atypical behavioral processes.