People With Down Syndrome Are Not Severely Handicapped By Mike Selvon

Until recently, people with Down syndrome were considered severely handicapped. Yet with better advocacy and pushes toward educational integration, adults with Down syndrome are getting married, working jobs, living independently and living well into their fifties.

Few people can forget the lovable character "Corky" on the hit TV series "Life Goes On," and how he constantly challenged stereotypes and unfair assumptions about those with such a disability. Advances in medicine, social normalization and the expansion of programs to help the disabled are credited with what is sometimes referred to as "the new generation" of Down syndrome.

People who are afflicted with this disability encounter many physical challenges that others do not. Their motor skill development is slow, so they will learn to breastfeed, roll over, walk and talk, as well as teeth later than other children their age. This can be frustrating for both the Down syndrome child and the parents who are repeatedly confronted with their own mistaken expectations.

Another physical risk is, of course, the associated health problems. Many babies with Down syndrome undergo heart, ear and eye surgeries before one year of age. There are later risks of epilepsy, obesity, heart disease, ear infections, thyroid disease, throat infections, pneumonia and osteoarthritis.

Everyday activities can be difficult for people with Down syndrome to cope with. Many disabled children are naturally empathetic and in tune with their parents emotions and they sense the frustration or stress the parents sometimes experience. The extra attention expected of parents is sometimes exhausting and overwhelming, so psychologists recommend that parents attend Down syndrome support meetings to talk to other parents who have Down syndrome children and learn new techniques for raising their disabled child.

One of the things that people with Down syndrome still struggle with is public misperceptions about their condition. For instance, they are often stereotyped as being always happy or "out of it," when in reality Down syndrome children experience a full range of emotions and have quite unique personality traits. However, there are certain coping strategies that work better. For example, routine and order help them control their lives better.

Additionally, self-talk helps them communicate, express themselves and make sense of what's going on. People with learning disabilities generally rebuke change, which has led to the misperception that they are stubborn by nature. Perhaps they are simply trying to understand what's going on and maintain control in their lives. Perhaps they just need a little extra patience from those around them.