When most make a comment like that what they really mean is that they have thinking ability/problem solving ability of a three year.

With that said, would an adult who thinks like a five year want to watch Law and Order? Probably not…they wouldn’t understand what’s going on. Hence, Thomas the Tank Engine captures their attention. As parents and professionals, it is our job to help the adult with Thomas the Tank Engine obsessions to transfer his interest to real trains as best as he can understand… This is a relatively new push in special education and it will take a little getting used to.

If you would like to email me privately or get hands on information in the subject, I would suggest contacting your local Special Olympics office. It might be good to volunteer or witness older kids and adults do something they love to the best of their abilities. You might gain a better picture and some moral support from some parents that dealt with this topic years prior. 🙂

hi….what I am about to tell you does not come from seeing it occasionally or for a few hours a day or from making up my mind about something I have never experienced…I live it 24 hours a day 7 days a week…my son has DS he is 3 1/2 yrs old. first off every child with down syndrome is different…their abilities and their developmental level are as varied as you and I. Is it challenging?…hmmmm… some days yes, other days no. everyone seems to forget that they are children first and foremost…not just a “syndrome”. I think the only things that were different (at least so far with my son…don’t know what the future holds) in comparison to my other boys was the therapy (he has received speech, occupational, physical and special ed since he came home from the hospital) that took some getting used to. as well as the fact that he is developing at a slower pace, it doesn’t mean he can not do things, it just means it takes him a bit longer to reach his goals and he does do it. other than that he is like most 3 yr olds…developing his independence, can throw some awesome tantrums (LOL) and loves to play and learn.

what that lady said may have been true some 20-30 yrs ago because children with DS were hidden away from the world and not given the help that they needed early on. but today for the most part they can be productive members of society if given the advantages of the programs that are available to them….I hope this helped answer your question!

Yes, the lady knows what she is talking about:). One of the many symptons of DS kids is developmental delay. How severe, if they catch up with their peers and to what degree depends on a variety of factors like severity of the syndrom, early intervention through special education and parents. By the way: not all DS kids are nonverbal and most of them are very well cabable of learning altvernative ways of communicating – sign language, etc.

It is always a challenge to raise a child with special needs and I agree that one needs to think long and hard if one is mature enough to meet this challenges if one is giving the possibility to decide one way or another. This, in my opnion comes with the territory. Raising kids always poses the danger of something going wrong at any point in time, heck , that’s what we call living, don’t we?

Given the choice between kids with certain brain injuries and a DS kid I would probably choose the DS kid. I have worked with special need kids for more than six years now and I can tell you this much: the love and trust and genuine joy you get back from DS kids for your efforts is just priceless. This is by the way the greatest challenge for parents with DS kids. The kids are so loving and trusting that people have an easy time taking advantage of them.

So, my answer would be, yes, it is challenging and there is a lot of heartbreak involved but also joy and fun and love.

Best

Pemma

Children with DS can be as challenging as any other child. A lot has to do with your perspective. If you label your child with DS as “stubborn”, “lazy”, and “mean”, it will change the way you look at typical DS behaviors. If you see your child as “strong willed”, “low muscle tone” and “with play involvement issues”, it puts the emphasis on the behaviors and not the child. As challenging as the behaviors of a DS child can be, they are some of the sweetest and most pure souls. Yes, often cognitive function can be compromised by the genetic glitch, and children with Downs can have lower function than children at their age level, but often they have average intelligence. Your life can only be blessed with these children in your life.

It depends. Most 10-year-old with Down syndrome don’t act like 3-year-olds, no, but they would probably not be quite at a normal level. There are different issues – behavior, social interaction, intelligence – and a child can be at one level for one and a different level for another. And the levels can vary with each child.

Nope, she’s 100% correct. It’s extremely challenging. I worked in a special ed room this summer and I was sort-of an aid for a down syndrome kid who couldn’t speak. She was 13 and was very short. She sort-of croaked instead of talking. But she was smart inside. She loved barney. So yes, they do act way younger than their age. It depends how good you are with those types of kids, if your good with them then it would be as challenging to raise, but if you don’t know much about it its very difficult.

it’s very challenging but she can play games with the child or sing songs read storys

Very challenging – This is where I could get some backlash but to be frank if the test had shown Down’s on our children – and it was a possibility (we elected for an Amnio) we would have followed through with an abortion.

It is the most difficult thing anyone can ever do. It’s so draining to not be able to help your loved one.