| Until recently, people with Down syndrome were | | | | Everyday activities can be difficult for people with |
| considered severely handicapped. Yet with better | | | | Down syndrome to cope with. Many disabled |
| advocacy and pushes toward educational | | | | children are naturally empathetic and in tune with |
| integration, adults with Down syndrome are | | | | their parents emotions and they sense the |
| getting married, working jobs, living independently | | | | frustration or stress the parents sometimes |
| and living well into their fifties. | | | | experience. The extra attention expected of |
| Few people can forget the lovable character | | | | parents is sometimes exhausting and |
| "Corky" on the hit TV series "Life Goes On," and | | | | overwhelming, so psychologists recommend that |
| how he constantly challenged stereotypes and | | | | parents attend Down syndrome support meetings |
| unfair assumptions about those with such a | | | | to talk to other parents who have Down |
| disability. Advances in medicine, social normalization | | | | syndrome children and learn new techniques for |
| and the expansion of programs to help the | | | | raising their disabled child. |
| disabled are credited with what is sometimes | | | | One of the things that people with Down |
| referred to as "the new generation" of Down | | | | syndrome still struggle with is public |
| syndrome. | | | | misperceptions about their condition. For instance, |
| People who are afflicted with this disability | | | | they are often stereotyped as being always |
| encounter many physical challenges that others do | | | | happy or "out of it," when in reality Down |
| not. Their motor skill development is slow, so they | | | | syndrome children experience a full range of |
| will learn to breastfeed, roll over, walk and talk, as | | | | emotions and have quite unique personality traits. |
| well as teeth later than other children their age. | | | | However, there are certain coping strategies that |
| This can be frustrating for both the Down | | | | work better. For example, routine and order help |
| syndrome child and the parents who are | | | | them control their lives better. |
| repeatedly confronted with their own mistaken | | | | Additionally, self-talk helps them communicate, |
| expectations. | | | | express themselves and make sense of what's |
| Another physical risk is, of course, the associated | | | | going on. People with learning disabilities generally |
| health problems. Many babies with Down | | | | rebuke change, which has led to the |
| syndrome undergo heart, ear and eye surgeries | | | | misperception that they are stubborn by nature. |
| before one year of age. There are later risks of | | | | Perhaps they are simply trying to understand |
| epilepsy, obesity, heart disease, ear infections, | | | | what's going on and maintain control in their lives. |
| thyroid disease, throat infections, pneumonia and | | | | Perhaps they just need a little extra patience |
| osteoarthritis. | | | | from those around them. |