Down Syndrome Facts and Theories

Down Syndrome, Everybody knows something about it, but today I thought I would talk about some facts about down syndrome and disprove some 'theories' that people have. 

So first things first, if you want to know more about down syndrome you can find my blog post here but here are some facts about people with downs syndrome;

People with downs syndrome are NOT always happy. This is such a terrible theory that people have. The next time someone says this to me, I may need to give them Harry when he's having a meltdown. People with downs feel all emotions, exactly the same as you and me.

People with downs can have jobs and live independently –  I’ve lost count of the number of times people have said that Harry won't be able to have a job or live on his own. People with downs may need a little help, some may even need a lot of help but plenty live independently and have jobs.

 Children with downs syndrome are not always born to older parents – When I had Harry I was 23. 

People with downs syndrome have a normal life expectancy – In the past, people with downs syndrome have much shorter life expectancy than people without because there was no support. Fifty years ago if a child was born with downs syndrome they were put straight into a home or asylum and refused medical help for any issues. This isn’t the case anymore and people with downs syndrome can live as long as anyone else.

People with downs syndrome are often not overweight – Some people with downs syndrome may appear slightly overweight but this is caused by the low muscle tone which can be a symptom of downs syndrome.

People with Downs syndrome can have children –  Someone with downs syndrome is perfectly capable of having children. There are plenty of parents who have down syndrome. Sometimes males may have fertility difficulties but for the most part, they will be able to have children

These points I feel at incredibly important to remember about someone with downs syndrome but the most important thing to remember of course is that they are not defined by their diagnosis just like someone with cancer isn’t ‘that guy with cancer ben’ Harry isn’t ‘that boy who has downs syndrome Harry’ He’s just ‘Harry’ He’s not downs. And he isn’t the amazing little person he is because he has downs. He’s just Harry. Just like I am Kat and you are you. So the next time you meet a person who just happens to have downs syndrome, take the time to get to know them and don’t judge by their diagnosis.