Organizing for America | Tyler Folsom's Blog: Down's syndrome

Down's syndrome

By Tyler Folsom - Sep 13th, 2008 at 12:22 pm EDT

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I admire Palin's decision to raise a child with Down's Syndrome. I wonder if she knows what she is getting into. I have a sibling with the condition. Palin has said that she will be a friend of special needs children in the White House yet slashed funding as governor [http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/09/05/palin-cut-funding-for-alaskas-special-needs-children-by-60-percent/
].

My sister Judy was born with Down's Syndrome. At the time, the name of the condition was "Mongoloid simple mindedness" and nobody knew the cause. Judy has never learned to read. She can print her name, use the toilet and feed herself. She cannot form complete sentences and speaks in phrases. Judy can be very loving and affectionate. At other times she is stubborn. She has hallucinations. She cannot prepare her own meals, do arithmetic or handle money. She is incapable of holding even the most menial job. She is physically normal, but short.

Judy was the first child. My parents tried to raise her, but when the third child was born it became clear that it would be impossible to raise us all together. Judy was put in an institution and my parents pretended that she had never existed. I don't blame them for that decision; Down's Syndrome has destroyed many marriages. My parents stayed happily married for 56 years, until my mother's death. Judy was not expected to live long, but after 63 years, she is still hanging in.

Part of the joy of motherhood is watching your child grow, develop, and assert her independence. It is heartbreaking when she is forever stuck in early childhood. With today's technology, it is easy to detect that a fetus has Down's Syndrome and terminate the pregnancy. Sarah Palin had the courage to stick to her beliefs and follow the course that was right for her. It is a highly painful and personal decision that many women would make differently. Ms. Palin has no right to make that decision for others.

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By Michael P. Sep 13th 2008 at 2:27 pm EDT (Updated Sep 13th 2008 at 2:27 pm EDT)

While I agree that whether a family has the ability to care for and raise a child with Downs Syndrome is always an individual decision, I disagree strongly with what can be accomplished. Generally, Downs Sydrome children are educatable to a larger extent than most people realize, so they are capabale of significant development. And, like any other human being, they are capable of extraordinary accomplishments. Having worked with Downs children at every academic level from pre-school to college, both as a teacher and as a researcher, I know this. They desire the right to free expression and to do for themselves just like the rest of us.

I do, agree, however, that Palin is no friend to mentally and physically challenged citizens of any age, as well as she is no friend to teen mothers. See the URL below. I also fear her own child will not be a model of the potential of Downs Syndrome children. She simply is not made of the right stuff, and neither is her husband.

Link

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By Tyler Folsom Sep 19th 2008 at 9:47 pm EDT (Updated Sep 19th 2008 at 9:47 pm EDT)

I wish that more had been known about how to educate Down's Syndrome children when my sister was young.

Kids with Down Syndrome Accomplish More | Report to Admin

By Just One in the PNW Sep 24th 2008 at 7:48 pm EDT (Updated Sep 24th 2008 at 7:48 pm EDT)

I am sorry to read of your family's story, but much has changed in expectations of individuals with Down syndrome born today through the accomplishments of those who have grown up with better opportunities than were dreamed of when your sister was born 62 years ago.

Most children with Down syndrome I have met are accomplished readers, manage their time and spare change better than their mainstream peers, and are more than capable of holding interesting conversations with parents of their mainstream classmates.

I understand that organizations like the National ARC and TASH offer great hope to individuals who have grown up in institutions who have not had the opportunities that our young people with Down syndrome enjoy today.

There is as great diversity among talents and abilities for people with Down syndrome as the general population, so there are those who require more support and encouragement than others, but those who have had the opportunities and encouragement available in most communities today have shown us that individuals like your sister have greater potential even now.

Contact the National Down Syndrome Society or National Down Syndrome Congress for accurate information and available resources.

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