You know every once in a while a friend makes the most ingorant comment and you want to throw up your hands and quit. I try very hard to educate about Down syndrome and that it is not the "suffering early in life death sentence" that some people want you to beleive. Hard sometimes yes.
But what is harder then any Dr.'s appointment, therapy or school is the perception out that about our kids, that they are stupid. First of all Bryan has scored in the normal range congnatively so far he has a typical score on all the tests he has taken. And I tell that little mind is always going.
Now yesterday I was at a birthday party and a very good friend of mine was there. She was in on the Diagnosis from the start and has been around for all of Bryan's 20 months thus far. Now we have not seen her since July do to children busy schedules etc. So when she saw him it started out really nice. He got so big, how cute it is he etc. Then she said you mean he holds his up! And he can crawl already, OMG he is standing I though they did not do that stuff so young. Ok, I blew off the ignorate comment, then he started showing off his signs and was talking a bit and she says; you mean he understands you, he can talk and do sign language? What did she think he was a bump that would never do anything?
It pissed me off, because that is the perception of our kids, they are miserable suffering little babies with no hope of a normal life. I have one thing to say BULL SHIT!!!! and I am tired of it frankly. Our kids are smart, creative, intelegent and happy children. Why some people insist on saying otherwise when they do not know just amazes me.
Now what scares me, is her not knowing Bryan is more typical then not. She might repeat wrong information about my son to someone else. You know they ones who say they can give out information about Down syndrome because of family and friends they know.
My 3 Sons
