Two Stories of Down Syndrome

Last updated on: September 30, 2011 at 2:15 pm by Amy Julia Becker

Two Stories of Down Syndrome 2011-09-30T10:28:33-04:00 Amy Julia Becker

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I’ve written before about the two stories circulating in our culture about Down syndrome. There’s the prenatal testing story, which suggests that fewer and fewer children with Down syndrome are being and will be born as women choose to terminate their pregnancies once they discover the presence of the extra chromosome. And there’s the much happier story of people with Down syndrome receiving early intervention, being included in classrooms and other activities, living at home with caring families, and living longer due to medical and social advances. As the photo to the left, and this blog in general, might suggest, we try to emphasize the happy story surrounding Down syndrome.

A new study of 3,000 individuals with Down syndrome and their families furthers this second story by demonstrating the personal satisfaction and happiness of both individuals with Down syndrome and their siblings and parents. For two recent stories/reports: “Down Syndrome’s rewards touted as new test looms” and “Inspiring Portrait of Down Syndrome at odds with Perfect Baby Pursuit.”

What do you think? Will the positive information about life with Down syndrome be able to overcome the fear? If you received a prenatal diagnosis and chose to continue your pregnancy, what motivated you to keep going?

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