Don’t Make Assumptions About Down’s Syndrome
This great short has been going around social media as part of World Down Syndrome Day 2024. It’s urging people not to infantalise those with Down’s Syndrome and make presumptions that stops people from flourishing and ultimately becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – less opportunity means less that can be achieved.
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Trisomy 21 or Down’s Syndrome is a genetic condition where a person as an extra copy of chromosome 21. It affects about 1:700 new-born babies and is often associated with an intellectual disability though it is not in and of itself an intellectual disability. However, the degree of disability varies between people and just because someone has difficulties in one respect, doesn’t negate the enormous strengths people have in others. Interestingly, any deficits appear to affect working memory and planning rather than emotional regulation, impulsivity or behaviour inhibition.
Please be mindful of higher rates of mental illness in people with Down’s Syndrome (especially dementia in mid to later life) and the high prevalence of physical comorbidities e.g. diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and cardiac malformations, where symptoms may manifest or be communicated differently (that no doubt contribute to the already unacceptable mortality gap). However, we should also not lose sight of the fact that many people with Down’s syndrome live fully independent lives, so I am fully on board with the message to not make assumptions and absolutely do not infantalise people with Down’s Syndrome or people with intellectual disabilities in general.
