Thoughts On Down Syndrome

Dear Friends, Rarely do children born with Down syndrome receive the warm welcome they deserve. Their births are often accompanied by grief, denial and disappointment. As new parents learn more about life with Down syndrome and shed their own misconceptions, they must still face the outdated stereotypes and ignorance of family, friends and society at…

Dear Friends, Thirty years ago, professionals routinely urged parents to institutionalize their children born with Down syndrome. Common knowledge told a story of lethargic, unteachable and unworthy children. They were classified and stigmatized, devalued and isolated. We now know how badly those early perceptions missed the mark. As parents began to understand Down syndrome and…

Dear Friends, All children deserved to be welcomed, valued and supported by their family, their peers and their community. Although more and more people like you warmly accept people with Down syndrome, misconceptions abound. Those misconceptions can lead to uninformed decisions, negative attitudes and poor treatment of those with Down syndrome. The value of a…

Each year at our “Visions of Hope” gala, we include in the written program some of our current “thoughts” on Down syndrome. These “thoughts” reflect part of our journey with our son Nicholas. You’ll have to ignore the “thank you” at the bottom of each letter, since you are not attending our gala, but I…