I am a college student in MN and I am taking a class called "Profiles of the Exceptional Child" In this class we are to present a display board of a disability of our choice. I chose Down Syndrome. The information I am having trouble finding is educational and social issues and long term effects on a child with DS and modifications necessary in parents lifestyle. Can anyone help me with this information????

[Edited by Summer on 03-05-2003 at 07:55 PM]

One of the best documents I've come across can be found at http://www.down-syndrome.info/topics/living/
probably some more stuff, too.
You're going to find that the answer to your question is going to be as different as the number of people that you ask. . .
I suggest you spend an hour or so reading around this board to get a hint of how we parents' lifestyles are 'modified'. Any child 'modifies' your lifestyle, but you will only have to experience that for yourself<grin>. Thanks for choosing us to represent. Feel free to email me if you have more specific questions. . .

I don't know if you have the time, but you should at least skim the book "Expecting Adam" by Martha Beck. It is a very good story of the extreme changes your life can take when you have a child with a disability. In her case, she talks about being on the Harvard "fast-track", then having Adam and how it completely changed the course of her and her husband's lives.

I'll bet everyone on this forum could tell you similar stories about the changes in their lives. Most of the changes are good, a few could be seen as bad, but all of them are worth it. I would be happy to provide you with some personal experience or anecdotes as well.

Take care,
Michael

Thank you so much for all your help! I will check out that web sight and I think I am going to buy that book, "Expecting Adam", it would be a good visual to pass around to my classmates and then I will give it to my aunt. My cousin was born with DS and I never really thought much about it until I took this class. I also have been woking, doing an "In-Home" with a young man who has DS and I never really knew how much I DIDN'T know about DS. I have enjoyed searching for information and it has made me very intrested in DS. Thank you again for all you suggestions

Summer

my girlfriend just let me barrow a book called Educating special learners , by phillip cartwright and carol carwright and margorie ward . It is put out by wadsworth publishing company in belmont california and it is a third edition textbook. It is cool cause it has case studies and all kinds of info pertaining to rights and laws and education.

LISA