To think you don't see many people with Down's syndrome anymore?

[Neonoen]

When I was a school there was a boy with downs syndome in my class. At secondary there was the first boy and then another one too.

I worked with a man with Downs syndrome at my first job (he taught me how to use the photocopier the first day after I wasted a whole reem of paper ). At the same time there was a woman who travelled on the same bus as me with Down syndrome and another who worked in McDonald's.

Yesterday on the TV they were interviewing that man who has the lead role in a new film (he has downs). DS asked why he spoke like that, I explained and then realised none of my children know what Down's syndrome is or have ever encountered anybody with it. There's no children with downs in their schools, no families with any members who have downs and no businesses that I can think of who employ anybody locally with Down's syndrome.

Other than the SN session at the local pool, I can't remember when I last encountered anybody with downs.

Is it just me? Is it a result of advanced ante natal testing?

In fact thinking of it I'm surprised at the lack of any experience my DC have of people with disabilities.

I really don't want to offend with this and hope I've used the correct terminology.

I never met anyone with DS until I was an adult, now I know at least 7 off the top of my head. I'd be interested to see if there are in fact statistically less people with DS. I suspect not actually.

I know a family who have identical twins with DS they have campaigned on a whole range of awareness issues & have set up a fantastic charity. The children recently started mainstream primary school & have settled in really well.
There is a child with DS in my DC primary school who is a similar age, so 3 children aged 4-5 in my small town.

And YY thedilusionedanarchist. My friends daughter with t13 is very much compatible with life!

thedellusioned No they're not "both perfectly compatible with life" nor is T21. They may be compatible, they may not. They're spectrums and it depends entirely in where one falls on the spectrum.

whatkatydidnt good point x

I don't see many DS teenagers or adults but I see a fair number of toddlers and preschoolers. Probably because I hang around with that age group. But I also wonder if as less DS people are around, that leads to less people being aware of how severe the condition can be. Perhaps this has led to more couples being willing to proceed with a DS confirmed pregnancy.

I would watch the documentary before showing it to an 11 year old. I would also suggest looking up the threads that were on here at the time. The documentary was certainly quite controversial although I won't derail the thread by rehashing them here. I personally would only show it to a child (probably teenager) who I felt was old enough to understand and discuss things like antenatal testing and pro choice/ pro life in a mature way.

Apologies if my comments about the other trisomies are incorrect. That's the information I was given seven years ago, but I thought it was still current as an acquaintance lost her baby to T18 recently. No offence was intended.

I had a tfmr for t21. I was told that in our case it was incompatible with life and the baby would die in utero if we continued with the pregnancy.
It was the right decision for us. I have great admiration anfor those who continue and great admiration and sympathy for those who don't. It isn't easy whoever you are.

Until this year my DD probably wouldn't have been aware of children with DS as we had no experience of children or adults with it, bar one child we met briefly on holiday. She is well aware of other things like ADHD / ASD / CP etc from children at school or in the family.

This year a friend became a volunteer at a DS charity/scheme and we have supported a few events, so DD now understands better. It does seem slightly strange to me as I went to a school with a number of pupils with DS, but then that was 30 odd years ago.

Interesting thread OP.

dixie fair enough I was just getting irritated by the fact that one person on this thread mentioned incompatibility with life and that was someone who has clearly stated they had gone through what was undoubtedly a difficult and traumatic experience. Calling her out for being "offensive" came across as pretty shitty

Funnily enough I noticed and commented on holiday recently, in Mexico, that is never seen so Many Down syndrome children in such a short time
3 actually. So I guess they either screen less or don't abort

The SP documentary was terrible. It was horribly biased, poorly edited and a really unfair and inaccurate portrayal of pre natal testing. She also with held her general pro life stance, driven by her faith.

Just checked and Mexico has the 3rd highest incidence of Down Syndrome after USa at no 1 and Brazil
At no 2

It's a thought provoker op. I don't know or see any at all.

I just read

"Antenatal screening and subsequent terminations of pregnancy resulted in an overall 1% fall in the number of babies born with Down’s syndrome (752 in 1989-90 to 743 in 2007-8). This equates to a decrease from 1.10 babies per 1,000 births to a current rate of 1.08 babies per 1,000 births. The research estimates that if screening had not been in place the actual numbers of live births with Down’s syndrome would have increased by 48%, from 959 to 1,422. This estimated rise appears to be attributable to the fact that couples are starting families at a later stage in life."

Just have to say is child / person / man / woman with Down's syndrome, not Down's syndrome child / man / woman / person.

Person first, condition second.

The SP doc was dreadful. Totally biased, misleading. Make no mistake, SP thinks that families with children with T21 should be consulted about NIPT and antenatal screening

Her stats were also misleading '100% of T21 diagnosis in Iceland end in termination' yep. both T21 pregnancies in Iceland each year chose to terminate.

The show was utter dross.

One comes to the pub I go to from time to time, probably in his mid 20s. Very pleasant man and intelligent too.

I watched a documentary that said no new babies are born with downs in Iceland. They have a 100% screening/termination rate. They interviewed the last person to have been born with downs and I think she was in her late twenties.

I have only encountered people with Down's in the context of support roles.

I've never personally known anyone with Downs but I have noticed that people with Downs are a lot more visible on TV now and there was a campaign recently dispelling myths about Downs I thought was good.

I am frequently in hospital with one of the dc and I think in 12 years I have only seen 2 babies with DS. Both mothers were aware and chose to continue with the pregnancy.

I thought the SP documentary was thought provoking, yet not representative. SP is not a typical mother with a child with SN (many who have to give up employment to be a full time carer) and her son is fortunate not to have any health issues. It would have been more balanced if she had interviewed a family with a child who was on the other end of the spectrum of her son, who were on the breadline as a result of having to give up work and run ragged with frequent hospital appointments.

I do feel really sad though that 90+% of babies with DS are terminated. It may have been due to editing but the mother who was interviewed that terminated her baby with DS seemed so matter of fact about it.

I think it is fantastic that people with a wide range of abilities are featuring on soaps and childrens' TV. My dc have learned a lot by watching the Dumping Ground, for example.