I am really sick of reading 'downs child/baby/adult' on here when anyone with any life experience should know it is a baby/child/adult with DOWN SYNDROME

[LadyFio]

gah!

I know. Tis common to be your disability.

its just all this

it was a 'downs' business aswell (mainly in the media)

it is really getting on my tits

Oh I know. We rejected one SLD school when the headteacher started talking about 'a Down's boy' (he has retired now!!)

tell me about it... I can't believe how many professionals do this - almost everyone I've come across.
The real stomach-turners are the ones who don't even bother with the 'child' bit and reduce your offspring to 'a Downs' - like you've got a springer spaniel or golden retriever....

oh geekgirl - how about a downsie!! or one woman said to me in a shop - "Oh I Have one of those at home." I looked around wondering what she was talking about - I then realised she meant she had a child with ds at home.

geekgirl - how are you??

The media are shockers for it fio.

eidsvold a woman once said that to me when I was swimming with dd (and she does not have DS, she has M-SLD) she said

'i have one of those too'

I said 'ohhh' not having a clue what she was on about

and then she said...

'how old mentally is yours'

She was an el;ederly lady so i can understand it to a degree but I was so taken aback that anyone would talk like that, especially to a stranger

yanbu

oh i know I am not being unreasonable

oh fio - Have I not told you my check out stories - you must have read them by now....

1. dd1 just out of hospital with ng tube in. Still feeling wretched post c-section and dealing with cardiac care and so on - just needed a few things from tesco ( to set the scene) Get to checkout - operator takes one look at dd1 - okay looking pretty wretched due to cardaic failure and exclaims at the top of her voice:
   "ERRRRRRRRRRRRRR what is that?" I just wanted to cry and hit her and die all at the one time. I just ignored her and kept putting my groceries on the conveyer belt.

2. at the shops here - waiting for woman to scan groceries - dd2 and dd1 are in trolley - sn trolley which has seats on it iykwim, checkout chick then turns to me and says - "So what do they say her capabilites will be????"

I just looked at her with a HUH! and said - not sure as yet. I was so stunned.

I confess that, despite being very vocal in my 'he is a child with disabilities - not a disabled child' wrt my DS and saying 'he is a child with Autism ...la, la, la' about my bf DS I do sometimes get it wrong.

I'm not perfect.

It's so bloody offensive isn't it? I have actually had an SN teacher talk to me about a child being a 'little Downs'.

Words fail me.

I've heard the term 'my/your Aspie' which made me be a little bit sick into my own mouth.

lol Riven's checkout chimp reply

Kids with Angelman syndrome are commonly called Angels. I mean by parents - but it seems more common in the US. I guess it sounds nice - it doesn't really bother me but it probably should

hello eidsvold, I am fine, how are you? Everything ticking along as normal here. We've got a cardiac checkup coming up in the summer so I am getting nervous about that already - not had one for a few years.

fine geekgirl - dd1 in year one - full time mainstream and doing fab. Has a teacher who thinks most kids with special needs belong in mainstream and so dd1 is just blossoming. Her teacher loves having her in the room. Tells me how fab dd1 is and what a sense of humour she has.

we are still on yearly cardiac appts so around her birthday. She is going to be 7 this year!!

I've also had the 'I've got one of those at home' from the woman in the PO - had no clue what she was talking about at first.

Another was the teacher from the SN Opportunity Class when dd2 was around 1 year old. Used to grossly stereotype about abilities etc and one day said 'Well, of course, the Downs......' - can't even recall what she then pronounced as I was so shocked! Needless to say, we stopped the 'Opportunity' class pretty pronto!!

Can I just pop in and say hi. I'm new to any special needs forum. Our DS2 has Mosaic Downs Syndrome & will be a year old on Wednesday - can't believe how the time goes. We live in Gran Canaria & (so far) haven't had any strange comments from people. I'm sure we will at some stage though!

welcome soph

Hi Soph.
I answered you on this thread about people with DS who are bilingual, but you never came back to it.

How is it going?

oh! there isa little girl with down syndrome who is spanish at my childs special school and she is learning english

Hi Soph, I'm new to this too -my son is nearly 12 and has DS but we've never had a dodgy comment so you might be in luck! On bilingualism, his second cousin has DS and she speaks English and Spanish.

Hi there. Moondog - sorry will look at thread today. Unfortunately just after I asked for your help Sam was hospitalised with pneumonia and I had a rampant chest infection Then we had 2 weeks Easter hols (I'm a school librarian) so am only just catching up. Will have a read in a mo I am so pleased to hear that other children with DS can learn 2 languages, it's a definite weight off my mind.

I also have a downs laddy who suffers from his condition. (LMAO)