People with Down syndrome who do not achieve milestones at ‘normal’ levels still can and do have very worthwhile lives.

When my son was a baby, I comforted myself by dreaming that he would be the next Ds ’superstar’. But as he has grown, I have learned that I love him for who he is, not what he can do. I think that a lot of parents are that way. We are excited and proud when our kids achieve new milestones, but they don’t have to prove their worth to us.

I think that it is wonderful and encouraging to read of people w/Ds who marry, drive, go to secondary education programs, etc. But it is also important to remember that their lives aren’t any more valuable than those individuals who may not be capable of doing those same things.

When my son was a baby, I used to get pretty depressed thinking about his future. I would look at adults with Down syndrome and wonder how I would feel if I was their parent. My son is 10 now, and I know how I would feel … based on how I feel about him now, I would love him, be proud of him, and enjoy his company. That is what we need to tell new or expectant parents. Lots of us had doubts and fears when we got the diagnosis, but once we got to know our child, we knew we would love them no matter what their level of ability was.

He also didn’t walk until he was 3 1/2 and based on his disability will not likely ever have a driver’s license or a college degree. It is great to have hope, but there is a whole range of severity to the physical and intellectual challenges facing people with Down syndrome, and within the community there are many new parents that spend os much time trying to make their kids “typical.”

Many families struggle with significant issues with their kids with Down syndrome, so painting a rosy picture of the disability is not always constructive for those who face much greater chellenages than you, so far, appear to be facing.