Down syndrome adults

Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first. Sarah Lusthaus, who is the mother of an adult over 40 with Down syndrome, launched an online petition on change. Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome, is a chromosomal condition that causes lifelong intellectual disability and developmental delays.

Shortly thereafter, chromosome studies were developed to confirm the diagnosis of Down syndrome. During the first half of the twentieth century in the United States, the majority of children with Down syndrome were placed in institutions — frequently soon after birth. This resulted in great human sacrifice for those individuals and for their families, who were convinced, often by members of the medical community, that the child was less than human and that their needs would be so great, their families would not be able to raise them. This was the climate that the founders of the National Association for Down Syndrome had to deal with when their children were born in In those days the standard operating procedure in hospitals was for physicians to advise parents to institutionalize their newborn infants with Down syndrome.

Down Syndrome Indiana is a one-stop-shop for information and resources on Down syndrome. The programs it offers are intended to promote the inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome in their greater community, as well as, to offer support and information to families, caregivers, educators, employers and the professionals who serve individuals with Down syndrome. How long have you been volunteering at DSI? This will be my first year volunteering at DSI!

Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that is associated with intellectual disability, a characteristic facial appearance, and weak muscle tone hypotonia in infancy. All affected individuals experience cognitive delays, but the intellectual disability is usually mild to moderate. People with Down syndrome often have a characteristic facial appearance that includes a flattened appearance to the face, outside corners of the eyes that point upward upslanting palpebral fissures , small ears, a short neck , and a tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth. Affected individuals may have a variety of birth defects.