Past, present and future; What has the past been like for people with Down Syndrome?

What has the past been like for people with Down Syndrome?

At the beginning of the 20th century, legislation was introduced with the addition of thousands of people with learning disabilities to the institution known as the Long Stay Hospital. Parents felt ashamed of their children who had learning disorders and told them to put them away and forget them. Many public attitudes that exist today stem from policies of isolation, which have been continued by successive governments. In 1944 the Education Act set up a process to decide which children could be called educable. Children with Down syndrome were called uneducable. This classification determined that they would spend their lives in institutions or homes with their families who would not be given support. In 1971 the page appeared: Better Services for Individuals with Disabilities, which established the long-term closure of hospitals and the provision of services in the community. In the last two decades of the last century legislation was introduced that people with learning disabilities had the right to receive the necessary services and support from their community. This included the right to be educated in schools in the area where they lived.

What is life like now for people with Down Syndrome?

In the past, it was believed that there were many things that people with Down syndrome could not do, when in fact they were never given the opportunity to try. Nowadays these opportunities have been very great for individuals with Down Syndrome. However, there is still a ways and work to be done before individuals with Down syndrome, both children and adults, are given the opportunity to participate fully in every aspect of community life. Currently they can receive developmental, speech, physiotherapy, art and music therapy and many other types of therapy from a very early age and beyond to increase the efficiency and functionality of their family, social group and community life. . Currently, children with the Syndrome can be part of the education system in typical schools, thus being participants with full rights in the educational society through the law of inclusiveness. All this investment at an early age has resulted in many cases of young people with Down syndrome being professionally functional in a given job.

What does the future hold?

There are good hopes that services will continue to improve for individuals with Down Syndrome and that society will fully engage and embrace diversity rather than condemning many people with Down Syndrome and their families by excluding them from their social lives. The integration of individuals into the life of society through their contribution with skills in various practical fields such as cooking, service, gardening, animal care, office, musical skills, painting, acting and many others, is indicative of their ability to being active and productive in society. The growth and improvement of the quality of therapeutic services for people with Down Syndrome have also significantly increased their social skills, especially in increasing their social performance, enabling the efficiency of their social relationships in a work environment or even with a possible romantic relationship. concluding with the creation of a family or long-term relationship. The International Human Rights Project has been successful in tracking chromosome 21. While research still continues on this small set of genes, it is hoped that the future will bring a better explanation of individuals with Down syndrome and why these medical problems occur in individuals with Down syndrome.