"person with DS"

[meghans_mom]

a week ago i posted about MM's ENT who called his patient's with DS "Downs kids" and how I explained to him that wasn't the proper terminology...well, i was just looking around tonight and found a website that explains it really well (why person with DS is better than saying DS person, or whatever)
anyways - I'm printing it out to bring it to dear Dr Z for our next visit (and am keeping a few more copies for future enlightening, lol)
here's the website if anyone is interested...i just thought it said it all really well & nicely.

www.down-syndrome.info/topics/keyfacts/terminology-EN-GB.htm

laurie

[amyzimoski]

That is a really nice website. I enjoyed the way they explained things. Thank you for sharing it!

Amy

[shellk]

Laurie,
I remember when Kourtney was a baby my advocate (Linda) told me once when I refferred to Down's kids..She said to me "A child is a child no matter what they have and as long as you remember that she is a child with DS and not a DS child then life will be better for her." I have lived by that motto no matter what a child has they are a child first...Love the website by the way..

[Claire]

I also agree that Adam is a child with disabilities and abilities also, and not a disabled child. The word child always comes first with us. Thanks for the link it is a great site and I my even going to try to get permission to print out some stuff for my regular notes that I put in our local newspaper trying to get awareness as Adam is the only child with DS in our small communitty. Our one and only Newspaper has been very good with us to print all kind of different thing that promote awareness for Adam. Sometimes it's just a poem, and sometimes it's more serious.
Thanks again for the site.

[didmyheartgood]

Thank you so much for posting this!!

I posted something along the same lines in the new story section. I read the stories and just couldn't believe how often the term Downs came first. Even from parents.

My son is not a Down Syndrome, he is a child with Down Syndrome.

He is not a Down's Kid, he is a kid with Down's.

It may seem petty to some people, but I feel it makes a huge difference in how we speak in reference to our children. I also correct people when they call Brace "the downs kid".... I just wish one day it could be that they don't use his diagnoisis at all when referring to him, but I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[Staci]

Thanks, Laurie...I'm going to print it off and give it to just about everyone I come in contact with

Staci

[jennabreeze]

here is another great article that i like to share regarding people first language;

www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm

i saw kathie snow speak once and was very impressed with her outlook on raising a child with a disability. i encourage anyone with a few extra minutes to check out the rest of the articles her website.

[meghans_mom]

Wow, Jenna - that is quite an article, thanks for sharing!!
You know, I don't tell most people that I just meet about MM having DS - it's information I don't offer because I don't want people to judge her based on a medical term...and you know some people can tell and others can not - it's not as if I'm hiding anything, but I just prefer people to make up their minds about meghan and her abilities without hearing those words to cloud their judgement.
We as parents and family members of people with labels need to teach others about this - that's why I wanted to share this article. Unfortunately - there's nothing you can do about "hollywood"...everytime i hear the "R" word used negatively in a film or show it makes me just cringe -- because people hear it, and it just makes it that much more accessible and acceptable to use (as an insult or putdown).
well...again, thanks for sharing the article! laurie