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At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

thenewatlantis.com

31–40 of 155 posts

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#31
post #11

I worked in a residential community consisting of many young people with various disabilities. Most of these had Down’s syndrome. From the OP... > Individuals with Down syndrome generally have outstanding social skills... Dam right! They were amongst the most compassionate, loving and witty people I have ever met. I remain humbled at their extraordinary humanity. Other things the articles mentions are also true. Cert…

Just curious could you give examples of them being witty?

Always wanting to subvert serious situation. For example... me being in a bad mood having to get up at 5.00am to milk the cows, and this Downs boy looking up at me with a crazy big-ass grin that would completely wipe all sour thoughts from my mind.

They play with language in a very disarming manner. Not highbrow, but will find compelling nicknames for their loved ones and deliver them in a way that is difficult not to be drawn in by.

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RMS lacks the self censorship and political intuition to not say what many think but know not to say. I disagree with him that " having a child with Down’s syndrome to having a pet." but that's because I've had experience with a neighbor with down syndrome. However, I know many people think that, they just are politically savvy enough not to say it. It's unfortunate that in today's society, people condemn people like…

Has anyone but RMS diagnosed RMS as having an autism spectrum disorder?

> Has anyone but RMS diagnosed RMS as having an autism spectrum disorder?

IIRC, he actually claims he doesn't have ASD, but his reasoning suggests that he doesn't know what he's talking about: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26537802

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#33

edit: I hadn't really woken up when I first read the article, so I read it again after my morning coffee. I can't express how nice it was to read it, it sums up my experience perfectly. I'm teary eye'd writing this, I had just finished reading it, and then look behind me and see mom and baby on the sofa passed out next to each other, we've literally only been home about 15 hours, and I'm so happy seeing them together…

I can’t even imagine the stress this has put you through. Best wishes in your endeavors.

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#34
post #17

This may be related to the recent controversy over RMS at the FSF foundation: https://rms-open-letter.github.io/appendix.html In 2015 and 2016 RMS made three posts on his website about Down’s syndrome. - He recommended that, should someone find out they are pregnant and the child tests positive for Down’s syndrome “the right course of action for the woman is to terminate the pregnancy.” - He referred to people decidi…

In Spain you can abort a child with Down's Syndrome because it's ethically better. In the end, they parents and relatives will die and lots of these people can't manage themselves alone, making a huge risk for them.

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#35
post #17

This may be related to the recent controversy over RMS at the FSF foundation: https://rms-open-letter.github.io/appendix.html In 2015 and 2016 RMS made three posts on his website about Down’s syndrome. - He recommended that, should someone find out they are pregnant and the child tests positive for Down’s syndrome “the right course of action for the woman is to terminate the pregnancy.” - He referred to people decidi…

It's amazing how lots of things, such as research on anything that remotely touches Human Intelligence is considered "Eugenics", bad, fascist. But killing the unborn is a-ok because they would "suffer", and the worst of all, they would be a burden on the parents who would not be able to continue their hedonistic lifestyles, they should be consuming stuff all the time, for the good of society! Now that is good and des…

>Sick world.

Half of Europe will allow you legally to abort a potential child with Down Syndrome for ethical reasons. What if the child matures and their parents die and there is no relatives to take care of them? That's really dangerous. But hey, the so called "free" Americans will know better. Sure.

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#36
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious could you give examples of them being witty?

Always wanting to subvert serious situation. For example... me being in a bad mood having to get up at 5.00am to milk the cows, and this Downs boy looking up at me with a crazy big-ass grin that would completely wipe all sour thoughts from my mind. They play with language in a very disarming manner. Not highbrow, but will find compelling nicknames for their loved ones and deliver them in a way that is difficult not t…

That's so true about playing with language...

We had a resident with Downs who needed assistance every day ...

But he got tired always asking "You help me?"... and started saying "I help you!" (and laughed)...

We knew what he meant & came over ... he got a kick out of swapping his pronouns :)

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RMS lacks the self censorship and political intuition to not say what many think but know not to say. I disagree with him that " having a child with Down’s syndrome to having a pet." but that's because I've had experience with a neighbor with down syndrome. However, I know many people think that, they just are politically savvy enough not to say it. It's unfortunate that in today's society, people condemn people like…

Has anyone but RMS diagnosed RMS as having an autism spectrum disorder?

Regardless of which classifications he fits or does not fit into, it's pretty obvious he's not neurotypical.

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#38
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing how lots of things, such as research on anything that remotely touches Human Intelligence is considered "Eugenics", bad, fascist. But killing the unborn is a-ok because they would "suffer", and the worst of all, they would be a burden on the parents who would not be able to continue their hedonistic lifestyles, they should be consuming stuff all the time, for the good of society! Now that is good and des…

>Sick world. Half of Europe will allow you legally to abort a potential child with Down Syndrome for ethical reasons. What if the child matures and their parents die and there is no relatives to take care of them? That's really dangerous. But hey, the so called "free" Americans will know better. Sure.

>What if the child matures and their parents die and there is no relatives to take care of them?

We have plenty of social structures to take care of them, and where there aren't we create them, but that is what should be done, and what we already do to orphans, sick people, etc. Why are people with DS different?

>But hey, the so called "free" Americans will know better. Sure.

I am European.

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#39
post #6

I think that Down Syndrome is a very misunderstood syndrome. The way it makes you look dominates how people think about you, without even knowing you. I interact with someone online who has Down Syndrome. It really changed my understanding of it. He can articulate very well when writing, and has a deep passion and understanding on some topics we discuss (like music...). If he hadn't of told me he had Down Syndrome I…

It’s effectively genocide and quite damning on society. I don’t put it squarely on the parents because it is so difficult.

My neice has downs. Interactions with her are about the here and now. Joy and life. Fun and wit. Not plans and efficiency and production. Those with downs are modern day prophets for the rest of us to expose the soul-destroying utilitarian ethics of modern society... and we’re killing them!

Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)

#40
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has anyone but RMS diagnosed RMS as having an autism spectrum disorder?

Regardless of which classifications he fits or does not fit into, it's pretty obvious he's not neurotypical.

No, that's bullshit. Don't play armchair neurologist and diagnose people's conditions from a distance as a way of explaining their behavior.
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