I Feel Isolated and Alone in the Down Syndrome Community — Things Unsaid
Sometimes it’s just hard to fit in
The Community is Wonderful
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the Down syndrome community and everything they stand for. They are some of the most caring and compassionate people. The problem is, they mainly know Down syndrome, specifically, they know about their loved one’s experience with Down syndrome. This causes them to have tunnel vision at times.
I’m not immune to this. I really only know my son’s experience. I have a lot of friends that have children with disabilities and I can only claim to know a little about what they go through. It’s understandable that every person is going to see this community through their own lens.
I think it’s a good example of good intentions that pave the road to hell. People who are trying to do good work, contributing however they can. But if they set up scenarios where a typical person with Down syndrome can thrive it often alienates my family. Obviously, no one is intentionally doing harm, but there are times when I can’t help be reminded about how different my son is.
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a great example. This is an organization that does some of the most…
