Special friend is coming to town?

Question

I'm scared because my mom has this friend who has a kid with downs syndrome. The family lives out of town and they'll be staying with us. I've heard a little bit about downs syndrome but I don't know much about it. What is it like having someone with those kind of special needs in the house?

Answer 1

It is hard to say exactly because two people with Downs can be very different from one another and there are different levels of severity.  Usually kids with Downs are happy and fun.  They act younger than their age and may be behind in a lot of areas.  They may or may not talk, be potty trained, or be able to do things on their own.  It all depends.  

His or her parents should take care of all of his/her needs.  So, it shouldn't effect you too much.  

The only advice I would have is to try to be understanding if he or she does something that you think is strange, or gets into your stuff, or wants to hang out with you all the time.  His or her understanding of the world is different than yours.  I think you can learn a lot from this experience.  

Answer 2

Try to read more about them but there is no need to treat them like 'aliens'. Be sensitive to their needs and everything else is normal. Putting too much pressure on yourself would make it difficult for you to accept them. Think of them as just another human being who needs a bit more attention from us. There is a lot more for us to learn from them.

Answer 3

Most importantly treat this child like any other child. My daughter has Down Syndrome. You have nothing to fear unless you hate to be hugged and loved to death! If you treat this child like a baby that is exactly how they will act (unless of course it is a baby).