Yes, many people with Down syndrome strongly prefer routine, sameness, and repetition, a tendency often called "The Groove," which provides predictability, reduces anxiety, and helps build life skills and independence, though it can make changes difficult, sometimes requiring support to manage transitions. Routines offer a sense of control and security, aiding daily tasks, self-care, and communication, but rigidity can become problematic if it prevents new experiences, especially if there's a co-occurring condition like autism.
Many people with Down syndrome use routines and repetition to help them complete daily tasks. To support good mental health, it is useful for people with Down syndrome and their families to recognise routines and understand why they are useful.
They may be empathetic and compassionate. Easily influenced by others: Individuals with Down syndrome may be more easily influenced by others than typical individuals. They may need support and guidance to make decisions and navigate social situations.
Most children with Down syndrome have some level of intellectual disability ⎯ usually in the mild to moderate range. People with mild intellectual disability are usually able to learn how to do everyday things like read, hold a job, and take public transportation on their own.
Progressive changes that might suggest early-stage AD include loss of language, behaviour changes (including social withdrawal), loss of daily living skills, gait disorder, and, in some, psychosis (including hallucinations and delusions), seizures, and dysphagia.
many children with down syndrome are very social. They often love to receive attention, even if it is negative. if a behavior is not unsafe, try ignoring it and giving no feedback. Sometimes this is enough to get rid of a behavior!
People with Down syndrome will typically have some level of learning disability and characteristic physical features. There are some health problems associated with Down syndrome, such as heart problems and difficulties with sight and hearing, but these will not affect everyone with the condition.
Individuals with Down syndrome can have many kinds of relationships, including romantic and intimate ones. Learning about sexuality and relationships can help your loved one feel confident and supported as they build close connections with others.
Children and adults with Down syndrome experience all the same emotions everyone experiences, both good and bad. They also experience mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and others.
Don't speak in clichés.
When you're a parent of a new baby with Down syndrome, “special” sounds a little like a euphemism for “weird and different” and I'm pretty sure the last thing you want to be telling the parents is that they or their newborn is weird.
The average IQ of a young adult with Down syndrome is 50, equivalent to the mental age of an 8- or 9-year-old child, but this number varies widely. At the same time, they enjoy a rich social and emotional awareness.
Symptoms
Yes, people with Down syndrome can get married, and many already have. We've seen what dating, love, and commitment can look like when individuals are supported with respect, education, and high expectations.
Hugging is a positive and sometimes necessary form of connection for people with Down syndrome, as physical contact can provide comfort and happiness, though some may have difficulty understanding appropriate social cues for hugging.
It is important to acknowledge that there are also children and teenagers with Down syndrome who struggle with social skills to some degree. Shyness, group avoidance, solitary preferences, lacking eye contact, lack of responses can lead to challenges both in school and home settings.
Pablo Pineda
He made history as the first person with Down syndrome to earn a major degree from a regular university in Spain, and he continued to pursue his academic interests by obtaining a diploma in teaching and a BA in Educational Psychology while working in Malaga.
“We certainly see some kids who are less affected than others, but we shy away from terms like 'low-functioning' and 'high-functioning,'” Pipan explains. Some children with Down syndrome have a hard time learning to walk, and others have no problem running and jumping and riding a bike.
Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary gives an average IQ of between 50 and 60 for Down's syndrome individuals although IQ scores of 120 have been found in some individuals with the syndrome.
However, in a large-scale, population-based study, Urbano and Hodapp (2007) found significantly lower divorce rates among families of children with Down syndrome (7.6%) and families of children with other birth defects (10.8%), compared with those of children with no identified disability (11.2%).
Although the life expectancy of individuals with Down's syndrome continues to increase, they experience premature aging marked by cognitive impairments from the age of 35–40, which could make them more vulnerable to feelings of loneliness.
ALSO, YES. Provided they're of legal age, there's no inherent reason an individual with Down syndrome can't consume alcohol. If people with Down syndrome don't drink alcohol, it's likely due to other factors rather than the condition itself. Yet, the myth persists.
Age is the only factor that has been linked to an increased chance of having a baby with Down syndrome resulting from nondisjunction or mosaicism. However, due to higher birth rates in younger women, 51% of children with Down syndrome are born to women under 35 years of age. (De Graaf et al., 2022).
Those with Down syndrome nearly always have physical and intellectual disabilities. As adults, their mental abilities are typically similar to those of an eight- or nine-year-old. At the same time, their emotional and social awareness is very high.
Previous studies have shown that people with DS are able to comprehend and respond reliably to carefully constructed questions about their self-perceptions [Begley, 1999].