In 1989, a TV series called “Life Goes On” taught us about what life is like for Down syndrome children and their families. We laughed and cried with “Corky,” who brought Down syndrome awareness to the spotlight. Since the 80s, the average life expectancy has more than doubled from 25 to beyond 55 and a climate of normalcy for the families affected by this common condition. Doctors are now able to test for Down syndrome in the first trimester, while organizations like the National Down Syndrome Society offers better programs to assist families.

The mission of the National Down Syndrome Society is “to benefit people with Down syndrome and their families through national leadership in education, research and advocacy.” They feel that everyone has the right to reach their potential and that people with Down syndrome should have the opportunity to make choices affecting their lives.

Part of Down syndrome knowledge is pushing for better educational programs to help children with Down syndrome achieve their goals. Through the organization, parents can collect valuable resources and connect with local support groups. Down syndrome children can link up with local programs sponsored in part by NDSS, where they can foster a love of art, music or sports and gain the necessary tools to live a relatively independent life.

More On: Down Syndrome Awareness

Technorati Tags: of Down syndrome, adults with Down syndrome, Down syndrome awareness, children with Down syndrome, Down syndrome children

Quickly bookmark Improving Your Down Syndrome Awareness at:                                                

This entry was posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 6:27 am and is filed under Health & Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.