Motherhood…Unprepared

Another misconception people have about those with Down Syndrome is that they’re dull. They don’t have a sense of humor and they just sit there with their mouths hanging open and their tongues hanging out. They don’t really *respond* to people - just kind of dopily flop around being completely passive and….well….dull.

I’m here to say that’s a load of crap. Let me show you the responsiveness of a 21 month old with DS. Tell me this is a “dull” child.

Untitled from Christy Sturm on Vimeo.

Isn’t that the cutest thing? Now, let me explain something. You see him doing a lot of licking - his hands and his pacifier strap. Understand why this is - it’s due to sensory issues. Because he has a very high need for sensory input, coupled with being practically blind without his glasses, he uses his mouth a lot to learn about the world and his place in it. If he’s not getting enough stimulation (like skin pressure, spinning, and stuff like that), he tends to lick his hands or his pacifier strap. At the point of this video, we weren’t yet aware of his serious sensory issue problems. But it’s not because he’s DULL or something. It’s because it provides something he needs. People with Down Syndrome tend to have their tongues hanging out sometimes. We see it as “dull” or “slow”. That’s not it at all. It’s because people with DS tend to have smaller mouths and their tongues are too big. Plus, very low muscle tone in the oral area is very typical. Combine those things and unless they’re really concentrating on it, it can simply be difficult to do.

See how it’s all about perception? If you don’t ask the questions in order to understand, you assume the worst. “If he/she wasn’t so dumb, they’d be able to keep their tongues in their mouths - means they’re all stupid.” Wrong. There’s a REASON. Often it can be improved. If not, don’t assume it’s because they’re too dim-witted to know to keep their mouths closed.

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