Down Syndrome: Literacy and Socialization in School.

Abstract

Parents of a child who has Down syndrome often feel that the school years are-to paraphrase Charles Dickens' famous words-"the best of times, the worst of times." They are the best of times because mothers and fathers can count on having 1215 years of legally mandated, familiar, continuous, programming for their son or daughter. These same years, however, also can be the worst of times. The secondary schooling years in particular are those during which intellectually demanding tasks and peer pressure magnify the presence of the child's special needs (and perhaps vulnerability). Excerpts from some of the EDGE parent interviews reveal a few of the challenges of the schooling years, not only for their child but for them as mothers and fathers as well. These interview findings were gathered when sons and daughters of EDGE parents were about 21 years of age. *