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" Beckett is pretty amazing , all three of my children are . His extra chromosome may make doing some things hard for him , but Down syndrome is not what defines him ."
~ Tamara Taggart
# NOTSPECIALNEEDS I no longer say Beckett has ‘ special needs ’. It ’ s important to listen to disabled people , “ special needs ” didn ’ t come from the disability community , everyday I learn something new and that is a good thing . Disabled individuals get to decide the terminology they are okay with , I now know it is always okay to say ‘ disabled ’.
SOCIAL ISOLATION I have definitely felt isolated at different times over the years but I think a lot of it had to do with my own confidence . I was so scared when we were told Beckett had Down syndrome , I went to some ‘ mommy groups ’ when my son was very small but I always felt all the eyes on my baby and it made me feel uncomfortable . It was a tough time to navigate but once Beckett went to school I realized that he is a social butterfly , lots of friends and we have a ton of support through friends and family .
FAMILY DYNAMICS Beckett and my daughter Zoë are only 13 months apart in age , it ’ s always been like having twins with them ! They hit all their milestones together and it was so much fun , Zoë is very protective of her brother , they have an unbreakable bond . A few years ago , Beckett left our house and walked to a very busy street , it was extremely traumatic for our family , especially Zoë . That experience changed all of us . As a family
we are teaching each other all the time , my daughter Poppy is always reminding me that Beckett is a teenager now and I need to start treating him like one !
MISCONCEPTIONS It ’ s really annoying when I hear things like , oh ‘ downs kids are so happy ” or “ downs kids are so affectionate ”. First , don ’ t say “ downs kid ” – UGH . Also , my child is happy and loving because that ’ s who he is as a person , not because of his extra chromosome . My child is not an object , he is a well-rounded individual who is just like everyone else , the stereotypes society attaches to Down syndrome are exhausting and disheartening .