Mom - a pioneer for Down Syndrome??

Lately I've been reading a lot of blogs by Mom's of children with Down Syndrome.  It is so exciting to see the positive progress in the understanding, recognition and celebration of these special children.  There are still some hurdles these families are climbing but the path is opening up more and more.  I really honor my Mom and those who worked years ago to open the path.  For years these children were institutionalized and, as my Mom said in her book "a Down's child in an institution would be nothing but a vegetable; it takes people, and motivation and love all around them to make them bloom."  When Scott was evaluated by a professional in 1973 Mom writes, "That day, the expert took Scott into a room by himself and, after a spell, she called me in.  She said, "Well, Mrs. Kemp, Scott has some real problems with learning.  You can send him to school if you want to, but I doubt he can really ever learn anything."  She went on, "He can't count, he doesn't understand or follow simple instructions," and she proceeded to relate all that he couldn't do.  I said, "But I read to him all the time and he understands!"  She looked at me in pitying way, and said, "Well, honey, you can read to him if you want to, but I doubt he understands what you read."  I distinctly remember my response.  I pounded my fists on the table and said, "Well, he does!"  (From The Message Glorious by Doris Kemp with Barbara Radmacher)--------

I love that picture of Mom pounding her fists on the table in Scott's defense.  To me, it's a statement as strong as Rosa Parks keeping her seat on a bus in 1955 and the great pioneer women forging the trail west in the early 1850's. ---------- The road is paved....roll on!!