Terminology and pre-conceptions should be addressed at all levels from general public, to local and national government. This will help to ensure that people with Down syndrome are respected as individuals and not labeled and that more is learnt about the condition. For example:
| Don't Say | Do Say |
|---|---|
| Mongol | person/baby/child with Down syndrome |
| suffers from or is a victim of Down syndrome | has Down syndrome |
| a Down baby/person/child | a person/baby/child with Down syndrome or who has Down syndrome |
| retarded/mentally handicapped/backward | learning disability |
| disease/illness/handicap | condition or genetic condition |
| the risk of a baby having Down syndrome (in relation to pre-natal screening and probability assessments) | the chance of a baby having Down syndrome |
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| People with Down syndrome don't live very long. | Today, people with Down syndrome can look forward to a life of 60 years plus in many countries. |
| Only older mothers have babies with Down syndrome. | Although older mothers have a higher individual chance of having a baby with Down syndrome, more are born to younger mothers, reflecting higher birth rate in this group. |
| People with Down syndrome cannot achieve normal life goals. | With the right support, they can. The majority of people with Down syndrome learn to walk and talk, and many are now attending schools, passing exams and living full, semi-independent adult lives. |
| People with Down syndrome all look the same. | There are certain physical characteristics that can occur. People with Down syndrome can have all of them or none. A person with Down syndrome will always look more like his/her close family than someone else with the condition. |
| People with Down syndrome are always happy and affectionate. | We are all individuals and people with Down syndrome are no different to anyone else in their character traits and varying moods. |
