Adopting a Child with Down Syndrome

Many people who are seeking to adopt a child do so not for their own sakes, but so that they can help a child that is in need. Most often, there are plenty of prospective adoptive families for healthy infants, so it is often the older children that are adopted by these types of people. Many times, the children may be special needs children. It may be that they have a disability of some sort, or that they have been neglected or abused in the past. It could be, for example, that they have Down Syndrome.

Adopting a Child with Down Syndrome can be an intimidating prospect. A parent that wants to adopt a child with Down Syndrome has to be ready to deal with a great number of issues and problems. Developmental delays tend to be among the most drastic of these issues. Children with Down Syndrome will very often require speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy on a regular basis. They may have other physical problems, such as problems with the digestive system, the lungs, the immune system, the thyroid, and the heart. Some children that have Down Syndrome are especially vulnerable to leukemia. It is also common for a child with Down Syndrome to have recurrent ear infections that can cause problems with hearing and delays in speech.

However, as most parents who have raised a child with Down Syndrome can tell you, the fact of the matter is that the happiness that a child with Down Syndrome can bring to your life can outweigh the challenges. In addition, children with Down Syndrome are much more able to do normal things, like join a sports team, attend a regular school, and graduate from high schools than they have ever been in the past. If you are considering adoption and you want to do so, not for your own personal reasons, but because you want to meet a need, you may consider adopting a child with Down Syndrome.

Adopting a child with Down Syndrome is becoming more commonplace. In some areas, there are even waiting lists for families who want to adopt a child with Down Syndrome. Still, there is a need for parents who are willing and able to undertake this great responsibility.
