A mother in Versailles Ky. went to police with a complaint that her son, who has Down syndrome, was being locked in a closet during school. They boy attends South Side Elementary School. His mother said that he is terrified of plants and believes a plant was put in the closet with him. There is an investigation under way now, but no charges have been filed yet. Investigators are trying to determine if anything criminal occurred or not. This boy’s mother believes this happened to her son. I’m sure she will get to the bottom of it. As any mother would, she won’t let them stop the investigation until the facts are found. I read this in the news today. This story sickens me. Who would do that to child whether that child had Down syndrome or not. A child, especially with Down syndrome would not know why they were being put in a closet. And, how cruel to put something in there with the child, knowing they are scared of it. My husband has a sister that is 11 months older than he is and she has Down syndrome. She stays with me while my in-laws are at work. She’s here for 8 ½ hours a day. My boys like having her here, and enjoy pestering her. She’s pretty good at giving it right back. She’s ornery, stubborn, and very affectionate. She tells me often that she thinks I am crazy, and I tell her I think she’s right. She gets treated no differently in our family. She has chores, and is expected to help out just like everyone else. She loves to do laundry! Sometimes, when she’s tired, she just wants to be left alone, like we all do. She loves to color, so she brings crayons, markers, colored pencils, and about a million coloring books every day. So, she will shut herself up in my son’s room and just color. I try to make my boys leave her alone and let her do her one thing. I will say, she does put them up to doing ornery things. Just like any other kid will do. She is very advanced, and does everything on her own. She doesn’t need help doing anything. We all hold hands while walking on the ice, but who wouldn’t do that? As I write this now, I can hear her in the other room telling my boys to baa like a sheep. My oldest is saying no, and my youngest is accommodating her. She can help break up a fight as easily as she can help instigate them! If she doesn’t want to do something, she will make it hard on you. She’s stubborn like that. Anyway, my point is, I would probably hurt someone if they treated her like that poor boy was that was in the news. People with Down syndrome are just regular people like the rest of us. They might want an extra hug here and there, but who doesn’t always need a hug?
I have worked with developmentally disabled people for many years now and of course many of them have downs syndrome, autism, etc... and it is sickening to hear some of the horror stories that some of these people have went through during their lives. Many of them have been raped numerous times by family, by staff they had in mental institutions and etc... What is more sickening is the fact that many of these people that have committed these terrible offenses never spent a day in jail, due to lack of evidence or the handicapped individual was scared or unable to tell. It is sad the amount of abuse that goes on in the world and it makes me even more sad to think of how many people are being abused that may never be able to tell anyone or get away from it. I commend you for integrating your sister-in-law into your family because many people don't do that and it makes me sad that their families abandon them. One of the ladies I work with calls me sissy because it makes her happy to feel like she has a sister again. I care for her just like she was my sister.
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