The Voiceless Minority

Did you know that there’s research out there that children with Down Syndrome meet developmental milestones much later than neurotypical children?  According to a 2024 study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics , there was a significant difference in developmental progress. In the study, 842 children and adults with Down syndrome enrolled in the Boston Children’s Hospital Down Syndrome Program were evaluated. It was reported that on average, most children with Down Syndrome walk without help by 4.5 years old, follow one-step directions (e.g., “come here”, “pick up _____”, etc.) by 5.5 years old, and drink from an open-cup without any assistance at 12 years old. In addition, it was reported that by their teenage years, 75% of children with Down Syndrome can follow two-step directions and use at least 50 words, signs, or pictures. By comparison, the average for neurotypical children meeting these milestones is when they are 2.5 years old. Now, if you know me, you know that I wa...

 We are less than two weeks away from the 2024 presidential election. Both campaigns are making their final pushes for votes because they are aware that this election may come down to just a few thousand votes. However, there is one group of people that both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have not paid much attention to people with disabilities.   In this instance, people with disabilities are without a voice. In an article written for Disability Scoop written by Michelle Diament earlier this month, she notes that there are      40,200,000. People with disabilities who are eligible to vote. She also pointed out that if people were counted based on disability, the number of eligible voters would outnumber the combined total number of eligible black and Hispanic voters. The article also points out that disability organizations have not received responses to their questionnaires. As noted in the article, Lisa Schur, th...