Down Syndrome: Visions for the 21st Century

by William I. Cohen (Editor), Lynn Nadel (Editor), Myra E. Madnick (Editor)

Providing a comprehensive survey of the clinical, educational, developmental, psychosocial, and transitional issues relevant to people with Down syndrome, this book addresses the needs of family members, caregivers, and professionals alike. Edited in association with the National Down Syndrome Society, this up-to-date treatment incorporates the newest developments concerning sexuality, inclusion, transition into adulthood, and legislation, as well as a discussion of the Human Genome Project and the sequencing of chromosome 21.

496 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2002

Reviews

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 2000, the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), based in the USA, held its national conference in Washington DC. Many topics were then discussed by a wide array of various advocates and experts, all gathered as articles in this book which read like 'a comprehensive survey' of the Down Syndrome landscape back then. Housing, finance, care, education, health... It's all eons away from the paternalistic approach of the previous decades, and, focuses instead on bringing suggestions to help better empower those affected.

It was ok. The thing is, it's specifically about the situation in the USA during the 1990s; and being in the UK twenty years later, I for one didn't find much of it relevant. It's also very heavy on legislations, which makes for a dull read if you are not a researcher (I am sure parents and people concerned can get more suitable legal help elsewhere). The chapters on biology are very technical too. Testimonies of parents and individuals with Down Syndrome themselves surely make for powerful and blunt arguments; but, again, the same views, experiences, and perspectives have been published elsewhere by others. In a word, the authors gathered here are all academic experts, and it shows!

I think this will appeal more to researchers (legal, medical) than the general public.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't read it from front to back, but read a good majority of it to find information for a paper. It was very informative and actually much easier to read than I thought it would be!