‘Why are people with Down’s syndrome so happy?’ - Myth Busting

While many often associate Down’s syndrome with big smiling faces (of which there are many!), we are here to bust that myth.

People with learning difficulties, such as Down’s syndrome, autism/ASD, Williams syndrome, and more, experience a wide range of emotions, just as their neurotypical peers do. Not only do our learners experience many emotions, there is evidence to suggest that they are at a higher risk of mental health problems compared to the rest of the population.

“At least half of all children and adults with Down syndrome will face a major mental health concern during their life” - NDSS

While there are factors which may make members of our community more susceptible to mental health problems (see Mencap’s website for further information), there is also evidence to suggest that our learners may find it harder to recognise and understand emotions. This is not universal for all individuals, and isn’t the case for all emotions. Some individuals will find it easier to recognise a wider range of emotions, whereas others may be more likely to recognise only ‘strong’ emotions.

So - even though there is a fairly positive perception that individuals with Down’s syndrome are always happy, this contributes to negative stereotypes around the wider community of individuals with learning difficulties. People with Down’s syndrome are able to feel, recognise, and understand just as wide a range of emotions as anyone else. Not acknowledging this fact just helps to perpetuate stereotypes about the SEND community.

How can we help?

Learning for Life is here to support the SEND community to develop the skills to effectively recognise, understand, and respond to a variety of emotions within themselves (introspection) and others. This covers both basic emotions (happy, sad), and some more complex emotions (embarrassed, frustrated) to which there is slightly more nuance.

The ‘Worried’ video is of crucial importance to the Down’s syndrome community as generalised anxiety disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health problems.

High-quality, accessible videos and resources have been created in the Learning for Life series ‘Emotions’, which is free to sign up to and access.

You can read more about how this series supports teaching emotions through our other blogs: ‘Frustrated with Teaching Emotions’ and ‘Why Use Colour to Categorise Emotions’.

Sources: mencap, Cebula et al via DS Scotland, National Down Syndrome Society (US)