re: Any special needs parents here in the OT? ADMIN NEEDED

If I can offer any advice it would be to raise her not as if she has DS, but as if she is a kid.. who just happens to have DS. In other words, prepare her for the real world. That might be really hard to do, but it will benefit her as she gets order.

People tend to act the way they are treated and people with any noticeable "disability" will be treated different. And when I say different, that means it varies from person to person.

The main thing is to help her be aware that people will take advantage or try to take advantage. And while it might sound like a harsh thing to say, its for her protection.