ABSTRACT
Children with Down’s Syndrome have typically been characterised as placid, affectionate, sociable and easy going, with good skills of imitation and a stubborn streak. This stereotype can be traced back to Langdon Down who described his ‘mongolian idiots’ in the following terms:
They have considerable powers of imitation, even bordering on being mimics. They are humorous and a lively sense of the ridiculous often colours their mimicry … No amount of coercion will induce them to do that which they have made up their minds they will not do.
As those with experience of more than one child with Down’s Syndrome will realise, there is considerable variability in the population. Nevertheless, some tendencies do appear to be common. Poor muscle tone and a slower-than-average response time render the young baby with Down’s Syndrome rather less demanding than normally developing peers. Where parents are aware of the difficulties faced by their baby, and are proactive in stimulating and interacting with him or her, levels of activity and responsiveness will increase. If, on the other hand, the parent responds only to demands initiated by the child, the baby may become increasingly quiet and placid, without the desire to explore or develop new skills.