Drawing on solid scientific knowledge, the author moves through seven chapters filled with deeply felt, realistic accounts of human experience in the world of Down syndrome. He traces the arc from the dramatic moment of diagnosis through all the difficult dimensions of this challenge—family life, psychology, education, sexuality, and social integration.
Through observations and examples drawn from real life, the author describes with precision, and one might say with love, the situations of children he has known personally, and the constant effort that parents and educators pour into helping them develop and grow.
According to the author, the family's role is essential from the very beginning—both at home and out in the world.
Though Cunningham refuses to offer easy comfort, he has faith in these children who appear less developed. He invites us to see them not as "Down children," but first and foremost as children—children who happen to have Down syndrome.
Without overlooking any aspect of their personality or their rights, the author shows how to work with them thoughtfully and with concrete methods, drawing on the small moments of everyday life to nurture their often-overlooked strengths. The book offers testimonies of progress—sometimes surprising—and examples of young people integrated into nearly normal lives. This offers real comfort and genuine hope to families facing this challenge.
It is worth noting, in passing, that the material conditions and educational resources available in England, where the author lives and works, are not the same as those in Italy.
The author's reference (page 161) to placing Down children in specialized schools with carefully planned activities, structured methods, and trained staff will be met with skepticism—or worse—by those who champion full inclusion in mainstream schools at any cost. I can say that while inclusion has worked beautifully for some, it has not yet proven so for many others.
Every topic in this book is treated with genuine care and sensitivity, in concrete and thorough terms. The language is clear and conversational. The book is engaging to read, though some sections necessarily touch on technical material, which may not suit every reader.
Overall, Cunningham's "Down Syndrome" is a book worth recommending to parents and educators who are working with this challenge. It offers real guidance and considerable help—both through information and through practical advice—for raising these children who, in a way that transcends our ordinary categories, are surely first among us.
V.S. (a mother), 1989