How to Talk about Down Syndrome

When referring to a person with Down syndrome, the correct wording is:

“She/he has Down syndrome.”
Some people prefer to say, “He/she lives with Down syndrome”, to indicate that life goes on after a diagnosis of Down syndrome.
Other people say, “She/he lives in a body with Down syndrome.”

If you want to use a synonym, you can say, “He/she has an intellectual disability.” Down syndrome is one of a group of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Less-than-perfect turns of phrase:

There are other phrases, which, while not terrible, might be better avoided:

“She/he has special needs” emphasizes the person’s needs before their strengths and abilities. It also describes these needs as “special”, when they might be basic human needs, i.e., for clarity or reassurance.
In fact, the word “special” can be problematic. It risks infantilizing people of all ages or making them seem overly precious, which does not help as they make their way in the world.
There are mixed opinions about the word “challenged”.

Language to be avoided:

“He/she suffers from Down syndrome” is simply not true and should not be said.
“She/he is a Down’s” is unfair to people who are much more than their disability.
“He/she is Mongoloid” harkens back to times when Down syndrome was mischaracterized.
“She/he is retarded” is an unhelpful and prejudicial turn of phrase, and the use of the “R” word is unacceptable in any circumstance.

What should you do if you learn that you have used the wrong terminology?

If you find that you have used language that is not optimal about people with Down syndrome, resolve to do better, but remember: we are all learning, and language is evolving, and it is more important to talk with people who have Down syndrome than be held back by worries about language.