Disabled, Social Services & Welfare 

This book takes a lifespan perspective, and considers how experiences in the past and in the present will impact on choices, opportunities and development in the future. It shows how all aspects of the individual's life are linked together and that changes in one area may have an effect in another. This book is an introduction to the "Down Syndrome Issues and Information Adult Living" series and considers issues affecting people with Down syndrome, aged 17 and above, their families and communities. As an introduction, it sets the scene, through an examination of our values as a society and introduces the reader to a variety of useful approaches, including quality of life, inclusion and exclusion, and rights and discrimination. The book concludes by introducing the specific issues raised in the other books in the series. Although a wide range of needs are addressed and recognition is given to the different circumstances of community living, this overview also recognises that life is not just about assessment and intervention, however important these may be, but is essentially about living life to the full, minimising barriers and maximising opportunities. References are provided, but detailed journal referencing for specific areas has been largely left to the other writers in the series. The aim of this book is to provide references to books, articles and websites, which should be readily available to parents, associations and practitioners across many disciplines. - from Amzon