Scaredy Cat

I'm not real sure where all of it came from, but for a while now Jayden gets herself completely scared senseless when it's time for us to leave her room and for her to go to bed. She used to pull this scared stuff and it wasn't very believeable, but now, I'm starting to think she is truly scared to death to be left alone in her room. It's very frustrating EVERY night, but I'm scared to death of the dark too, not that she is in the dark. She has a lamp on every night right by her bed, a closet light on occasionally and once we even turned on her light overhead in her room just to keep some kind of peace. I feel bad for her, but I just don't know what I can do to convince her that there is nothing to be scared of? They're so much easier to put to bed when they're still little. Heck, Sophia could care less if a light is on, if the closet door is open or closed, if a toy is in the wrong place, or if her door is pushed all the way open. Will it always be that easy? I doubt it. I can still remember when Jayden was about 2 and we would literally have to stay in her room, scratching her back, until she was totally asleep and then sneak out of her room, making sure we didn't make a single peep that may wake her up, because if we did, we had to start all over and there were nights it took us hours to put her to bed :( It would be so much easier if I just let her sleep with us in bed, but there is absolutely no way that will ever happen! Sorry Jayden :( I'm sure she is snoring logs now and all is forgotten, until 3 in the morning when she comes into my room scared again :)

Another bit of info from the NDSS, National Down Syndrome Society. What impact does Down syndrome have on society? Individuals with Down syndrome are becoming increasingly integrated into society and community organizations, such as school, health care systems, work forces, and social and recreational activities. Individuals with Down syndrome possess varying degrees of intellectual disabilities, from very mild to severe. Most people with Down syndrome have IQs in the mild to moderate range of intellectual disability. Due to advances in medical technology, individuals with Down syndrome are living longer than ever before. In 1910, children with Down syndrome were expected to survive to age nine. With the discovery of antibiotics, the average survival age increased to 19 or 20. Now, with recent advancements in clinical treatment, most particularly corrective heart surgeries, as many as 80% of adults with Down syndrome reach age 60, and many live even longer. In the United States, approximately 400,000 families have a child with Down syndrome, and about 5,000 babies with Down syndrome are born each year. More and more Americans will interact with individuals with this genetic condition, increasing the need for widespread public education and acceptance.