Hey man.

This is spot on... I have a cousin with Down Syndrome about my age... he's 31 I think... he may not be like many people in most areas, but talk about football and he'll show you what's up. Never saw a guy more oppinionated and knowledgeable about a sport.

We grew up at the same time, being the same age, and I can tell you that people are now much MORE educated than say 20 years ago when we were 10.

They would always treat him differently... now they're doing mostly as you say. And when it comes to football, the area he loves and so has a developed intelligence on it that tramples most people, they value his expertise.

Bottom line, I know Down Syndrome people can be and in many cases are able to contribute to society. He works and carries his own weight, even though his work is "simple", plus everyone sees that and, unlike 10-20 years ago value him and talk normally to him.

At least in my country I can clearly see we're going on the right direction, and that's a good thing to see.