Driving Miss Amy

Amy has Down Syndrome, but that does not stop her from doing any number of things that bring happiness and joy to herself, her family and friends, and others around her.

Amy struggles to find the words that she wants to say, so it would be easier to sit quietly and say nothing.  But she has a talkative side that if you are lucky, you will see.  She loves to play games, both physical games and mental games as well, playing tricks on others, nothing harmful, just for fun.

No one likes to go to the dentist. It was a real challenge to get Amy to sit in the dentist chair, unless she was sitting on her mother’s lap.  After a search for a dentist, they found one that matched Amy perfectly.  He talked with her, told her what they were going to do, and was very patient with her.  Thanks to the patience of this dentist, she now goes to the dentist cheerful and giving high fives to the dental staff.  And isn’t that the most important thing to be with everyone?  Kindness and patience.

There are times when Amy is very shy.  She may not talk much in some situations, and cannot always find the words she wants to say, but she gets her message across.  When she was in secondary school, she found a way to get her classmates to do things for her or to get the things that she wanted.  She has also learned as she has grown up, to fight for what is right, to be an advocate for others.

Tricks… not mean spirited, but all in fun.  When Amy was 9 years old, she and her best friend Charley were in class together.  One day a substitute teacher was in their class.  As the teacher asked each student to tell her their name, Amy and Charley looked at each other, and giggled.  When it came to Amy, she called out “Charley”. Then next, it was Charley’s turn, and she called out “Amy”.  Looking at each other, giggling some more at how they had fooled their teacher.

Amy loves physical activities.  As she got older, she participated in basketball with her local Special Olympics region in Australia.  In a game at a State competition Amy had yet to make a basket, and her team was well ahead of the opposition.  In order for Amy to make a basket, members of the other team would rebound the ball on a missed shot and give it back to Amy so she could try again.  Sportsmanship at its finest. Oh, the joy for everyone, high fives all around, when Amy made that basket.  The entire crowd focused their attention on that one game and burst into cheers when that ball went through the hoop.

While there are times when Amy can struggle to find the words to say, there are times and places where she loves to engage in conversations with people.  Her vocabulary is limited, and it isn’t always easy for someone new to Amy to understand what she is saying. As a teenager, while riding in a car with the family, Amy opens the car window when stopped at traffic lights.  She often attempts to strike up a conversation with the people in the car next to them, asking “Whatareyoudoing?” (All one word).  Sometimes they ignore her. Sometimes they chat back with her for those several seconds or minutes while waiting for the light to turn green.  Then when they drive down the road to the next traffic light, the conversation picks up again.  In this way, Amy is able to share and brighten the day for other people.

This painting depicts Amy in a car, window rolled down, a big smile on her face, as she strikes up a short conversation with you, her neighbor in the car next to her at the traffic light.

Amy has grown up now, but these experiences stay with her and her family as they prepare for the rest of Amy’s life.