Hermione is a delight, she really is. She brings us joy on a daily basis.
However, just like any child, Hermione feels and experiences sadness, anger, fear and frustration. Sometimes she's the girl on the right; sometimes the girl on the left.
Something we heard a lot of when we were expecting Hermione, was that people and children with Down Syndrome are always happy.
I think it comes from a good place; as a kind of comfort that you'll have a contented child, but it can morph into a worrying stereotype which risks invalidating the true feelings and emotions of a person born with Down Syndrome.
Why wouldn't Hermione feel all the range of emotions we all feel?
An extra chromosome does not render her happy, sad, fearful nor any one emotion all of the time.
What it can do is cause speech and processing delay and therefore hinder the ability to express and understand all of the things she feels.
As long as she is supported to communicate through sign and speech and language intervention, she will be able to begin to understand what it is she's feeling and therefore express it more clearly to the world.
We can certainly vouch that she feels all the emotions. As you can see, we get that beautiful smile, but the current favourite is the grumpy face.
Bust those myths Hermione.
One grumpy face at a time.
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