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`I am a normal man': a narrative analysis of the accounts of older people with Down's syndrome who lived in institutionalised settings
- Authors:
- BROWN Jennifer, DODD Karen, VETERE Arlene
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(3), September 2010, pp.217-224.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper is a narrative analysis of the accounts of 6 older people with Down's syndrome who spent part of their childhood in institutional environments. The study aimed to find out how the participants talked about themselves. All of the participants spoke about their childhood, current and future lives. They had interesting and moving stories to tell about their lives. Most participants were able to reflect upon their strengths, limitations and hopes. The analysis highlighted the commonalities across the accounts: loss, abuse, health, significant others, transition, resilience and identity. Significantly, none of the participants identified themselves as having `Down's syndrome' or a `learning disability,' nor did they identify with being `older'. Instead, individuals identified themselves in relation to gender and social roles. The accounts varied in terms of their form, structure, coherence and reflexive capacity. Clinical implications for practice and research are discussed.