Even though we\u2019re all different, we still have fun together, right? We still learn and play together, and that\u2019s because being different is totally okay! That\u2019s what makes each of us unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now here\u2019s something interesting: our bodies are made up of tiny parts called cells. These cells are so small you can only see them with a microscope. Inside each cell, there are even tinier parts called chromosomes. Most people have 46 chromosomes in each of their cells. You get 23 from your mom and 23 from your dad. But Sam has 47 chromosomes! People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome number 21. It\u2019s like having a special bonus piece of the puzzle that makes Sam who he is. He was born with this, and it\u2019s part of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This extra chromosome makes Sam a little different in some ways. For example, his eyes are almond-shaped, his nose might look flatter, and his ears are a little smaller. Sam\u2019s tongue might be a bit bigger, and his mouth is shaped differently, which can make it harder for him to talk clearly. But just because you might not always understand him at first doesn\u2019t mean he doesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s talking about! He just has to work a little harder to say things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though Sam has Down syndrome, he likes a lot of the same things you do! He loves music, playing games, and hanging out with his friends. He has feelings just like you. He gets happy when something fun happens, and he might feel sad if someone says something mean. He loves recess and sports, just like many of you, and he also likes laughing at silly jokes. Sam can do everything you do, but it might take him a little longer to learn some things. That\u2019s okay, though, because everyone learns at their own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here\u2019s something important to remember: It\u2019s okay to notice that Sam is a little different. It\u2019s totally fine to look and ask questions if you\u2019re curious. We ask questions all the time in school when we want to learn more about something, right? The same goes for learning about Down syndrome. If you have questions, it\u2019s okay to ask. It helps us understand each other better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important thing to remember is that being different is what makes us all special. Imagine if everyone in the world looked exactly the same, liked the same things, and did the same activities. That would be so boring! Having friends who are different from you makes life more fun and exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sam, like everyone with Down syndrome, is just like you and me in many ways. We all have our own unique gifts, talents, and challenges. Some things might be harder for Sam, and some things might be easier for him, just like how each of you has things you\u2019re really good at and things you have to work a little harder on. But that\u2019s what makes us all special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, let\u2019s be kind to each other and be good friends. Include others, even if they seem different because we\u2019re all different in our own way. We don\u2019t have to be exactly the same to enjoy spending time together, playing, or being friends. We\u2019re all unique, and that\u2019s what makes us beautiful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will also be reading \u201cDifferent – A Great Thing to Be!\u201d by Heather Avis as a follow-up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Young boy with Down syndrome on the first day of school, holding a sign<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1494,"featured_media":141905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpo365_audiences":[],"wpo365_private":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1300,1277,1280,1264,1274,1261,1318,1275,1254,1250],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acceptance","category-believe","category-disabilities","category-down-syndrome","category-focus","category-independence","category-kids","category-playhouse","category-programs","category-special-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/milwaukee\/files\/2024\/10\/rsz_sam-1st_day_of_school.jpg\")
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