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What I Wish I Knew Then…Reflections from Personal Experiences in Counseling about Down Syndrome
Author(s) -
Brasington Campbell K.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of genetic counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1573-3599
pISSN - 1059-7700
DOI - 10.1007/s10897-007-9116-1
Subject(s) - genetic counseling , competence (human resources) , wish , psychology , face (sociological concept) , medical education , medicine , psychotherapist , social psychology , sociology , social science , genetics , anthropology , biology
Abstract Sharing the news about a newborn baby's diagnosis of Down syndrome with families is a scenario genetic counselors frequently face. Yet often we may feel uncomfortable or unsure how to best support families in this setting in a way that will foster competence and resilience. This commentary is a reflection of one genetic counselor's experiences in counseling about Down syndrome over the course of her career and how her thinking has transitioned from a medical based model of disability to a more individual and family‐focused model. Ideas and suggestions are offered that genetic counselors can incorporate into their practice.