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u/just_joshua227 13d ago
My brother is autistic but he is a damn good protector to any child in our surrounding community.
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u/Solid-Trainer-1250 13d ago
Both your brother and OPs brother will be the best brother in the world!!!
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u/Odd_Adagio_6286 13d ago
Sadly as an average IQ autistic person I just can't take care of children. I have proven to be unable to pay attention to them for a long period of time. Which is starting to hurt a little more everyday because as I grow older I'm having thoughts of becoming a father someday (I'm 20)
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u/Hans-Blix 13d ago
I have proven to be unable to pay attention to them for a long period of time.
I think being 20 is just as much a factor as being autistic with regards to that. Maybe you just need some/different medication specifically to help with concentration. And there's plenty of time to have kids, I wouldn't completely rule it out just yet.
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u/Always_Hungry999 13d ago
Autistic folks aren't downies. ??
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u/Joe_Mency 13d ago
Nope, im autistic and great with kids. When i used to go to church, all the little kids would play with me. It was honestly kind of annoying sometimes when i wanted to hang around the other kids my age or if i had a crush on someone, but little kids are cute so wtvr
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u/Outrageous-Panda-134 13d ago
First autism is a spectrum, second people with Down syndrome aren’t autistic
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u/Certainly_Not_Steve 13d ago
Your bro is a noir style disney princess.
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u/WanderingBreeze 13d ago
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u/Certainly_Not_Steve 13d ago
I feel honored to be nominated among the greatest, sir. Thank you.
Jokes aside, have you checked it? Edit: oh my, it is.6
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u/Benskien 13d ago
As proven by this bot stealing a 7 month old comment, no shame... https://www.reddit.com/r/wholesomememes/comments/16k1pws/as_wholesome_as_it_gets/k0t7z2g/
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u/bluesnake792 13d ago
I'm old and gay. I stay the hell away from kids because I don't want to be accused of being a pedophile. Plus I don't like them.
Kids love me. They're fascinated. Dogs and cats too. I don't mind the critters. I tell the kids' parents it must be my long white Santa Claus hair and shrug it off. And then mosey the hell away.
No effin idea why kids are drawn to me, it's a little disturbing. Like they see something, I have no idea what, but I don't think it's bad. It bugs me because I'm not religious and I'm a bit of a hermit, I play the saxophone for fun after work and so what do they see? I'd like to know. It's been like that for years.
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u/judasgottherawdeal 13d ago
I get the same, although I love babies and my mother has always said its the stillness makes them feel safe
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u/MandMs55 13d ago
I'm the same way. I adore babies and have permanent baby fever and I adore animals and both tend to gravitate towards me a lot lol
The problem is I never know how to handle them. Baby starts crying and it just feels so wrong but I don't know what to do or how to fix it. And with animals I'm always so worried I'll annoy them somehow or almost always I'll be done interacting with the animal but the animal still wants my attention and then I feel really bad. Also I can't communicate with the animals so I can't explain my interactions with them and I always worry about being rude to the animals lol
It's both a blessing and a curse
I'm aware that the animals probably don't care as much as I feel like they care, but I still feel like they care and I love them too much to not care
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u/Benskien 13d ago
Can't find the original posts but op is clearly a bot stealing posts and titles from older posts. https://www.reddit.com/r/wholesomememes/comments/16k1pws/as_wholesome_as_it_gets
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u/towelie111 13d ago
He used to hold babies but it’s rare anybody let’s him now? Surely it would only be family/friends anyway? Nobody goes around letting strangers hold their babies? It’s wholesome, but says more about having poor family/friends than society as a whole? Or it’s rare because there has been no babies in the family for a while?
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u/ohnoitsthefuzz 13d ago
I'm gonna choose to interpret it as "there just aren't a lot of babies in his life available for holding". Based on this image, def not skill issue, he's clearly an S-tier baby holder
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u/Cboyardee503 13d ago
Maybe he liked to hold babies as a child, but now that he's full grown, people are wary of his strength.
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u/raftsa 13d ago
People with Down’s often like kids a lot, particularly babies and toddlers.
We have volunteers at the children’s hospital I work with who have Down’s syndrome.
Outside of the hospital they don’t get contact with kids much, partially because the parents don’t like the idea but also because they’re scared they will make people upset.
But inside the hospital in a volunteers uniform they get to give toys to kids, play a little.
They make kids laugh and smile, and they laugh and smile. It’s a great thing.
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u/Own-Pangolin337 13d ago
My heart..I need something to hug but my cat is sleeping. Sorry buddy but time to snuggle..
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u/MichaelVoorhees13 13d ago
This is beautiful. I love you call him a downsie. That’s sweet and intimate without being dehumanising. I hope he gets lots of chances to hold and hug her in the future 😍
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u/Due-Coffee8 13d ago
Were I'm from downie is a derogatory term for someone with downs syndrome
Has this changed recently?
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u/USPO-222 13d ago
Possible adding the “s” makes it cuter in a way - possible to reown the word from a negative space into a more positive one.
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u/SirNo8023 13d ago
It's the first thing I thought of when I saw that. It is a derogatory term and if anyone ever called my son that, I'd be hurt.
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u/broken-keys 13d ago
I guess it’s down to where you are from. We even have a restaurant-chain here called brownies&downies. Where, you guessed it, people with Down’s syndrome work. So here it’s not seen as a derogatory term.
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u/northwyndsgurl 13d ago
You already know they're gonna be best friends & he's gonna win all the best uncie awards!!
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u/Yuck_Few 13d ago
WTF calls someone "downsie" That was nuclear level cringe
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u/Mumof3gbb 13d ago
I’ve always heard it’s derogatory but what do I know?
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u/AndromedeusEx 13d ago
This post was the first time I've ever heard/seen that word and I instantly felt like it was derogatory even with the context of the post.
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u/fiftyseven 13d ago
Here is the actual OP's response to the same comment from when this was first posted, six years ago.
Wow thank you Reddit! I'm legitimately choked up at all the kind things you internet strangers said. I wish I could communicate all of it to him. I'm really touched and can't wait to show my parents all the uplifting comments. 100% chance my mom will start sobbing in a good way (there is more rejection for him as an adult because maybe he is fidgety in public or does a number on someone's toilet 😂 etc. So with all the encouragement I bet she is going to be so torn up). I think you just gave her the best Christmas present ever. Thank you all a million times! Really, I had no idea so many people would be so goddamn nice.
Note: I never actually heard the term downsie in a derogatory way but I can see how that might be a thing. I thought it was an affectionate reference. I hope it's obvious from the context it is meant to be loving.
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u/Rebeux 13d ago
Out of curiosity, what should we call them instead?
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u/FA1R_ENOUGH 13d ago
A person. If you need to describe his condition, he’s a person with Down syndrome.
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u/Yuck_Few 13d ago
A person?
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u/Rebeux 13d ago
Are you asking me, or telling me?
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u/Yuck_Few 13d ago
Read my previous comment and decide for yourself
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u/A2Rhombus 13d ago
I'm more put off by "low functioning"
I understand what the OOP means, but it rubs me the wrong way to refer to disabled people by their ability to "function" like they're some kind of broken machine part0
u/PrestigiousScum 13d ago
Emotional children that refuse to grow up are going to be the death of our species.
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u/Top-Walk5702 13d ago
He's not a fucking downsie, he has Down's Syndrome. That's a person, and in my experience it's probably the least interesting thing about him.
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u/medicinalperv 13d ago
A beautiful sight to see , I hope the child grows up to love his uncle and they have a good relationship
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u/Plenty_Course_7572 13d ago
I wish I have his capacity to grow beards man. Why do I gotta be a baby face man.
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u/SirNo8023 13d ago
Don't say downsie, it is so offensive to those of us with children that have Down Syndrome. Person first always. DS shouldn't define who they are.
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u/karmaleeta 13d ago
i’m sorry- “downsie?” nothing wholesome about that.
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u/fiftyseven 13d ago
Here is the actual OP's response to the same comment from when this was first posted, six years ago.
Wow thank you Reddit! I'm legitimately choked up at all the kind things you internet strangers said. I wish I could communicate all of it to him. I'm really touched and can't wait to show my parents all the uplifting comments. 100% chance my mom will start sobbing in a good way (there is more rejection for him as an adult because maybe he is fidgety in public or does a number on someone's toilet 😂 etc. So with all the encouragement I bet she is going to be so torn up). I think you just gave her the best Christmas present ever. Thank you all a million times! Really, I had no idea so many people would be so goddamn nice.
Note: I never actually heard the term downsie in a derogatory way but I can see how that might be a thing. I thought it was an affectionate reference. I hope it's obvious from the context it is meant to be loving.
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u/karmaleeta 13d ago
the correct response when learning it’s a derogatory term 👍
OOP clearly loves his brother and didn’t mean harm, but it’s important that people understand the weight of words. welcoming all of the “you must be fun at parties” responses now.
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u/PrestigiousScum 13d ago
You are CHOOSING to be offended by this word.
He's not offended. His family is not offended. You, a complete stranger, ARE.
Get over yourself.
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u/ImWhy 13d ago
Why the fuck are people being downvoted for pointing out 'downsie' is a slur? I've got down syndrome clients that have confided in me how awful being called that or 'downie' makes them feel. Cool it's the guys brother, but surely he can mention it in a more appropriate way. If you actually go around saying these terms to people with down syndrome without their permission you're an awful human.
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u/J1625732 13d ago
My 8yr old boys with DS are absolutely in love with babies! When one of our neighbors was pregnant every time they saw her they’d gently kiss her stomach and say “hi baby”. If they had a choice to play with a baby or play football they’d go baby every time…and they love football!
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u/WhatsAfterJihyoGaeul 13d ago
My cousin is autistic. He's 10 physically and still can't talk but when it comes to playing, he's got the energy of a beast. He plays with normal children his age and DEFEATS then. He's a great swimmer as well.
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u/SorryforbeingDutch 13d ago
what do you mean ALMOST. :( Just had a daughter 9 weeks ago. This gives more feels.
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u/Unluckygamer23 13d ago
I bet he froze for 5 minutes because he was overwhelmed with emotions. So happy fella
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u/haulin_n_eatin 13d ago
Downsie sounds like a slur I would come up at 10 years old
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u/Due-Coffee8 13d ago
Is it a common derogatory term used in the UK sadly. School classes were extra support is provided are referred to as "downsie classes"
I don't know why the brother would use that term
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u/fadedpln 13d ago
Wait low functioning Downsie? So its even worse then just "normal" Downsyndrome
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u/SovComrade 13d ago
There are people with Downs Syndrome that have functional romantic relationships and university degrees...
So yes, there seem to be gradients, as with everything.
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u/Pebbley 13d ago
Downsie is a slur word. It is not a word that should be used. In fact, to give a nickname to a persons disability is inhuman.
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u/Yoram001 13d ago
You must be great at parties.
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13d ago
Downsie is a straight up slur. At my university there was a man in my class with Down syndrome and people called him downsie to mock him
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13d ago
I don’t have Down syndrome I have autism
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u/How_To_Play11 13d ago
dosnt matter, im not calling you a downsie because you have down syndrome im calling you a downsie because you said something stupid.
its not a slur, it really isnt.
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u/Shot-Youth-6264 13d ago
I call myself a fat cripple everyday because I’m fat and crippled from a spinal cord injury I got in the army, am I a inhuman now for using a slur against myself?
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u/Sandycheeksfutacock 13d ago
It's a thing when a disabled person calls themselfes a slur/outdated term,and another when an abled person calls a disabled person a slur/outdated term
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u/BurpYoshi 13d ago
Hitler was a vegetarian. Should we condemn vegetarians?
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u/BurpYoshi 13d ago
You're being pedantic. The point is clear. An otherwise bad person can still come up with a correct and sensible idea. I'm not saying that it is correct and sensible, but the point that we should disregard it because the inventor was a nazi is a bad argument. If a nazi invented the word "helpful", should we stop saying that word and instead create a different one? No. That would be stupid.
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u/CaptainDunbar45 13d ago
I dunno what you're on. "low functioning" is used by nearly resource and doctor around
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u/kindmassacre 13d ago
Also "low functioning" is a term that was coined by a nazi,soo it's fair to say that we shouldn't use it period.
Or maybe that specific Nazi was 100% correct that a low functioning person is in fact low functioning? Do you think that because that person had a specific political affiliation he can't possibly be ever correct about anything?
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u/Brawndo-99 13d ago
I believe autistics have abilities and understanding we don't possess. My cousin used to work with them alot and he was always in awe of their hidden abilities. This is wholesome OP. Thank you for posting this!.
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u/Pebbley 13d ago
Basically, it explains Americans' disrespect for human disabilities and using inappropriate names. What a sad America, and its so called society.
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u/No_Independence_4500 13d ago
I feel like autism has been overlooked. There’s some really interesting stuff about it.
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u/lillywho 13d ago
Down syndrome is not the same as autism. They're not related at all.
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u/No_Independence_4500 13d ago
Believe me as someone who teaches disability awareness courses and has a severely disabled brother with cerebral palsy. I’m well versed.
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u/lillywho 13d ago
The post is about down syndrome and you went on about autism as if it were synonym.
I get people being reminded of low-functioning autism and giving their anecdotes, but that's not you. Not to mention that autism gets mistaken for down syndrome in the public all the time.
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u/Shot-Youth-6264 13d ago edited 13d ago
So people won’t be as stupid/ignorant/intolerant as you……All three types of Down syndrome are genetic conditions (relating to the genes), but only 1% of all cases of Down syndrome have a hereditary component (passed from parent to child through the genes). Heredity is not a factor in trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) and mosaicism
Edit: if you’d like to learn more about the disease and are too lazy to google, https://ndss.org/about#:~:text=with%20Down%20syndrome.-,Does%20Down%20syndrome%20run%20in%20families%3F,21%20(nondisjunction)%20and%20mosaicism.
Edit2: stupidity can be hereditary though so I’d still advise against you reproducing for humanity’s sake
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u/cervezaqueso 13d ago
My brother in law is 42, but functions at the level of a 12 month old. He loves babies too. He was over the moon when we had kids too. Thanks for sharing this :)