When Viral Videos Fuel Parent Expectations

I’ll never forget the session. She said, “Look at this,” as she pulled out her phone and opened her Facebook app. My client’s mom reached over her toddler to show me a video. “Look at this man,” she said as the video began to play. “He has Down syndrome, too. Look at how he’s talking.” On plays a viral video of a gentleman with Down syndrome speaking before Congress. We watched it briefly in the middle of our speech session, with her little one seated between us. She looked at her child then up at me, her eyes filled with both hope and despair. She put her hand on her kid’s back and asked, “Will my child be able to do that?” The question rocked me. For new clinicians, these questions about expectations for a child are difficult to navigate as it is. However, viral social media posts can make this conversation even more challenging, as they potentially create or nurture unrealistic expectations in the minds of hopeful parents. Scroll through your Facebook feed any given day and you’ll likely see a video of a man or woman with autism spectrum disorder or Down syndrome doing something incredible to help break down barriers. I should note I’m one of the first people to quickly click “share now” when I see these posts. They inspire me. They make me proud to be in this field and work with the populations I do. However, I now understand how the “awareness” being raised about these specific populations on social media usually leans toward those on...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Advocacy Autism Spectrum Disorder social skills Source Type: blogs