Father Explains Why Down Syndrome Is ‘Beautiful’

Robb Scott’s beautiful confessional is a fantastic example of how our perceptions create our realities. Most people see his son, Turner, who has Down syndrome, as a child with a disease, but Scott sees him as a wonderful teacher. Scott decided he needed to share his story after seeing a young boy in a video store ask his father, “What’s Down syndrome?” The father said it was an “an illness of not knowing anything.” Scott wasn’t sure how to react in the moment, but heard an inner voice say, “Tell him what it is.” He feared that silence would let “ignorance grow into another generation.” But, in the moment, Scott was silent, so he created this video to stand up for his son.

In the emotional video, Scott says Down syndrome is “literally one of the most beautiful things that’s ever happened in my life. It’s fun. It’s brilliant. It’s amazing. It’s funny. It’s kind. It’s cuddly. They’re great teachers, people with Down syndrome.” He goes on to say his son taught him that “disabilities are a perception … A well-educated man doesn’t have more to teach than my son. He has different things to teach, but he doesn’t have more to teach.”