One of my favorite things about the NDSC conference was all the romancing going on. Everywhere you turned you'd see couples walking hand in hand back to their hotel room, or giving each other nose kisses or simply just flirting and exchanging cell phone numbers. Three years ago it was headline news when Carrie and Sujeet tied the knot. I don't think they were the first couple with Ds to get married, but they were the first that really made the news. And it brought to the forefront the right of developmentally and intellectually disabled people to fall in love, have sex and get married.
Since then numerous couples with Ds have taken the plunge or are about to. And it truly is a family affair. There is a lot of planning which both sets of parents need to be involved. The conference had classes about sexuality in adults with Ds as well as teaching your kids practical relationship skills. Talk about liking the in-laws it seems quite necessary in this arrangement. One father at the conference was telling me that his son went to live with his girl friend. Problem is she lives in Texas and his family lives in California. Though he's happy with his job and living situation he is very homesick. I could see this happening with E. I don't know if this is a Ds personality trait or not but E is very attached and proud of her family, room and home. She loves it when we are all together at home and will make us do big family hugs as she exclaims "I wuv my fam-mil - lee!!!!". After one night away from home (no matter how much fun she's having) she'll ask when she can come home. So to make matters easier she better fall in love with someone local or at least willing to move here!
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