Protecting a vulnerable child or sibling is a natural instinct, but overprotection can sometimes be harmful. Often, we avoid discussing grief to prevent trauma, without realising that this silence may cause even greater harm. Everyone experiences suffering, faces loss, and goes through difficult times. That’s why it’s essential to provide tools that help people cope with these situations with resilience.

Death is a part of life, even though we may struggle to offer condolences. We tend to avoid the word “death”, yet we frequently experience small forms of grief: losing a treasured item, moving house, a sibling leaving home, changing schools or jobs… All these events affect our emotions, thoughts, memory, and behaviour—whether through hyperactivity or passivity. Facing them appropriately is key to preventing depression or psychological disorders.

People with intellectual disabilities also go through grief, and often require additional support to process it. In the case of individuals with Down’s syndrome, learning is primarily visual—especially through drawings. Their perception of time can be confusing: they remember the past well but struggle to retain recent events. They are routine-oriented, with small and clearly defined social circles. Although they possess strong social intelligence and intuition, they have fewer adaptive skills during times of crisis. They find it difficult to generalise what they’ve learned and apply it in new contexts.

It is crucial to explain clearly that someone has died—not that they’ve “gone away”. It’s also important to allow them to see us cry, as expressing sadness is a natural part of the emotional process. Depression, on the other hand, is an illness. Showing our emotions helps them understand that the deceased person was important to us.

Recommendations for Supporting Grief in People with Down’s Syndrome:

• Share information about the medical situation when the death is expected. Introduce them to the doctors so they can ask questions.
• Allow them to say goodbye, share their feelings, and express their emotions.
• Speak openly about the stages of life.
• Create a collage with family photos, talk about death, and use books that address the topic.
• Provide reassurance, encourage questions, and respect their individual way of grieving.