Preferred Terminology
Saut Down Syndrome Society uses the term "Down syndrome" rather than "Mongoloid" or "Downs". "Down syndrome" is the preferred term in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
People First Language
People with Down syndrome should be referred to by their names as people first, rather than being described as "a Down syndrome child". Terms such as "Mongoloid" or "Downs" should be avoided entirely.
A Syndrome, Not a Disease
Down syndrome is a "condition" or "syndrome" — it is not a disease.
Avoid Negative Terminology
Phrases such as "afflicted with" Down syndrome or "suffering from" Down syndrome should be avoided.
Special Needs
While the medical term "intellectual disability" is acceptable, more socially inclusive language such as "person with special needs" is preferred. Saut Down Syndrome Society strongly objects to the use of the word "disabled" (معاق), as it gives the impression that individuals with Down syndrome are incapable of learning, training, or living a dignified life.
Why Avoid the Word "Mongoloid"?
The word "Mongoloid" or "Mongolism" should be avoided. The term originates with John Langdon Down, the physician after whom Down syndrome was later named. Down used the term "Mongolian idiocy" to describe this group of people, influenced by the contemporary scientific thinking of his time, which was dominated by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Down confused the epicanthal fold — the skin fold covering the inner corner of the eye found in people with Down syndrome — with the distinctive eye fold of Mongolian people, leading him to believe the condition had Eastern origins, and he consequently referred to these individuals as "Mongolians". Although his racially based theory never gained wide acceptance, the term remained in use for over 100 years.
Source: The information in this article has been reproduced under an exclusive agreement with the National Down Syndrome Society. Available at: ndss.org
