The Longest Shortest Time

EPISODE #264: Adulting with Down Syndrome

Sophie Stern is like a lot of college freshman. Her dorm room is decorated with Taylor Swift posters, and she recently got her first tattoo. But Sophie also has Down syndrome, so navigating life away from home comes with unique challenges.

Ten years ago, when Sophie was in eighth grade, she came on the show and told us how excited she was to become a teenager. Her mom, writer and journalist Amy Silverman, said she had a feeling Sophie was looking forward to growing up because she believed that when she had an adult woman’s body, her brain would catch up. That episode is called “Coming of Age with Down Syndrome.” It’s one of our favorites, and you can hear it below.

Now, at the age of 23, Sophie returns to report on whether adulthood is everything she’d hoped it would be, and Amy talks about what it’s been like to watch her daughter live independently — something she did not imagine was possible until recently.

Tune in for a riveting conversation about adulting — and parenting an adult — with Down syndrome.

Get Wedlocked!
Hillary has a new audiobook — a thriller about women’s health. Grab a copy wherever you get audiobooks!

Recommendations from the archive
We have stories about parenting with a disability as well! Check out these two:
• Alex and the Oracular Lamb
• Blind Love

Episode resources
• Learn more about Amy on her website, and read her amazing book about Sophie: My Heart Can’t Even Believe It
• Check out this guide for hosting storytelling events with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, inspired by Sophie
• Amy’s story for Here & Now: A Mom Laments Limited Employment Prospects for Daughter with Down Syndrome
• Amy’s reporting for ProPublica about Arizona’s policies toward people with disabilities: State of Denial