It depends entirely on the person what sort of effects Downs Syndrome will have on their life. Some people born with Downs Syndrome have fairly mild intellectu

It depends entirely on the person what sort of effects Downs Syndrome will have on their life. Some people born with Downs Syndrome have fairly mild intellectual disability and so are capable of basic life independence and holding down menial jobs, however many people will have moderate to severe intellectual disability and be completely incapable of living independently at any point in their life. I think many people don't understand the depth of that statement, "living independently" isn't just a matter of financial independence. Certainly there is a place where society could help to fund the living expenses of the severely disabled. What I mean is that many people with Downs Syndrome are unable to perform basic tasks of life without assistance, such as maintaining their living space, cooking for themselves, being able to get to a doctor's appointment on time, being able to pay bills. Note, I don't mean forgetting to pay bills, which can be resolved through assistive technology, I mean being unable to follow the process to actually make a payment. The life expectancy of people with Downs Syndrome has become quite good, and is around 60 years of age now, and yet for many of these people they will never know a moment of true independence and agency in their entire lives. They will need a permanent, likely live-in, caretaker from birth until death, long after their parents have passed away. One unfortunate reality is a prenatal test can't tell you how severe the disorder might be. Your child-to-be could end up being one of the kids with Downs Syndrome who effectively has some physical abnormalities which can be accommodated and is a little slower at learning, but could otherwise graduate college and live a normal life. Or they could end up being one of the many children with Downs Syndrome that suffers from a deeper intellectual disability. IQ is one of those things that's mostly meaningless, but on the extremes it matters. The average IQ for adults with Downs Syndrome is 50, meaning that for most people with this disorder they will never get beyond the intellectual capacities of a small child. Some, unfortunately, are mostly non-verbal and unable to carry on conversation. I don't think I should be any more specific than that, because it wouldn't be fair to the privacy of the people I've volunteered with. If you're legitimately curious, I'd encourage you to just search online. There's a lot of information about Downs Syndrome care out there.