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Communicating with Down Syndrome Children

Talk about your day-to-day activities

Use visual cues

Copy their response - like if they smile you smile back at them

Be animated in interacting - copy their expressions, helps them to get hooked and pay attention to you

Use repetition - it's helpful to repeat words and ideas to them

Show your pleased with them - smile be cheerful when talking to them

Stay physically close to them, it's comforting to them.

Be patient with them!

Reference: Tips: Communicating with a Person with Down’s Syndrome (belovedshepherd.com)

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It is a basic human need to communicate. However, there are certain practices and etiquettes we need to observe when we are communicating with someone depending on their unique needs.

For persons with Down's Syndrome, communicating with them may pose certain challenges. As providers of Habilitation Services, however, we know that quality interactions with them are possible. With that, we would like to impart the following communication tips:

Talk About Day-to-Day Activities
Make use of your daily activities as talking points. This helps them to recognize and associate words and ideas with actual experiences they went through. For instance, you can ask about whether they liked their food or not.

Use Visual Cues
Communicate with them using visual gestures and signs. These cues reinforce communication abilities especially if they are still learning about some words. You can do hand signals or facial expressions to emphasize your point.

Copy the Person's Response
Observe the person's response and copy their expressions. Smile if they smile, shrug if they shrug, but let them be when they're not in the mood. As we provideSupport Service in Indiana, we have seen that reflecting their responses makes them more interactive.

Be Animated in Interacting
Along with copying their expressions, it also helps if you are animated when you talk to them. This gets them hooked to pay attention to you and observe your mouth as you speak. Consequently, this improves their understanding of new vocabularies.

Use Repetition
It is also very helpful to repeat words and ideas to them. For instance, if they point to a dog but they only get to pronounce "d" or "g", repeat this for them with emphasis on pronouncing "dog". If they also point at something that they incorrectly address, you can repeat to them the correct word.

Show You Are Pleased
A person with Down's Syndrome is also encouraged to interact more when the person they're talking to is pleased with them. Smile and be cheerful when talking to them. We have seen this work as we assist them with theirHome health care needs.

Stay Physically Close
When interacting with a person with Down's Syndrome, it's very helpful to be physically close. They will not only sense your comforting presence, but they can also clearly hear you and observe the way you use words.

Be Patient
Patience is also very necessary when communicating with persons with Down's Syndrome. They may take time to respond to your message or you may need to speak slower than you usually do. However, know that your patience will be rewarded withproductive communication.

Are you a parent whose loved one has Down's Syndrome? If you're looking for people to assist you in caring for them, our team at Beloved Shepherd LLC is here for you. We also provide Respite Services in Fort Wayne, Indiana so that when you need to get some personal break, you know that your loved one is in a safe and caring environment.

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Tips: Communicating with a Person with Down's Syndrome

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It is a basic human need to communicate. However, there are certain practices and etiquettes we need to observe when we are communicating with someone depending on their unique needs. For persons with Down's Syndrome, communicating with them may pose certain challenges. As providers of Habilitation Services, however, we know that quality interactions with them are possible.

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Important for you to understand the potential behavioral and emotional disorders of your students that you are dealing with. Understanding what inappropriate behavior is to help so you can understand why they are acting out the way they have in the past. Gives guidance on how to handle it. Have a suppurative positive classroom. Reward positive behavior in the class.

Reference: Behavior and Classroom Management in Special Education (thoughtco.com)

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This is an AMAZING organization that helps athletes with Intellectual Disabilities. This can be started when they are younger all the way into adulthood. Special Olympics gives them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

More information on Special Olympics:
Special Olympics

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This article had so many great resources for parents. The resources were for 10 different National Associations and Resource Foundations. This was to help with health care, daily living, support, and guidance. Also has a place to find local support in your community.

The website for more information:
10 helpful Down syndrome resources - Care.com Resources

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This is a great resource for teachers that have down syndrome students in their classroom. This website gives you tips and strategies to help you in your classroom. This website also has a training blog that you can check out and find out many more amazing resources.

Check it out at this website:
Resources For Teaching Students with Down Syndrome - Special Needs Resource and Training Blog (specialneedsresourceblog.com)

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Best Practices for Teachers

Inclusion - They should be full members of age-appropriate inclusive classes, to have more opportunities for peer relationships to occur.
Building self-esteem - Build confidence and instill pride
Progressive learning - always strive for them to move progressively along the learning continuum.
Minimize distractions - keeping a structured environment, away from windows, noise level down, and know the expectations of the rules and routines.
Employ speech-and-language instruction -Teachers should use patience and model appropriate interactions at all times.
Behavior-management techniques -Strategies used for other students should not differ for the student with Down syndrome. Positive reinforcement is a much better strategy than punitive techniques. Reinforcers need to be meaningful.

Reference: Behavior and Classroom Management in Special Education (thoughtco.com)

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Some things that can help a down syndrome student in general education classrooms are:

Adapting Instruction

Scheduling - giving extra time to get assignments in and allow for test to be done over a few days

Setting - work in small groups or one-on-one with teacher/staff

Materials - audiotape of lecture, give copy of notes, use large print

Instruction - reduce difficulty of assignments, reduce reading level, use a peer tutor or student tutor, small groups

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Step One- There are two ways that children can be identified as possibly needing special education and related services.
1. Child Find
2. Referral from parent or school
Step Two- Child is Evaluated this is an early step in the special education process. This process is intended to answer these:

Does the child have a disability that requires the provision of special education and related services?

What are the child’s specific educational needs?

What special education services and related services, then, are appropriate for addressing those needs?

Step Three - Eligibility is decided. Together the parents and group of professional review the results and together they decide if the child is a “child with a disability,” as defined by IDEA.
Step Four - This step is that the child is found eligible for services.
Step Five - The IEP meeting is scheduled with school staff in the special education department.
Step Six - Then the IEP meeting is held, and the IEP is written.
Step Seven - This when the IEP is written, and the services are provided.
Steps Eight, Nine, Ten - Is done yearly to report the progress to the parents, add in new goals, tests that need to be done. Child is reevaluated every 3 years.

Down Syndrome students in the past use to go to separate schools for students with intellectual disabilities. But most now make better progress in schools along with their peers. Students with Down Syndrome will do better when inclusion is embraced and supported as part of the school culture. Where different learning needs of all students are acknowledged and properly addressed.

Education rights through DRNC enforces that student with disabilities can go to public school from 3 years old through 22 years old.

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Fergus, K. (n.d.). Common characteristics of down syndrome. Verywell Health. Retrieved July 6, 2022, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/symptoms-of-down-syndrome-1120463

Are there different forms of Down's syndrome? Are there different forms of Down's syndrome? - Guide to Down's syndrome. (n.d.). Retrieved July 6, 2022, from https://www.medic8.com/healthguide/down-syndrome/faq/different-forms.html

Specialneedsresourcetrainingblog. (2018, October 18). Resources for teaching students with Down Syndrome. Special Needs Resource and Training Blog. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://specialneedsresourceblog.com/teaching-students-with-down-syndrome/

Special olympics. SpecialOlympics.org. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.specialolympics.org/?_ga=2.165715005.2015052384.1657216240-874120247.1657216240

Down syndrome and learning. Down syndrome and learning - Better Health Channel. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/down-syndrome-and-learning#school-years

10 basic steps in special education. Center for Parent Information and Resources. (2022, April). Retrieved July 10, 2022, from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/steps/

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Down Syndrome is abbreviated as DS.

There are different types of Down Syndrome:

Trisomy 21 - This type affects about 94% of down syndrome children. This happens when there is an extra 21st chromosome.

Translocation - This type affects about 4% of the cases in down syndrome children. This happens when the extra 21st chromosome attaches to another chromosome in the cell. This can also be passed down by a parent with no symptoms.

Mosaicism - This is the rarest form that only affects about 2% of cases in down syndrome children. This produces milder symptoms, because some of the cells have additional chromosome 21 and other cells having normal chromosomes.

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The most visible signs of Down Syndrome in a developing fetus are:

Excess skin in the back of the neck (nuchal translucency)

A shorter-than-normal femur (thigh) bone

A missing nose bones

The physical characteristics of Down Syndrome children are:

Small nose, mouth, and ears

Slightly bend 5th finger

Almond shaped eyes with skin fold covering inner corner

White spots on colored parts of the eyes

Flat round face

Short, stocky build

Tongue protrudes out

Poor muscle tone or loose joints