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Structured Learning with Movement Breaks

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Description: Children with ADHD often struggle with sustained attention and hyperactivity, so incorporating structured learning sessions with frequent, scheduled movement breaks can support their cognitive development. The strategy involves short, focused academic tasks (15-20 minutes) followed by physical activities like jumping jacks, yoga stretches, or a quick walk.

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How It Helps: Movement breaks help reduce restlessness and improve focus, allowing children with ADHD to process information more effectively. This approach also enhances executive functioning skills, like working memory and task organization, which are often impaired in children with ADHD.

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Visual Schedules and Timers

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Movement Break Ideas for Special Education Classroom

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Movement breaks refocus & revitalize your special needs learners. Read on to learn about the best movement break ideas for SpEd classrooms.

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Activating the Brain With Movement Breaks

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Description: Using visual schedules and timers provides clear, step-by-step instructions and timeframes for tasks. Visual cues can be a combination of pictures and text, and timers are set to help children understand how much time is left for each activity.

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How It Helps: ADHD impacts working memory and time management, so visual schedules and timers support these areas by creating external structure. They reduce anxiety about transitions, aid in task completion, and promote independence, enhancing cognitive development related to planning and execution.

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Discover how visual schedules improve classroom management, support ADHD students, and learn key design strategies.

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Hands-On Learning with Repetition

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Description: Children with Down Syndrome benefit from learning tasks that involve tactile, hands-on activities like puzzles, building blocks, or sorting games. Combining these tasks with repetition over extended periods reinforces learning.

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How It Helps: Hands-on learning helps with motor coordination, and repetition addresses memory challenges. Repeated practice allows children to internalize new concepts, supporting cognitive development in areas like problem-solving and classification.

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Lots of children enjoy sorting games. Start by organising larger toys - like cars or Duplo blocks - into different coloured piles.

1. Move onto sorting smaller items by type, shape or colour. Try different pasta shapes, paper clips, pens and pencils, lego bricks or coins.

2. If this works well try even smaller items. Mixing different dried foods can work well: for example mixing rice with lentils and dried beans or chick peas. This activity can be made more engaging by dyeing the food bright colours prior to play (see our messy play to find details of how to dye different foods).

3. To make this task more challenging, try offering a pair of tweezers to pick the items up - or suggest they use their less dominant hand.

4. Once your child has sorted their small objects, you can suggest an additional activity using the items they've sorted. For example, they could make a necklace out of the tube pasta, or make a picture using glue and the dried food items. This will keep your child motivated to keep sorting and is another great way to work their fine motor skills.

5. You could make this a little more challenging by creating a Laser Quest game in a box. See our video for details of how this can work.

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Fine Motor Activities For Children With Down Syndrome

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Lots of children enjoy sorting games. Start by organising larger toys - like cars or Duplo blocks - into different coloured piles. Move onto sorting smaller items by type, shape or colour. Try different pasta shapes, paper clips, pens and pencils, lego bricks or coins.

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Leslie Duffen, the father of three-year-old Sarah, discovered his daughter could learn to read at three years old.

But children learn to read all the time, yes?
Not always.
Especially not some children born with Down syndrome.

Yet at only three, Sarah was beginning to imitate and use single words from flashcards held up by her father.

Through this exercise, Leslie confirmed that Sarah mastered written words faster than she did the words spoken to her.

Using this language learning hack, Sarah could comfortably attend a local comprehensive school where her language skills placed her ahead of most.

In fact, by the time she was 12, she had received all but one year of her education in mainstream schools.

This shows you that children with Down syndrome can benefit from a rich learning experience when given the opportunity.

This kind of learning accommodation requires a tailored curriculum that factors in children with Down syndrome.

And this is where Positive Action's curriculum comes into play.

"I am very grateful for these lessons. They fulfill a need that so many children are lacking in the educational process today."- Linda Davis, 2nd Grade Teacher, Davis Elementary

How Do You Explain Down Syndrome to a Child?

To support your child, start by understanding what Down syndrome is for yourself.

A child with Down syndrome has an extra chromosome - chromosomes are small "bundles" of genes that determine how a baby's body forms during pregnancy and how their body functions after birth.

Typically, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes, but children with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes, chromosome 21.

The medical term for this phenomenon is 'trisomy'; thus, Down syndrome is also referred to as trisomy 21.

This extra copy affects the baby's physical and mental development. Although children with Down syndrome might share some similarities in appearance and behavior, each child has different abilities.

Some common physical features in individuals with Down syndrome include:

A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose

Almond-shaped eyes that slant up

A short neck

A single line across the palm (palmar crease)

A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth

Tiny white spots on the iris (colored part) of the eye

Small hands and feet

Small pinky fingers that sometimes curve toward the thumb

Poor muscle tone or loose joints

Shorter height as both children and adults

They may also experience challenges with motor skills, speech, and language.

How Do You Interact With a Child With Down Syndrome?

Overcoming existing negative stereotypes about children with Down syndrome calls for people-first language.

Here's how it works:

In your language (both written and oral), put the person before the disability.

Use "My student with Down syndrome" instead of "my Downs kid" or "he's Downs."

Say "My student receives special education" instead of "He's a special ed student."

Encourage all other students to think of students with Down syndrome as people first.

Acknowledge how words can create barriers.

Avoid terms with overt negative connotations like "retarded" or "handicapped;" use "developmentally delayed" instead.

If you're unsure about how to refer to a child with Down syndrome, ask their parent.

Use emotionally neutral expressions.

When referring to your students, say, "My student has Down syndrome instead of "My student suffers from Down syndrome."

1. Steer clear of stereotypes like "They're so loving/happy all the time." Children with Down syndrome experience a wide range of emotions and are not all alike.

2. Use examples of what the student needs instead of labeling them as having "problems." For example, "Billy needs..." rather than "Billy has problems or special needs."

3. Don't use the terms "mild" or "severe" because one is either a child with Down syndrome or not. Yes, there are varying degrees of abilities, but using "mild" or "severe" can insult parents or other families who overhear.

We know that adopting these habits takes some adjusting. So here's a video showing how students with Down syndrome interact with their friends for some inspiration.

How Do You Accommodate Students With Down Syndrome?

1. First, always speak directly to the student, using clear, receptive language and short sentences.

2. Place a strong emphasis on visual learning when teaching reading to students with Down syndrome. Think visual demonstrations, pictures, and illustrations.

Include additional images in handouts when you can.

Put up colorful charts around the room.

Play videos with closed captions to reinforce content.

Break up blocks of texts with lists and tables and use bolding and underlining to highlight important points.

When tackling material with advanced vocabulary, draw small images against difficult words in the margins.

1. Repetition is the name of the game when it comes to phonics training. Yes, adults may find this monotonous, but children greatly benefit from overlearning material. Simply use automated options like flashcards and computer programs to mitigate the boredom.

2. Learn sight words and vocabulary from the student's environment. When students with Down syndrome know 50-70% of the words on a page, it frees them up to focus on the more challenging terms they come across.

3. Students with Down syndrome generally have good social skills. So encourage them to organize tasks with other students who can act as appropriate role models.

4. Give the student enough time to process language and respond. It may take longer for some students with Down syndrome to comprehend information and then commit it to memory.

Offer additional help by asking them to repeat back what they've learned at the end of a lesson or in peer work.

Group activities where students collaborate to fill out charts and information organizers are also helpful.

No victory is too small. Set attainable goals and adjust difficulty levels according to each individual's capabilities.

Learning just one letter or a new sound over a week is a sure win for a child with Down syndrome so reward each accomplishment with badges and lots of praise.

Design special assignments that cater to the student's strengths so that you can create opportunities for guaranteed success.

Believe in your student's abilities. Most students with Down syndrome have to put in more work than their peers to achieve the same results, so plenty of praise and reassurance keep them on track.

Teaching students with Down syndrome calls for a lot of self-compassion. Teachers already experience moments of stress, anxiety, and pressure managing students without Down syndrome.

So the key here is to pause when you need to and remember that you, too, just like the student with Down syndrome, are giving your best.

Rise to the Challenge: Help Children With Down Syndrome

At Positive Action, we recognize each person's unique value: parent, teacher, and student alike.

We help students who receive special education integrate into mainstream classrooms by equipping them with social skills and intrinsic motivation.

Additionally, our special education curriculums will provide your school's leadership with specific tools such as:

Committee Handbook

Surveys

Calendars

Templates for meeting logs and agendas

Behavior management forms

"Dear Parents" letters

"Positive Action is a good curriculum, and we tied it in with our PBIS. It really helped in making this a safe school where academics and behavior work together so that everybody can learn."- From a Principal in Robeson County, North Carolina

Schedule a Webinar Today

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How to Teach Students With Down Syndrome? 14 Strategies

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Leslie Duffen, the father of three-year-old Sarah, discovered his daughter could learn to read at three years old. But children learn to read all the time, yes? Not always. Especially not some children born with Down syndrome. Yet at only three, Sarah was beginning to imitate and use single words from flashcards held up by her father.

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Language-Rich Environment

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Description: Creating a language-rich environment through frequent conversations, storytelling, and reading aloud is critical for children with Down Syndrome. Activities should emphasize clear communication, and use of visual aids and gestures can further enhance comprehension.

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How It Helps: Children with Down Syndrome often have delays in speech and language processing. A language-rich environment provides consistent opportunities for them to improve vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills, which are essential for cognitive development, especially in verbal reasoning and memory.

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Down TV: Portal de vídeos sobre síndrome de down

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5 tips to improve language skills in kids with Down Syndrome - Down TV: Portal de vídeos sobre síndrome de down

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Understanding and Expression of Language in Down Syndrome

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Structured Learning with Visual Supports

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Description: Visual supports, such as visual schedules, picture exchange communication systems (PECS), and charts, help children with Autism follow routines and understand expectations. These tools can be used in daily tasks and academic activities.

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How It Helps: Many children with Autism have difficulty processing verbal instructions but excel in visual learning. Structured visual supports cater to their cognitive strengths, promoting task understanding, memory, and independent work, while reducing anxiety related to unpredictability.

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Gawrilow, C., et al. (2016). The effect of physical activity on executive functions in children with ADHD: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Science, 19(4), 590–602.

Raggi, V. L., & Chronis, A. M. (2006). Interventions to address the academic impairment of children and adolescents with ADHD. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 9(2), 85-111.

DuPaul, G. J., et al. (2011). ADHD in the schools: Assessment and intervention strategies. Guilford Press.

Barkley, R. A. (2015). Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment. Guilford Publications.

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Fidler, D. J., & Nadel, L. (2007). Education and children with Down syndrome: Neuroscience, development, and intervention. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13(3), 262–271.

Wishart, J. G. (2001). Cognitive development in young children with Down syndrome: Developmental strengths, weaknesses, and interventions. Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 7(2), 81–92.

Kumin, L. (2003). Early communication skills for children with Down syndrome: A guide for parents and professionals. Woodbine House.

Chapman, R. S. (1997). Language development in children and adolescents with Down syndrome. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 3(4), 307-312.

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Visual supports can help to:

provide structure and routine

encourage independence

build confidence

improve understanding

avoid frustration and anxiety

provide opportunities to interact with others.

They can make communication physical and consistent, rather than fleeting and inconsistent like spoken words can be.

Types of visual support

A wide range of items can be used as visual supports. For example:

These can be real objects, printed images, or on a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Uses of visual supports

Visual supports can be used in a range of ways, for example:

as a single message, eg the person takes a yellow card from their pocket when they need to go to the toilet, or a puts purple card on the board when they're feeling stressed

in combination to create a daily timetable, schedule, sequence or reward chart

to make a choice, eg the person can put the trampolining symbol in the 'afternoon' area of the board

to illustrate a social story or comic strip conversation.

Examples of visual supports

Make visual supports  portable, durable, easy to find, personalised and consistent.

Portable

Make the visual supports portable by:

using a visual supports app on the person's tablet

storing photos and pictures on the person's smartphone

putting symbols, pictures and schedules in a folder for the person to carry with them.

Durable

Laminate printed visual supports

Back up any app, photos and pictures you use on a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Easy to find

Ensure that visual supports are easy to find, for example by:

placing them in prominent places at eye level

putting them on an actual object

putting a single symbol in the person's pocket

distributing them throughout particular environments, eg objects and areas in the classroom and at home could be labelled

putting a shortcut to them from a tablet home screen

attaching symbols to boards so that people know where to go to look at them - you could also use Velcro strips to attach symbols to a board, meaning schedules can be easily altered, eg activities removed once completed.

Personalised

Visual supports are very personal and what works for one person may not work for another. Use the person's special interest, eg make a visual timetable in the shape of a rocket.

Remember that some autistic people have difficulties generalising, eg they may not realise that a Hula Hoop packet symbolises all crisps.

It can sometimes be helpful to use more than one type of visual support, but always introduce visual supports gradually. Start with one symbol and then build up a collection.

Consistent

If using pictures, once you choose a type or style (for example, line drawings), use it consistently. Ask family members, friends, teachers or support workers to use the same visual supports consistently.

Useful resources

There are lots of pictures you can download or buy as printed images and apps that you can use. Some examples are listed below. Inclusion does not mean that the National Autistic Society has endorsed them. You can search our Autism Services Directory or ask the community for suggestions of others.

You should always check the terms and conditions relating to the use of images that you download and any costs involved.

More information

Gerhardt, P, Cohen, M. (2014) Visual supports for people with autism: a guide for parents and professionals. Woodbine House

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Visual supports are a communication tool that can be used with autistic people. They can be used in most situations, and are adaptable and portable.

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Goals of structured teaching methods
Click on the link to view an Introduction to The TEACCH Approach.
Structured teaching is a visually based approach to creating highly structured environments that support children and young people with autism in a variety of educational, community, and home or living settings. It promotes independence by utilising strategies that align with the strengths and needs of children and young people with autism as it incorporates physical and visual boundaries, visual schedules, routines, work systems, and task organisation.

Structured environments and classrooms can promote a clear understanding of the schedules, activities, and expectations for the children and young people with autism and their teachers. ( TaskExamplesAIM) ( How to Make a Task PDF)

They:

Promote independence and give meaning to the environment

Can transform curriculum, learning activities and tasks into concrete, visual sequences that support the student as he or she may have difficulties with Executive Function and may also have poorer communication skills

Allow for understanding and with predicting what is happening in the classroom

Support the prediction of the expectations of behaviour and task completion

Support the acquisition of additional and novel skills

Promote the generalisation of skills from one particular environment or setting to another (Iovannone, Dunlap, Huber, and Kincaid, 2003).

Structure is not faded or removed but is modified and adjusted

Visual Supports

Use visual instructions, rules and classroom schedules adapted to meet individual preferences and needs.

Using visual strategies allows students with autism to participate effectively and independently in the classroom setting.
Kidder 2015, Visual Aids for Positive Behavior (SIC)
Fletcher and Morley, 2016 claim, that visual supports are important as they

Can make life more predictable and reduces anxiety

Help the student know what to expect

Give the child time to focus

Allow child to refer back

Support social communication

Support emotional regulation

Encourage independence, i.e. transitions

Encourage consistency and procedure, expectations and routines across all people working with the child

Verbal language and gestures are often not enough

Physical guidance can pose a threat.

When we present information verbally, the words are available for a brief moment, leaving little time to process the information, extract the meaning and complete the task or activity required.

When we present information visually, it can be there for as long as the student needs it. The student can refer back whenever he or she needs to and it allows of independently completing task, request or activity.

It allows the student to have a clear pathway of expectations and to know what he or she should be doing in a particular environment. This can lead to increasing levels of independence. Schack (2014) reminds us,
"An overreliance on adult prompting can create a barrier to independence for individuals with autism. However, through the use of pictorial activity schedules, video modelling (sic), work systems, and social stories, individuals with autism spectrum disorder can learn to function independently in a variety of contexts."

Ideas and Strategies designed to Promote Successful Inclusion Experiences

By working together, we can ensure the best possible outcomes for our children and young people with autism

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Goals of structured teaching methods and visual supports - Building Capacity Resource

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Structured teaching is a visually based approach to creating highly structured environments that support children and young people with autism.

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Social Stories for Social and Cognitive Skills

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Description: Social stories are personalized narratives that describe social situations in a clear and concise manner, often using pictures and simple language to explain how to respond to specific scenarios. They are used to teach social rules and cognitive flexibility.

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How It Helps: Children with Autism often struggle with understanding social cues and adapting to new situations. Social stories improve cognitive flexibility by preparing them for changes, enhancing their ability to process social information and respond appropriately, which supports the development of social cognition and executive functioning.

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Using Social Stories to Improve Your Child’s Understanding & Behavior | TherapyWorks

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Social stories are an easy effective tool that parents can use to help children learn to adjust their behavior & emotions according to the situation they’re in.

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Using social stories to teach social skills & emotions - Caregiver Hacks Series #30

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Hodgdon, L. A. (1995). Visual strategies for improving communication: Practical supports for school and home. QuirkRoberts Publishing.

Bryan, L. C., & Gast, D. L. (2000). Teaching on-task and on-schedule behaviors to high-functioning children with autism via picture activity schedules. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(6), 553-567.

Gray, C. (1994). The New Social Story Book. Future Horizons.

Kokina, A., & Kern, L. (2010). Social story interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(7), 812–826.