Down syndrome is a genetic disorder whereby a child is born with a duplicate of the 21st chromosome or a partial copy it. This affects the way a child develops intellectually and physically. It also increases their risks of additional medical issues.
On March 21st, we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. The 21st was chosen to symbolize the extra 21st chromosome. This day has been observed by many organizations, including the United Nations (UN). It’s been designated to develop understanding and appreciation, and raise awareness of Down syndrome. This encourages agency, choice, and self-advocacy for our children.
Children with Down syndrome are beautiful, capable and eager learners. They need to be given the love, care, opportunity, and space to excel. They may require more time than some other students to process their learning, but they can do it. As educators, we should meet them where they are at and differentiate accordingly.
The following are three teaching strategies for a child with Down Syndrome. Note that some of them can be integrated as a part of your universal design for learning curriculum.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Use Visuals
Children with down syndrome are visual learners. While they understand your words more than you realize and they can verbally communicate back to you, their ability to follow visual cues is greater. They are good at following rules and routines if provided with the right tools. So, putting up a visual of schedule of the day on your board and on the child’s desk, or a visual of your routines will be of great benefit to your student.
#2. Focus On Pacing
Instead of having your student learn every single thing that’s outlined in the curriculum, focus on the essentials, differentiate, and go at a slower pace. This will also be helpful for other students in your class who are having a difficult time with a particular topic.
#3. One-On-One Attention
One-on-one support can be a great way to help your student focus as, like many other children, they can get distracted when there’s too much of stimuli. Over time though, a child may get used to this form of attention and become reliant on it. You will have to see what your student can and can’t do on their own so that when the time comes, you can gradually wean them off and use this kind of support when it’s needed, especially as the child gets older.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The importance of raising awareness about World Down Syndrome Day.
- Three teaching strategies for a child with Down syndrome: use visuals, focus on pacing, and one-on-one attention.
Free Resources:
If your children are struggling to hand in assignments on time, check out the following video training: 3 Steps to Teach Children How to Overcome Procrastination to Increase Productivity.
In the mean time, if you’re feeling stressed out, overwhelmed and burnout, then I encourage you to check out the following: FREE MASTERCLASS: Systematic Plan to Super Passionate.
Next Steps:
For calm down areas on a budget, for your students who have autism, CLICK HERE.
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I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte