TEACHING and DOWN SYNDROME: THREE GUIDELINES

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In Down Syndrome Parenting, Teaching Down syndrome
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Three Guidelines That Won’t Fail You

When we set out to teach anything to our children/teens/adults with Down syndrome, there are three guidelines that will serve you well.

1. Size Does Mattertask size

Task size is of huge importance. “It’s too hard!” is the red flag alert for this one. If the task is indeed too hard–and it probably is, if you’re hearing that war cry–that’s your cue to break it down into smaller units. Have you heard of “backward chaining?” That’s among the most awesome examples of awareness of task size and breaking the task down. But backward chaining goes a step further and begins at the end. Let’s say Dad is trying to teach Megan to make up her bed in the morning. Dad breaks down the task into 6 steps, the last of which is “Put the pillow back on the bed.” Using backward chaining, Dad does the first 5 steps and Megan puts the pillow back on the bed. Working from the easy end, Megan eventually learns to do all 6 steps.

When is the task small enough? Only experimenting will give you the answer to that, and inconveniently, the answer may change every day. But you know that already.

2. Over and Over and Over Againrepetition

Frequency is the next big item. In teaching reading, for example, 5 minutes twice a day will accomplish infinitely more than an hour once a week. When you show the brain a flash card, for instance, it says, “I see that…Yawn.” If you’re using Fast Flash, the brain says, “I see that! I see that! I see that! I see that! I see that!” For learning all tasks, the need for repetition is of course obvious. What’s not anticipated until it happens is that repetition sometimes doesn’t stick: what Shawn knew last week he’s forgotten this week. But it will stick eventually…first make sure there are no physical/neurological/etc obstacles, and then keep nurturing your love affair with Pete and Repeat.

3. Longer Timecalendar

Duration is the last big one. You might expect a task to be learned in, say, two months. In fact, it may take four. Expect this and factor this into your plan. It’s normal, it’s natural, and it’s okay.

A Recap

  • Small task size
  • Frequent/Daily teaching
  • Duration: For as long as it takes

If we approach our teaching task this way, we’re putting a round peg in a round hole, and all will eventually be well. Success!!

Natalie-Hale-sig

 

 

 

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