Physical · Down Syndrome

What is it?

Down syndrome is a genetic condition that causes intellectual impairment and is associated with a number of physical features and medical conditions.

What causes it?

Down syndrome is a set of physical and mental traits caused by a gene problem that occurs prior to birth. Down syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality resulting in 47 chromosomes rather than the usual 46. Having extra or abnormal chromosomes changes the way the brain and body develop.

Incidence

The condition occurs in about one in 800 live births.

Medical Considerations

Students with Down syndrome have complex needs and a range of associated conditions and characteristics. These can include vision and hearing problems, language and fine motor difficulties. Behavioural difficulties and autism may occur in conjunction with Down Syndrome, and some health problems may also be present.

Characteristics

Students with Down syndrome do not just have an intellectual disability. Down syndrome is a complex disorder that affects cognitive capacity, sensory functioning, behaviour, physical capacity and health. Children with Down syndrome have recognisable facial and other physical features. For example, they are often shorter than other children, have short hands and fingers, a horizontal skin crease across the palm, a small head that is flattened at the back, and folds of the inner angle of the eyes.

Support

In all children with Down syndrome, care should be taken not to extend the neck excessively. Some children may need modification of some activities if they have strength or coordination difficulties, but participation should be facilitated and encouraged.

Further Information

The NSW Department of Education and Training Guidelines for the Safe Conduct of Sport and Physical Activity provide further information.

Down Syndrome Australia

Lesson Preparation & Materials

• Simplify class worksheets, project briefs and homework sheets – reduce the information and simplify the language.
• Use concrete materials, real-world aids and visual cues extensively to support learning.
• Incorporating ICT into learning is particularly useful for visual learners.

Teaching Strategies

• Limit amount of new material introduced at any one time (use mind mapping or visual note-taking to assist retention). Break tasks into small steps and provide scaffolding to encourage success.
• Use underlining and highlighting to draw attention to key words and concepts. Provide opportunities for repetition and consolidation which links information and skills to familiar concepts. Encourage categorisation skills. Utilise the student’s interests, learning strengths and motivations wherever possible.
• Many students with Down Syndrome read fluently, but comprehension is not usually at the same level. Visual memory skills often assist with decoding. Many students recognise whole words easily and benefit from the pre-teaching of sight words related to the text.
• Teach skills with small extracts and check frequently for understanding as short-term memory is poor.
• Use short clear directions and instructions – be consistent in language and prompts.
• Gain student attention before speaking and use frequent eye contact. Use gesture/signs/visual cues for reinforcement. Use simple, 2- to 3-step instructions in familiar language and allow processing time. Reward listening positively.
• Some students may sign or benefit from the use of assistive and augmentative technologies.
• Visual supports assist children in cases where sporadic hearing loss interferes with verbal communication.
• Students with Down syndrome can usually understand much more than they can express verbally or intelligibly. If a student with Down syndrome has difficulty with articulation and is not easily understood, the parent/carer should be advised to consult a speech pathologist.
• Short-term memory problems will affect a student’s ability to understand complex concepts and to decipher confusing visual images or large amounts of text. Limit choice as it may overwhelm. The student may lose concentration during long verbal presentations or rapid conversations.
• Display lesson outlines and schedules as visual tools.
• Keep activities short and incorporate frequent breaks or changes in activity/pace. Plan less material, slow down the pace, allow extra time for completion, and carry on practicing even after you think the student has understood.

Feedback & Assessment

• Impaired vision and hearing are common and can affect the student’s ability to learn and communicate. Obstructive sleep apnoea and hypothyroidism may also affect a student’s learning and concentration, and any concerns should be discussed with the student’s parent/carer.
• Check understanding frequently to allow the student to demonstrate understanding.

Classroom Management

• Ensure a quiet space is available for working in small groups. This provides a distraction-free zone.
• Encourage all students to make notes using pictures and captions. Books displaying bus procedures and out of bounds areas can be made easily using digital images which include the student.
• Often behaviour is suggestive more of developmental age rather than chronological. Students with Down syndrome take longer than most to learn classroom rules and may struggle with change. This may lead to frustration and anxiety.
• Students are often sensitive to criticism and failure. Ensure the environment and materials are differentiated appropriately.
• Arrange for peers, staff and SLSOs to facilitate socially inclusive opportunities in and out of the classroom. Students don’t like to be ‘singled out’ by doing work that appears to be too different from peers.
• Social skills are usually appropriate and interactive however, language difficulties may hamper this. Peer interaction should be encouraged to develop social and language skills.

Peers & SLSOs

• Assign peer or staff help for students when undertaking practical tasks.
• Seat near others who will stay on-task and model appropriate behaviour.

Have I...

• Provided simple and explicit instructions?

• Broken tasks down into smaller, manageable steps?

• Colour-coded key terms and concepts?

• Discussed successful strategies with the Learning Support Team?

• Established a peer mentoring program or provided SLSO assistance?