Has anyone worked with a child with Down Syndrome?

Question

I will be working in a school with a 9 year old child with Down Syndrome. I would really appreciate any information on your experience. Do they have behavioral challenges? Did you enjoy working with them? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

DS kids are so wonderful to be around.  They are so loving and happy.  It can be hard because they can be completely willing to randomly hug strangers.

Answer 2

I have worked at a preschool that enrolled students birth through age 5 with special needs. They also enrolled students that were typically developing as well. Together the children interacted with one another in the same classroom regardless of their abilities. I was in the preschool classroom and I was there for 3 years. My boss's 9 year old daughter was born with Down's Syndrome and i often babysat for them. I also had children with DS in my classroom as well. To me they are just like every other child out there. Very determined to things their way on their own time. They were very sweet and very smart. We played games and sang songs. We even sat and watched movies. My suggestion is to find what interests the child and use that to your advantage. Treat them like a 9 yr old and not a baby. Stand your ground when asking them to do something but be reasonable. As for behavior you shouldn't have any problems just be patient and talk youe way through it. You might have to make things a game or just plan fun. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I have worked with lots of children (and adults) with Down Syndrome and I can honestly say, each person is different (just like you and me.) The best things you can do for yourself to feel more prepared is to research general information on Down Syndrome and look at the child's IEP (if you are working with him/her in the school.) Parents are probably the most important resource you can have for working with their child. They know their child best and will be able to give you important information.

Answer 4

kids with down syndrome are the most loving, caring children imaginable. they don't have it in them to be cruel or spiteful and they can't understand why someone else would want to be cruel, which can make it hard sometimes when things go wrong.

all kids with disabilities have behavioral challenges and it's extremely variable...but this i can tell you: every behavior a person has is learned and serves some purpose. someone taught them to do that behavior. if you need any advice, or stories you can learn from, you can send me a message through my profile. :) you're going to love working with this kid.

Answer 5

I currently work with a child with down syndrome.  she is sweet and loving.  She does not have any behavioral issues to date.  I treat her the same way as the other children in her class.  Somethings take a little more time but other than that she performs well.  Patience is key.

Answer 6

Yes, I currently work with three Down Syndrome children.  There are different  levels of severity and some do have behavioral challenges.  The children I work with are severely disabled and have behavior issues.  The most important thing I can tell you is that I truly enjoy working with these children.  They are very loving and at the same time, some can be unpredictably violent.  They are not too much different than you and I except that they are limited in what they can do.  I would treat them just like you would treat any child.  You need to be firm, yet loving.  They are often capable of doing much more than they are given credit for.  

I guarantee you that you will get so much out of the experience.  There are not many people who can do this type of work.  You are truly special.

Answer 7

Mostly they are very loving. They certainly can have a stubborn streak. You cannot reason with them. Being consistent & setting rules are necessary.

I am reminded by a tale my psychologist friend told me. She was going to test a Down's child at reevaluation. The young girl came into the room, sat on the floor, pulled off her shoes, gave them a toss, pointed to the sign on the wall and laughed then rubbed her elbow down the wall. The sign said, Keep your hands off the walls. That is pretty typical behavior anywhere from young to old.

We do have one severe student that is virtually non-verbal but quite a little athlete. Our other students have difficulty keeping up with him when he takes off running. He does this when the fire alarm sounds. When he gets outside, he stands on the curbing as if running a race at Special Olympics. The alarm soiounds for a long time and he'll run down the parking lot, but so far, he always returns. He can shoot a basketball with accuracy that would shame many professional players.

Answer 8

some do-can be very stubborn-but many are very pleasant to work with-

a few act out aggressively---

you should have access to his IEP and Child Study team to give you specific info

skills can range from basic life skills like eating and activating a button to academic skills-a few have gone to college