Hearing

Frequent colds, upper respiratory infections

and small ear canals resulting in impacted

wax,can cause varying degrees of temporary or permanent hearing loss.

Loss of hearing can vary as much as 40 db

from one day to the next.

Hyperacusis, ie. over-sensitive to loud

noises.

Significant and/or permanent hearing loss.

Delayed speech and language development.

When the hearing is affected the student

will not hear well in the classroom

situation.

The student may not hear sirens in the yard

or teacher instruction when outside.

Inconsistent responses to instructions from

day to day

Inconsistent speech patterns.

The student may place hands over ears or

want to withdraw from situations where

there is a lot of loud noise, ie.concerts,

assembly.

Student may wear hearing aids.

Sit the student appropriately so he/she can

see and hear the teacher (ie close to the

speaker) and not be looking into bright light

coming in from a window.

Give instuctions clearly, simply and 'face-to-face'.

Use language appropriate to the student's

level of development.

The student may use signing.

Seat the student towards the back of the room

and comfort when necessary.

Consideration will need to be given to carpeting,

curtains and furnishings, to ensure the

classroom is acoustically appropriate.

Eyesight

Above average incidence of impaired vision.

Increased susceptibility to eye damage

from exposure to the sun.

The student may display behaviours, such

as, tilting the head back or working far too

close to a book.

The student may wear glasses which he/she

may have difficulty keeping on.

Gradual deterioration of the eye tissue.

Suggest the student's eyes are checked.

Ensure appropriate seating in the classroom.

Check if student has glasses.

Request information about vision from parents.

Ensure adequate protection from sun exposure,

ie. hat, UV cream, approved sunglasses.

Immune System

Underdeveloped immune system.

May be more susceptible to illness,

particularly upper respiratory infections.

May be frequently on anti-biotics which

may affect behaviour and toileting.

Respond to individual needs.

Heart Defects

Heart defects, many of which are now

operable, are found in up to 40% of students.

May have a 'pigeon chest' ie breast bone

sticking out  - which is no need for concern in relation to IMPLICATIONS and STRATEGIES

Student may be slow in movements.

May tire easily.

May be less-able to fully participate in physical activities.

Obtain accurate, updated medical information.

During physical activity, allow the student

 to opt out when the end of his/her level of endurance has been reached.

Neck Instability

Increased mobility of the first two neck bones

causes neck instability.

It is recommended that the student obtain an x-ray before engaging in activities such as tumbling,

trampolining, somersaulting or horse riding.

Check that an x-ray has been taken.  This

can be done at the age of 5 years and again at the age of 10 years.

Fine Motor Skills

Poor dexterity.

Difficulty with handwriting, cutting and other

manipulative activities.

Student can experience poor manipulation

skills, eg. difficulty with self-help skills,

such as buttoning clothing.

Sketchy handwriting, oversized or undersized

writing.

Student may need to be physically stable

when carrying out manippulative activities.

Activities should include games and songs that practice isolating fingers and developing

muscle strength in arms, wrists,hands and fingers.

Student should access 'Key Steps' program.

A structured handwriting program may be

necessary.

The student may be too small for classroom

furniture...consider placing a box under feet.

Gross Motor Skills

Varying degrees of poor muscle tone.

Poor motor planning.

The student may be 'flat' footed.

Student may be floppy and loose jointed.

Difficulties with co-ordination and gait.

Difficulty with accessing equipment...

"Where do I put myself to get over?"

Students may not have the same stamina as

their peers and therefore may have difficulty

keeping up when walking/jogging is

required.

The student may wear orthotic devices in his/her footwear.

Should be encouraged to participate in

physical activity along with his/her peers.

Student should participate in the "Fun and

Games" program if there is one in the school.

The student may need to be taught how to

access playground equipment.

Verbal and physical guidance will assist the

student to gain confidence.

Model or "talk" the students through the

problem.

Allow the student to rest when and where it

is appropriate.

Ensure devices are placed in the correct shoe

after Phys.Ed. or swimming, etc.

 Signing may be appropriate for the student with Down syndrome,

ie. signing is used to augment speech and language development.

The student may not be able to indicate his/her personal needs.

The student may show frustration associated with the inability to

communicate.

The student may use gesture as a form of expression.

 Signing resources, ie. story books and signing dictionaries

If a student is not being understood, say to the student, "Show me".

Provide opportunities for the student to communicate with adults and peers.

Encourage the student to participate in activities that involve 'turn taking'

and sharing.

Encourage the student to use social greetings and manners, eg. "Good

Morning", "Help me" and "Please"...and to communicate at routine times,

eg. at lunch.

Guide the other students to wait for the student with Down syndrome to

respond and discourage them from talking for the student.

The student's language may not be as sophisticated as his/her peers.

Gain eye contact and gove clear, simple instructions to the student.

Use consistent language structures.  This will need to be supported by the whole school community including relief teachers during recess, lunch and

extra curricular activities.

 Short-term memory means that the student may have difficulty retaining instructions and may forget them over a period of time.

The student may be unable to retain multiple instructions.

The student may have poor listening skills and elicit only parts of

what has been said.

 Give instructions in small stages, eg...."Get the book" ... wait for the student

to carry out the instruction, then ... "Go to the table...".

It may be necessary to model what is required.

 The student may have difficulty understanding the general level of

language used in the classroom.

The student may use limited, expressive language structures,

eg. 2-3 word sentences.

 Encourage the other students to talk with the student with Down syndrome.

Spend five minutes each day talking with the student.

Make the most of special occasions to elicit language, eg. birthdays

Extend sentence structures by modelling a more complex structure,

eg. student ... "red truck"

       adult ... "yes, a big red truck".

A 'communication book' between home and school is a useful tool for

'coversation starters'.

 The student may display disruptive behaviours

due to developmental immaturity.

The student may take longer to learn the

classroom and school routines, ie. returning

to the class when the bell goes.

He/she may get over excited.

The student may have a range of attention

seeking and task avoidance behaviours.

 The student's behaviour may disrupt the other

students.

Routines may need to be re-established at the

beginning of each term.

Rules will need to be explained individually

when on excursions.

Behaviour management will require a time

commitment above what might normally be

expected.

The individual student with Down syndrome

may, from day to day, display inconsistencies in

behaviour and abilities.

 Consideration must be given to the

developmental level of the student and

expectations matched accordingly.

Curriculum materials and activities should also

match the developmental needs of the student.

Rules should be limited in number, simple and

demonstrated to the student and be in black and

white terms, eg. "No kicking ... time out".

It cannot be assumed that the student will know

what is expected by appropriate behaviour.  It will

be necessary to state what the 'appropriate' is,

eg. "No touching Mary, sit with hands in your lap."

The student must be made aware that his/her

behaviour has made the teacher displeased

and angry, eg. through the tone of voice and

body language.

GOOD BEHAVIOUR SHOULD BE REINFORCED

AT ALL TIMES ... CATCH THE STUDENT BEING

GOOD!

Descriptive praise is the most useful, ie.

student's name ... like, "John, lovely sitting".

When the student is able to understand a more

complex language structure, 'normal' phrases

will be appropriate.

 The student may have difficulty with a change

of routine at home or school.

 The student needs adequate preparation

before a change of routine.

 A 'communication book' with parents will be

useful in communicating information and in

preparing the student for changes in routine.

The use of a simple daily/weekly timetable will

also be useful, eg. "It's two more sleeps until

swimming starts".

 The student may have underdevolped social

skills.

 The student may not know how to initiate

communication or play with his/her peers.

 Emphasis will have to be placed on the

student learning appropriate social skills.

 The student may have difficulties recognising

and staying within physical boundaries, ie. the

playground.

 The need to implement appropriate

supervision in the school yard.

 The use of a 'buddy' system will be useful

in encouraging the student to return to class

after bell times.

The provision of appropriate play equipment

will encourage the student to stay in the

playground, eg. buckets and spades for the

sandpit, balls, hoops, bats and balls.  The

student may need to be taught how to use

the equipment.

Consideration may have to be given to placing

security devices on the gates.

A response plan is needed in the event that the

student leaves the school grounds without

permission.

It will be necessary to 'walk' the student around

the school boundaries several times.  It may

also be necessary to repeat this procedure at'

the beginning of each term.

 The 'social' learning of the student needs to be

emphasised, eg. turn taking, making friends.

Functional skills are a priority, eg. recognising

the 'girls toilet' ... eating recess at recess time

and not his/her lunch ... taking off jumpers in

hot weather.

The toileting needs of the student may have

to be considered.

The independence of the student must be

fostered.

 Adaptations in most curriculum areas.

 The student may be isolated and without friends

at recess or lunch times.

The student may be ostracized by his or her peers

for acting inappropriately.

Some students may not be fully toilet trained.

Others may have accidents as a result of

medication or illness.

On excursions, students may have an accident

because of the unfamiliar surroundings.

Independent work habits should be encouraged.

Modifications to the timetable may be necessary.

There will be a need for regular meetings for

the people involved in the student's

curriculum.

Additional support and resources may be required.

To encourae their support, other class

members may need to be informed of the

curriculum needs of the student with 

Down syndrome.

Other teachers need to be informed of the 

student's curriculum needs, in particular,

the relief staff. 

 One-to-one teaching of selected social skills,

followed by small group then whole class

instruction may be necessary.

When a student first commences school, these

skills should be taught as a priority.  Support

staff should be allocated to ensure these

social skills are establlished within the first

term of full-time attendance and revised after

each holiday break.

It may be necessary to establish routine toilet

timing, eg. visit the toilet before/after recess

and lunch.

A contingency plan needs to be in place in

preparation for accidents.

A verbal explanation, plus a walk to the toilet

will be necessary to enable the student to plan

how long it will take to get to the toilet.

The student with Down syndrome may not have

the same muscle control as his/her peers.

Decrease the amount of direct supervision to

encourage independent work habits.

At times it will be appropriate for the student to

work with a small group.

Allow the student to join class activities and

take part at his/her level. In the more formal

part of the lesson, it may be necessary to adapt materials.

Appropriate activities could include ... tracing,

gluing, colouring, cut and paste,

copying and model/independent writing.

Repetition of activities will be valuable, eg.

only one worksheet in a week instead of three.

Have appropriate follow-up activities on hand for

the student to access, eg. a box containing old

activity sheets, glue sheets, glue sticks, scissors,

colouring pencils, textas and familiar reading books.

A listening post can be a valuable resource.

The use of a computer as a tool to meet

curriculum needs of the student should be

explored.

At times it will be necessary for a 1:1 teaching

structure so that the student receives additional

tuition in the 'basics'.  This can be achieved in the

classroom or in a withdrawn setting.

It may not be appropriate for the student to attend

'second language' classes.

Increasing 'on task' behaviour will need to be

emphasised in all curriculum areas.

REMEMBER...

   * This student will learn and progress each

       year.

   * Recording the 'starting points' and

      looking at the outcomes will emphasise

      the gains made

Celebrate success ... however small.