Behavior & Sensory Support

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Obsessive compulsive disorders

• Wandering off
• Playground
• Field Trips

• Children with Down syndrome will often approach strangers in a friendly way.
• The overt friendliness with strangers may put them at an increased risk for exploitation.
• Reinforce the concepts of personal boundaries.

• Talking aloud to oneself is a way to process information and think things through.
• Children who have DS not only use self-talk to help themselves learn, but many seem almost incapable of silent thought.
• Those who are readers may have difficulty reading silently and need to do so out loud.
• Also, self-talk often involves the externalization of fantasy life. This can lead to embarrassing moments, and at worst, mistaken impressions that a child or youth is delusional or hallucinating as they audibly act out fantasy dialogues.

• Stubborn behavior usually prompted by not fully understanding what is expected or trying to gain control over their lives
• Pay attention to triggers
  • Frustration
  • Lack of understanding
  • Inability to communicate

Decreased attention span, impulsive behavior excessive fidgeting, and non-directed motor activity are common in all children at various ages. However, they are more commonly seen in individuals with Down syndrome.

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and impulsivity can be based on developmental age and not just strictly chronological age.
  • The frequency of ADHD in children with DS is not known with certainty.
  • However, ADHD like symptoms are more common in young children with Down syndrome compared to children from the general population.
  • Compounding symptoms such as repetitiveness, anxiety, or extreme irritability in the presence of ADHD-like symptoms may indicate another disorder such as autism, bipolar disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder.
  • Language processing problems and hearing loss may be involved.
• It is important to rule out other causes of ADHD.