What you need to know
It is important to have HIGH LEARNING EXPECTATIONS for children who have Klinefelter syndrome. Encourage use of the core educational curriculum and modify it in order to meet the individual needs of the child.
Many individuals with KS grow up to be successful in academics, careers, and personal lives. However, there are differences related to the presence of an extra “X” chromosome. This includes differences in cognitive, language and psychological growth. Individuals with KS typically don’t usually have an intellectual disability. Most have average to low average intelligence.
- Delayed speech
- Gross and fine motor delays
- Sensory integration difficulties
- Sensitivity to sound, touch, movement
- Low muscle tone
- ADHD
- Problems with spelling and math
Individuals with KS often have auditory processing and language based learning disabilities. These have been identified in 70-80% of children with KS.
- Expressive speech and language
- Receptive language
- Lower skills in auditory, memory, confrontation naming (word retrieval), and verbal fluency
- Specific reading disability ~50-75%
- Individuals may experience delays in meeting speech and language milestones.
- Difficulty in conversation, expressing personal thoughts, opinions and needs may occur
If learning difficulties aren’t addressed it can lead to lower academic achievement, reduced self-esteem, and behavior problems.
- Boys with KS may have trouble using language to express their thought and needs
- May have difficulty putting thoughts, ideas, emotions into words.
- May find it hard to learn and remember words of common items.
- They may have difficulty processing what they hear
- May appear to “tune out” or fidget because it takes longer to process information.
- May find it difficult to concentrate in a noisy class.
- Many boys have difficulty understanding what they read.
- May read slower
What you can do
Provide and seek appropriate classroom supports as needed.
- Help with organization
- Present information in concrete manner
- Provide routine, structure, and consistency
- Use manipulative materials to demonstrate concepts
- Simplify verbal information and explain concepts clearly
- Provide visual cues and instructions
- Repeat information and use positive reinforcement.
- Provide quiet learning environment, background noise may be distracting
- Help prioritize work and activities
- Allow a “ timeout” from concentration
- Reach good study skills
- Use technology when appropriate
- Appropriate and timely intervention by a speech and language pathologist can help keep speech and language skills on track.
- Promote language understanding by using simple short sentences, visual prompts, and pictures.
- Use a child’s experiences and interests to engage child in learning
- Allow extra time, repeat directions, provide lesson summaries, and record lessons so child can listen again.
- Have child repeat directions
- Creating situations in which student’s can practice their skills in natural settings is suggested for therapy.
- Allow opportunities to use descriptive expression throughout the day
- Providing ample time for responding
- Increasing the child’s self confidence by calling on them when they know answer
- Encouraging a child to repeat the questions before responding
- Allowing a child time to rehearse and respond
- Supporting motor development, coordination, tone and sensory needs.
- Instruction needs to be repeated
- Poor concentration
- Provide non-distracting environment
- Monitor and evaluate behavior and emotions