How to Educate Children With Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that impairs physical and emotional development. While children with Down syndrome may be limited in their ability to lead normal lives, they can still respond to a proper education.


Step1

Educate children with Down syndrome with a program of early intervention. As soon as a child is born with Down syndrome, plans should be made for enrollment in speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and early-childhood education. This will be a vital step in developing language and motor skills in children with Down syndrome by the time they are old enough to attend school.

Step2

Decide whether you want to educate a child with Down syndrome in a special school for impaired children or place her in a school with children who do not have physical or mental impairments. This will depend upon the health of the child and how well early intervention programs help the child to develop learning and communication skills.

Step3

Place a child with Down syndrome in a learning environment that does not restrict their progress. Children with Down syndrome often do well in school, and a few may even go on to college. By placing them in an environment that allows them to interact with other children, they will prepare to make the transition to adulthood and independent living.

Step4

Work with school administrators, school psychiatrists, teachers and parents to create an individualized education program (IEP). By law, children with physical or mental impairments must be given a chance to thrive and excel academically. Children who are enrolled in IEP programs are usually assigned aides to help them participate and succeed in an academic environment.

Step5

Encourage a child with Down syndrome to develop occupational skills through additional vocational training once they become older. Many programs teach children with Down syndrome how to function independently once they reach adulthood.

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http://www.ehow.com/how_2139846_educate-children-down-syndrome.html

Daniel Radcliffe's Dyspraxia Diagnosis (Harry Porter)

Gina Serpe Mon Aug 18, 5:12 AM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - On the bright side, it hasn't seemed to affect his Quidditch game.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has revealed he suffers from a mild form of dyspraxia, a neurological disorder that often impairs coordination, and which is sometimes mistaken for sheer clumsiness.

"Yes, Dan Radcliffe does have dyspraxia," his rep told Britain's Daily Mail. "This is something he has never hidden. Thankfully his condition is very mild and at worst manifests itself in an inability to tie his shoelaces and bad handwriting."

The 19-year-old revealed his diagnosis to the newspaper while hyping his upcoming Broadway debut in Equus.

Radcliffe had no problem joking about his condition in the Mail. "Why, oh why, has Velcro not taken off?"

The actor did not reveal when he was diagnosed with the disorder, which can sometimes make learning more difficult, but did say that his early days at school were not easy ones.

"I was having a hard time at school in terms of being crap at everything, with no discernible talent," he said.

Enter the acting bug, increased confidence and a massive Potter-powered payday.

Radcliffe's Broadway run kicks off Sept. 5 and lasts through Feb. 8.

Spotting Learning Difficulties

If you are a parent and unclear if your child has learning difficulties, we recommend that you buy Help Your Child to Learn. It will help you understand if your child has Learning Difficulties and which professionals' help you should seek.

Also see the LD Profile Test

For teachers a quick assessment tool is the movement sequence program demonstrated in the film Move to Learn. It will quickly show you the level of neurological maturity of each student by watching their ability to correctly and slowly complete each sequence.

Here are some of the signs which could indicate that your child has a learning difficulty. Has your child shown any of these symptoms?

On the go. Left out child.

Mirror writing. Clumsy Child.

Which is my right hand? Car sickness.

Firecrackers avoided. Shoes on the wrong feet.

Extreme mood swings.

Unable to find things. Poor sitting position.