Young children with Down syndrome are often cheerful and well-liked, enjoying good social acceptance in their family and school environments. However, as they grow older and their social and communication skills develop, problem behaviours may emerge that require appropriate educational intervention.
Learned Helplessness
"Learned helplessness" refers to a state in which a child learns to assume they are incapable of completing a task — not because they truly lack the ability, but because they have received excessive support in the past that prevented them from developing the skill. This dependent behaviour is observed more frequently in tasks the child dislikes or finds difficult.
To address this, support should be gradually reduced while maintaining encouragement, and educational expectations should be clear and appropriate to the child's abilities.
Using Social Behaviours to Escape Tasks
Many individuals with Down syndrome recognise that their endearing social behaviours — such as joking, laughing, and being charming — can distract adults and divert them from academic expectations. A child may use these behaviours as a means of escaping difficult or tedious tasks.
To manage this, reactions to the behaviour should be minimised and the required task clearly reinforced, while ensuring a stimulating learning environment that reduces the motivation to escape.
Deliberate Errors and Random Responses
When a child is capable of performing a task but intentionally fails or responds randomly, this is often an attempt to end the activity or avoid its demands. These children frequently discover that making errors brings a training session to a close or reduces its expectations.
Effective strategies include gentle insistence on correct performance while reducing the value of stopping the task, and varying the presentation style to make the activity more engaging.
Natural and Logical Consequences
Natural and logical consequences are among the most effective educational tools. A natural consequence is what follows directly from a behaviour without the teacher's intervention, while a logical consequence is one arranged by the teacher that is clearly related and proportionate to the behaviour.
For example: if a child refuses to tidy their belongings, they are not permitted to play until they have done so. Such consequences help foster a sense of responsibility and connect behaviour to its outcomes.
Challenges in Learning Self-Management
Some individuals with Down syndrome may experience difficulties with self-regulation and controlling impulsivity. These difficulties manifest as: acting without forethought, struggling to delay gratification, and poor planning for consequences.
This can be addressed by teaching stop-and-think skills before acting, using visual supports as reminders for steps, and reinforcing thoughtful and considered behaviour.
The "Race Against Time" Strategy
This engaging strategy works by challenging the child to complete a task within a set time, transforming the task into an enjoyable game. It is particularly effective with children who show resistance or procrastination.
Applications include using a visible timer and presenting tasks as friendly competitions, while ensuring the child achieves success most of the time to reinforce their motivation.
Wandering and Running Away Behaviour
Some individuals with Down syndrome may leave the classroom or escape from the learning environment. This may stem from: seeking stimulation, escaping pressure, not understanding safety boundaries, or sensory triggers.
Management strategies include securing the environment with appropriate safety measures, teaching the child a suitable functional alternative, understanding and addressing the triggers behind this behaviour, and reinforcing remaining in the appropriate environment.
