Post by Connie on Aug 15, 2006 10:33:04 GMT -5
I copied this from a post made by MB. I just thought it was so appropriate and something I am going to do within the next week or so with Collin's class... Thanks MB.
Giving the Down syndrome 101 talk has always been successful for my son. The kids really don't care about the Trisomy 21 stuff. They are fascinated with why he talks funny, runs funny etc... Here's what I do:
I am a renegade in that I do not stress what is most alike between my son and the other kids. They are curious, nervous and uncomfortable with what isn't alike between them. So, I strive to make them feel comfortable with the differences.
1. Down syndrome is not contagious.
2. Ds knocks 30 points off the IQ. My son probably started out smarter than many of us, but the Ds robbed him of his high IQ.
3. Ds results in certain features - eyes, knotch in ears, simeon crease, fingers, height etc..
4. Ds results in low muscle tone which is why his ankles flop when he runs, he chews with his mouth open, has a hard time using a pencil and speech. Hearing loss is also a problem with Ds.
5. At this point I have a couple of the kids put cotton in their ears, fill their mouths with cheerios, put pantyhose over their face (get queen-size legs and cut them off), stocking caps on, large garden gloves on their hands . For teens, I might have them wear two pairs of gloves.
6. Have the costumed kids sit in the back of the room. Speak in a normal voice and have all of the kids take a piece of paper and a pencil. Have them fold the paper a couple of times. Number the squares. Start asking them to write info in each square - name, address, favorite color.
7. Collect the papers and show the class how much the costumed kids papers look like a kid with Ds. Only half of the instructions are carried out and they are sloppy.
At this point, the kids explode with questions about how to help my son overcome the obstacles that plague him all day every day. I point out that I am always amazed that my son can continue to smile most of the time and I really don't blame him when he becomes "a little" frustrated.
Then we launch into strategies to help my son communicate. I ask the costumed kids if they want me to start talking to them like they were babies. They of course reply, no. I then start pointing out that when they say things to my son they would never say to a regular kid in the class, they are really saying that my son is too stupid or too much of a baby to figure things out himself. And how would these kids feel if I told them constantly to:
Come on, it's time to leave when all of the kids are already leaving.
Put your coat on.
Put your things away.
Hurry up, etc..
All of these phrases are not helpful, they are a message to my son that he is either too stupid or too much of a baby to figure out that it is time to leave, or put on his coat or put things away etc... He needs to be left alone to do it at his own pace or he needs the opportunity to ask someone for help.
What he needs is to be treated like the other kids in his class.
Would the costumed kids still like to have friends over, go to dances, bowling etc...? I blame everything on the Down syndrome and get the kids to look at my son as one of them stuck with this syndrome.
I ask the kids invite my son over to play/hang out and hope that they will come to our house when asked.
The kids really respond well to this presentation. A letter goes home to the parents with my phone number in case there any questions come up at home.
Hope this helps. I know I posted without you asking for it specifically, but at the beginning of the school year it is something that is probably of interest to many.
mb
Hope you don't mind that I put this here...just thought it was valuable.
Connie
Giving the Down syndrome 101 talk has always been successful for my son. The kids really don't care about the Trisomy 21 stuff. They are fascinated with why he talks funny, runs funny etc... Here's what I do:
I am a renegade in that I do not stress what is most alike between my son and the other kids. They are curious, nervous and uncomfortable with what isn't alike between them. So, I strive to make them feel comfortable with the differences.
1. Down syndrome is not contagious.
2. Ds knocks 30 points off the IQ. My son probably started out smarter than many of us, but the Ds robbed him of his high IQ.
3. Ds results in certain features - eyes, knotch in ears, simeon crease, fingers, height etc..
4. Ds results in low muscle tone which is why his ankles flop when he runs, he chews with his mouth open, has a hard time using a pencil and speech. Hearing loss is also a problem with Ds.
5. At this point I have a couple of the kids put cotton in their ears, fill their mouths with cheerios, put pantyhose over their face (get queen-size legs and cut them off), stocking caps on, large garden gloves on their hands . For teens, I might have them wear two pairs of gloves.
6. Have the costumed kids sit in the back of the room. Speak in a normal voice and have all of the kids take a piece of paper and a pencil. Have them fold the paper a couple of times. Number the squares. Start asking them to write info in each square - name, address, favorite color.
7. Collect the papers and show the class how much the costumed kids papers look like a kid with Ds. Only half of the instructions are carried out and they are sloppy.
At this point, the kids explode with questions about how to help my son overcome the obstacles that plague him all day every day. I point out that I am always amazed that my son can continue to smile most of the time and I really don't blame him when he becomes "a little" frustrated.
Then we launch into strategies to help my son communicate. I ask the costumed kids if they want me to start talking to them like they were babies. They of course reply, no. I then start pointing out that when they say things to my son they would never say to a regular kid in the class, they are really saying that my son is too stupid or too much of a baby to figure things out himself. And how would these kids feel if I told them constantly to:
Come on, it's time to leave when all of the kids are already leaving.
Put your coat on.
Put your things away.
Hurry up, etc..
All of these phrases are not helpful, they are a message to my son that he is either too stupid or too much of a baby to figure out that it is time to leave, or put on his coat or put things away etc... He needs to be left alone to do it at his own pace or he needs the opportunity to ask someone for help.
What he needs is to be treated like the other kids in his class.
Would the costumed kids still like to have friends over, go to dances, bowling etc...? I blame everything on the Down syndrome and get the kids to look at my son as one of them stuck with this syndrome.
I ask the kids invite my son over to play/hang out and hope that they will come to our house when asked.
The kids really respond well to this presentation. A letter goes home to the parents with my phone number in case there any questions come up at home.
Hope this helps. I know I posted without you asking for it specifically, but at the beginning of the school year it is something that is probably of interest to many.
mb
Hope you don't mind that I put this here...just thought it was valuable.
Connie
&&Mommy to Griffin (96), Gray (97) Collin (00) enhanced and Lauren (02) the little princess.
&
Susan, Proud mom of Michael (32), Justin (25) Emily (22ds), and Jordan (20).
