Parents of children with Down syndrome, who are also called ‘sun children,’ often face the problem of adaptation of their kids in society. Advices about what to do for the socialization of children with this genetic disorder are given by the specialists of the Feldman Ecopark Centre for Psychosocial Rehabilitation today, on the World Down Syndrome Day.
“The main answer is to act like any other parent with a child. Of course, every child has his/her individual peculiarities, preferences and abilities, and the work with the ‘sun children’ is also specific,” the head of the Centre’s psychological department Tetiana Aliieva tells.
If parents choose not to hide this child from the society, they should adhere to the following recommendations:
— if you choose a regular school for a child with Down syndrome, first, it is necessary to look at the group and at the reaction of children. The main thing for you is a positive attitude of children to each other in the group;
— introduce yourself openly and honestly, tell about you and your child, about what he/she likes and about his/her passions;
— ask your child whether he/she likes to be in the group among children;
— distribute loads. First of all, a kid should stay in school during only several lessons. The main thing is that your child likes the school instead of being tired of it;
— develop your kid. It will help you to learn more about the child’s abilities and preferences.
And of course, the communication with the nature and animals are good for the socialization of children with Down syndrome. Some types of animal-assisted therapy give good results. The Feldman Ecopark Centre for Psychosocial Rehabilitation can offer this, as it has developed the special programme for children with Down syndrome.
Reference. Down syndrome was first described in 1866 by a British doctor John Langdon Down. Nearly a hundred years later, in 1959, a French scientist Jérôme Lejeune grounded a genetic origin of this syndrome, which is defined by the availability of the extra chromosome in human cells.