Downs With Ups

This week was the start of Term 2 and I’m reflecting on how well Poppet is progressing at school.  The first few weeks of Term 1 are usually very challenging for each year brings a new teacher and each teacher comes with a different level of understanding about learners with Down syndrome.  The teacher must learn about Poppet and Poppet must learn how the teacher operates.

I have a book about learners with Down syndrome[1] and I’ve passed it from teacher to teacher over the years, in the hope it provides them with a deeper appreciation of what may be required.  We have been very fortunate in that all of Poppet’s teachers have been keen to explore the best ways to engage her and help her learn.

One of the major ‘ah-ha’ moments I had as a parent of a child with Down syndrome, was that Poppet does not learn by imitation or by copying; this applies to her life at home and at school, among her peers.  To help her develop this ‘skill’, I tried over the years to teach her how to imitate by making up games that involve copying actions and behaviours.  This had mixed results but Poppet always defaulted to her preferred learning style.

Like most people with Down syndrome, Poppet is tactile and is a visual learner.  There’s no point telling Poppet how to do something or even showing her an action and expect her to grasp what you want her to do; this will simply end in frustration for both parties.

This may seem contradictory to what I’ve written about copying.  However, when hands on, concrete learning prompts are combined, Poppet has the best opportunity to learn[2].

For example, when Poppet started to learn to play the piano, I asked her to put her fingers on top of mine as I played the notes.  She could see what was required as we played the notes correctly and she could also feel it.

Poppet’s rather clever piano teacher also wrote the numbers one to five on each of her fingers, then the corresponding number on each of the notes in the music.  Poppet was then able to easily match the correct finger to the note.  This is a perfect example of visual learning and set Poppet up for success.

Importantly, people with Down syndrome typically learn from getting things right.  The old axiom, ‘you learn from your mistakes’ does not apply for learners with Down syndrome.  Setting a student up to succeed not only builds confidence in their own ability to learn, but also helps them to cement the learning objective.

Over the years, I’ve realised there are other factors that influence Poppet’s ability to learn.  I’m sure these would also apply to other children with Down syndrome.  I’ve listed some of my learnings here.

1. We were told when Poppet was about three that if it takes an average child three or four attempts to master a new skill, it takes a child with Down syndrome 101 attempts. This means Poppet needs extra time and space to learn new things, as well as the opportunity to practice, practice, practice.
2. Information and instructions need to be slowed way down. This means that the teacher must speak slowly and deliver information in steps.  As she is very sensitive to interpersonal cues, Poppet will often appear to understand what is being said but in fact, will miss the point.
3. She needs to feel physically safe or at least perceive she is safe. This is important to remember when she is learning a physical skill, like cutting vegetables or swimming.
4. Nobody likes to be embarrassed for not knowing something and Poppet is no different. She needs to know she won’t make a fool of herself, which is important in a class situation particularly, but even in a one-on-one scenario.  If she doesn’t understand the question, she will not participate.
5. Poppet needs to understand the context of the learning; she needs to understand how it will apply in practice. It takes some creativity to demonstrate to Poppet how she will be able to apply the outcome, especially when it comes to conceptual areas such as times tables.
6. She needs to receive assurance that she will be able to do it. Consistent and frequent encouragement helps her to stay on track and focus on the task, especially when she starts to doubt herself or if she has made a mistake.
7. Poppet thrives when she feels a belief in her ability. She benefits from having high expectations set and the support she needs to achieve them.
8. Tasks need to be broken down into smaller steps and she needs time to learn each step, (remembering my first point). Depending on the complexity of the task, Poppet’s learning can take some time.  Learning how to swim freestyle for example, took five years before she was confident to swim on her own.
9. Her confidence is greatly bolstered once she has mastered something; this gives her incentive to stretch herself by trying something more complicated.

I admire Poppet for her determination to learn and her willingness to have a go, most of the time.  Contrary to some perceptions, people with Down syndrome are capable of learning and will continue to learn for life, if given the opportunity.  For Poppet, once she has mastered something, there’s no stopping her.

[1] Learners with Down Syndrome – A Handbook for Teaching Professionals, Down Syndrome Victoria

[2] A comprehensive article on learners with Down syndrome can be found at https://www.down-syndrome.org/reports/113/ .