Supporting Positive Behavior

The DSACK Lending Library is full of wonderful resources for parents/caregivers, grandparents, teachers, and self-advocates. This issue, we’re featuring “Supporting Positive Behavior in Children and Teens with Down Syndrome – The Respond but Don’t React Method” by Dr. David S. Stein, a pediatric psychologist.

Behavior challenges are common in people with Down syndrome. Some 30 percent of children with Down syndrome have issues that are significant enough to be diagnosed by a psychologist or other health care professional. Even more have challenges that might not require a professional’s help but still can cause problems at home and school

What’s more, when left untreated, behavior issues in children with Down syndrome often become behavior issues in adults with Down syndrome

The good news, according to Dr. David S. Stein in his important book, is that with the right interventions things usually do get better. “In other words, it may take some time and effort, but I very rarely find that problem behaviors are ‘unfixable,’” he writes.

In a highly readable and engaging style, Stein starts by helping readers understand how the brain works for people with DS While every individual is different, there are some common brain differences that are important to note. For example, they tend to be stronger visual learners than verbal learners. He also looks at learning and memory, language, executive function, social functioning, and motivation

Dr. Stein then looks at how the world around us is a “mismatch” for their particular brain profile and how that mismatch can lead to behavior problems. He says that there are many behavior issues that are common in individuals with Down syndrome; however, because each individual is unique there are less common behaviors as well.

Importantly, Dr Stein points out that while we often view negative behavior from any child as willful or intentional, all behavior has a purpose: It is a form of communication Behavior is a “ means of expression when we have no other tools left in our skill set.”

Lastly, he writes about how to help people with Down syndrome do their best behaviorally, using the “respond but don’t react method” referenced in the title. In summary, he maintains that “reactive strategies” should not be the first option. Whenever possible, he writes, it’s best to try to prevent the behavior “That’s how we know we really understand what the individual with Down syndrome is trying to communicate with that behavior. These discipline and ‘reactive’ strategies are really only short-term tools They may work great when a new behavior pops up, but we should always be trying to figure out what is causing that behavior and trying to prevent it from happening in the first place.”