Down syndrome traits -- many also true of non-Down low IQ adult

Recently I had the privilege of taking about  smartphone support for special needs adults for the Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota. As a speaker I could attend the conference for free, including a talk by a psychologist,Dennis McGuire.I don ’t have a child with Down Syndrome (John Langdon Down ’s syndrome has become Down Syndrome) but #1 ’s IQ is in the typical Down Syndrome range. So I was curious how much of Dr McGuire’s talk applied to my son. I decided about 80% or so — even though #1’s temperament is very different from the Down Syndrome athletes I know from Special Olympics and Minnesota Special Hockey. I suspect that overlap is primarily a result of cognitive disability rather than something unique to Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21). (By way of reference #2 is classic autism spectrum disorder but has a normal college range IQ. This list would not apply to him.)For the parent of a child with a cognitive disability this is valuable stuff. I thought nobody studied these behaviors — but it turns out they are studied in Down Syndrome. We’ve figured most of it out by now, but it would have been good to have had this list 8 years ago.From my notes …Often do better with written word than spoken word, even if reading level grade 2.* This includes texting.A minor misfortune that a neurotypical might quickly forget may produce a strong aversion or phobia. These can be lasting and may be very hard or impossible to verbalize. Re-exposure to the context or even a...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - Category: Disability Tags: adolescence adult behavioral therapy cognitive impairment support Source Type: blogs