Improve Cooperation from Down Syndrome Teen

Strategies to Decrease Stubborn Behavior

Sep 30, 2008 Lynn Moore

These strategies will help to decrease stubborn behavior and can build cooperation with a child with Down syndrome long before the teen years arrive.

A child with Down syndrome is typically very loving and caring. Sometimes a teen with Down syndrome may seem to dig his heels in the sand. As the teen years loom, so do the emotions. Consider these ways to build cooperation from your teen. Starting when he is young can result in a smoother functioning home front during the teen years.

Develop a Family Routine

Having a routine can eliminate any confusion about usual expectations. Always wearing seat belts or always picking up toys before bed can become good habits if they are practiced daily. They also become the expectation of the child. There is less reason for negotiation or argument. Naturally, as the hormones kick in, the teen with Down syndrome will go through the same emotions, but having a family routine can calm many irrational reactions to simple requests. The things that were routine as a child will be more likely to be the habits of the teen.

Use a Personal Calendar

Help your child set up a personal calendar. The routine things can be added as well as the items that break away from the routine. Checking the days off until a special event can give the teen a way to answer the nagging question of just when something will happen. Understanding calendar basic is a way the teen can be empowered to keep track of important dates and happenings.

Offer Activity Choices

Everyone would like to have a say in what is happening. It doesn’t matter if it is deciding where to eat dinner or what to watch on TV. Offering choices can assures your teen that he is part of the family. If parents also do the preferred activity, it will build valuable rapport.

Include Your Child’s Friends

Make a point to include the child’s friends in activities. The activities don’t have to be at a pricey movie or going out to eat. Spending time watching TV, listening to music, or playing with the family pet can be quality friend time.

Keep It All in Perspective

The teen years can be turbulent. There will be some days that are the exact opposite of the earlier childhood experiences. Try to keep it all in perspective. No stage lasts forever, and soon the teen years will slip away. By keeping things in perspective, the teenage outbursts will be only what they are – a way of testing independence. A few strategies, if started early, can make the years much smoother for everyone.

The copyright of the article Improve Cooperation from Down Syndrome Teen in Special Needs Parenting is owned by Lynn Moore. Permission to republish Improve Cooperation from Down Syndrome Teen in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Teen Years