To succeed in school, you’ll want your child to have a solid individualized education program (IEP) based on their strengths. Your school may not have expertise in educating children with Down syndrome based on their strengths in visual learning and social skills, so you’ll need to bring your child’s strengths to the team’s attention.
Children with Down syndrome usually have strengths in social skills relative to their developmental age. While the learning challenges for kids with DS are often related to working memory, auditory and short-term memory present the most challenges. However, stimulating the visual memory can help students access long-term learning.
While reading is often a strength for children with DS, they are likely to need 1:1 intensive reading instruction.
For more information about common IEP accommodations and services for kids with Down syndrome, see our full article Supporting a Child with Down Syndrome at School.
