Once a week, three little boys with T21 and their moms come to my house for a Down Syndrome Coop. It’s so much fun, as these little guys are so funny and lovable. But keeping them engaged and motivated is a major piece of work. Sometimes one of the boys will wander off in the middle of a story or activity. Sometimes one will lie on the floor and space out. Sometimes a child will flat-out refuse to try an activity. So behavior management and motivation has become a vital aspect of our work.
I think it is important not to underestimate the amount of effort our children have to expend to complete what we perceive to be basic and simple tasks. We need to remember that children with T21 often have several health issues including poor sleep and low muscle tone, which make them tire easily. Our children are not lazy; in fact they have to work harder than most people to complete ordinary jobs.
However, it’s also important not to underestimate their potential for learning, especially if we can motivate them.
So we work really hard to elicit cooperation and engagement through motivation.
Here are some of my most effective strategies for keeping my son and the boys in our T21 co-op engaged and motivated:
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