Supporting a Down Syndrome child

[cattypussclaw]

Hello all, hoping someone can help.

I am a new TA, taken on to support a year group but, as a result of a member of staff having left, have suddenly found myself spending every morning supporting (in class) a Year 3 child who has DS. I have been given all of her paperwork to read, including her "statement" but otherwise not given much advice on how to deal with her specific needs. The school seem confident that, whilst I am a new TA, my experience as a Mum of 4 and

She is a delightful little girl but I am very wary of saying or doing the wrong thing, in terms of interrupting or even hindering her learning. I have read some of the resources on the DSA website but there are several books on Amazon that appear to be quite useful and have good reviews but I wondered if anyone here has any recommendations.

Any advice would be gratefully received!

Thank you.

[cattypussclaw]

Sorry, didn't finish a sentence there! The school seem confident that my age, personality and experience as a Mum of four make me a perfect fit for this child and that I don't need official "training" on working with DS children.

[Fffion]

How able is the child? There is a huge range of how a DS child can function. For some, you can barely tell they are DS.

[emochild]

Child with Down's syndrome would be the usual terminology

It really annoys me that people think specific training isn't required (not aimed at you but aimed at your slt) there are many stereotypes about children with Down's and they can be very misleading

This is a nice resource to start with

www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/download-package/primary-support-pack/

[Slightlydizzydaily]

Can you ask parents? They often have resources and info and a clear idea of strengths and weaknesses. They should be involved in target setting for her.