Managing Difficult Behaviors of a Child with Down Syndrome

Understanding, Preventing, and Supporting with Kindness

👨‍👩‍👧 Target Audience Parents, grandparents, family caregivers, and relatives of children with Down syndrome facing oppositions, refusals, screams, agitation, and confusing behaviors in daily life.

⏱️ Duration 2 to 3 hours of training divided into 5 progressive modules

💻 Format 100% online training, accessible from your computer or tablet. You progress at your own pace, whenever you want, without time constraints.

What You Will Learn

This training allows you to understand why your child exhibits difficult behaviors: these are not tantrums, but attempts at communication related to language difficulties, fatigue caused by hypotonia, or a lack of reference points regarding rules and transitions.

You will discover concrete strategies to prevent crises by structuring the environment, establishing clear routines with visual supports, and anticipating transitions. You will also learn how to intervene calmly and effectively when a difficult behavior occurs, and how to rebuild after the crisis to help your child progress.

By the End of This Training, You Will Be Able To:

• Understand the link between limited communication and frustration: the gap between what the child feels and their ability to express it
• Identify the impact of hypotonia and fatigue on irritability and tolerance to frustrations
• Recognize early signs of fatigue: rubbing eyes, loss of attention, sudden refusals, agitation, or withdrawal
• Understand why abstract rules and abrupt transitions generate difficult behaviors
• Structure the environment: defined spaces, reduced distractions, suitable furniture, organized materials
• Establish clear routines with visual supports: pictograms, illustrated schedules, illustrated sequences
• Anticipate transitions: gradual warnings, time supports (timer, hourglass, Time Timer), transition rituals, limited choices
• Adopt the right posture during a crisis: calm, low voice, short and simple instructions
• Use de-escalation techniques: positive distraction, breathing, withdrawal space, calming body language, sensory tools
• React appropriately to refusals, agitation, and screams
• Verbalize, reassure, and re-establish a framework after a crisis
• Implement positive reinforcement: specific praise, reward systems, valuing appropriate behaviors
• Keep a behavior journal to identify patterns and adjust interventions
• Collaborate with professionals for consistency across environments

You Will Leave with Concrete Tools: visual supports, de-escalation techniques, prevention strategies, and positive reinforcement methods that can be applied today.

Bonus: Discover the COCO PENSE & COCO BOUGE app, featuring 30+ educational games tailored for children with Down syndrome and mandatory sports breaks every 15 minutes.