Alt text: Helping a child with Down syndrome understand emotions
Alt text: COCO app with the game Mime an Emotion
Your child continues to play loudly while his little sister cries. He tells a long story to grandma, who shows obvious signs of fatigue. He doesn't understand why his friend got angry after he took his toy. These situations reveal a common difficulty in children with Down syndrome: perceiving and understanding the emotions of others.
This skill, sometimes called "emotional reading" or "cognitive empathy," is fundamental for social life. It allows one to adapt their behavior to what the other feels, to avoid relational missteps, and to create authentic connections. The good news is that this skill can be developed with appropriate support.
Why understanding emotions is a challenge
Subtle and quick cues
Emotions are expressed through a multitude of cues: facial expressions, tone of voice, body posture, choice of words. These cues are often subtle and fleeting. A look of sadness can pass across a face in a fraction of a second. The tone of voice can change subtly without the words changing.
For your child, who may need more time to process information, these quick cues can go unnoticed. By the time he perceives and interprets them, they have already disappeared.
The complexity of interpretation
Perceiving an emotional cue is not enough: it must be interpreted correctly. A furrowed brow can mean anger, concentration, perplexity, or worry depending on the context. Tears can express sadness, joy, frustration, or relief.
This interpretation requires cross-referencing several cues and taking the context into account, a complex cognitive task that can put your child at a disadvantage.
Divided attention
In a social interaction, your child must simultaneously manage a lot of information: what the other person is saying, what he should respond, what he wants to express, the social rules to follow... In this cognitive load, attention to the emotions of the other can take a back seat.
Recognizing basic emotions: the first step
The four fundamental emotions
Start with the most basic and recognizable emotions: joy, sadness, anger, and fear. These four emotions have relatively universal and distinct facial expressions, making them more accessible.
Joy: smiling, squinted eyes, relaxed posture.
Sadness: corners of the mouth turned down, downcast eyes, slumped posture.
Anger: furrowed brows, clenched jaw, tense posture.
Fear: wide eyes, open mouth, recoiling posture.
Visual aids for learning
Photos and pictograms are valuable tools for teaching emotion recognition. Build a collection of images clearly showing each basic emotion. Use photos of real people, expressive drawings, standardized pictograms.
Display these aids at home. Review them regularly with your child. Play to identify emotions: "What is this man feeling? How do you know?"
The mirror as a tool
The mirror allows your child to see his own emotional expressions. Play together in front of the mirror: "Make a happy face. Now a sad face. An angry face." This practice helps him associate emotions with the corresponding expressions.
When your child naturally expresses an emotion, draw his attention to it: "Do you see your face in the mirror? You're smiling, your eyes are shining. That's because you're happy!"
> 🎓 Recommended training: Promoting socialization for children with Down syndrome: friendships, interactions, inclusion
The game "Mime an Emotion": learning while having fun
The COCO THINK & COCO MOVE app offers a game specifically designed to develop emotion recognition: "Mime an Emotion." This game invites your child to recognize and mimic different emotions, turning learning into a fun moment.
The game "Mime an Emotion" from COCO THINK & COCO MOVE allows for working on the recognition and expression of emotions in a playful way.
The game can be played with two, making it a bonding activity between you and your child, or between siblings. Alternating between recognizing the emotion of the other and expressing one's own emotion reinforces learning in both directions.
Understanding the causes of emotions
The cause-emotion link
Recognizing an emotion on a face is just the first step. The next step is to understand why the person feels that emotion. This causal understanding allows one to anticipate the reactions of others and to adapt their own behavior.
"He is crying because he hurt himself."
"She is smiling because it's her birthday."
"He is angry because someone took his toy."
"She is scared because she heard a loud noise."
Verbalizing causes in daily life
In daily life, verbalize the links between situations and emotions. "Look, that little boy is crying. He fell off the swing, it hurt him, so he is sad and crying." These regular comments help your child build an understanding of emotional causes.
Do the same for your child's emotions: "You are happy because you completed your puzzle. When we achieve something difficult, it makes us happy!"
Stories as a learning ground
Books and cartoons are excellent resources for working on understanding emotional causes. Stop at moments when characters express emotions. "Why do you think he is sad?" "What made him angry?" "What scared him?"
These discussions allow your child to reflect on the causes of emotions in a less pressing context than real-time interactions.
Developing a repertoire of responses
What to do when someone is sad?
Recognizing that someone is sad is one thing. Knowing what to do is another. Help your child develop a repertoire of appropriate responses for each emotion.
When someone is sad: you can ask what is wrong, offer a hug (if appropriate), stay close to them, go get an adult.
When someone is angry: give them space, do not continue what made them upset, you can apologize if you did something wrong.
When someone is scared: you can reassure them, hold their hand, go get an adult.
When someone is happy: you can share their joy, smile with them, congratulate them.
Practicing responses
Role-playing allows for practicing these responses. "I'm pretending to be sad. What can you do?" Let your child try different responses and discuss what works well.
These repeated practices help to automate appropriate responses, so they become accessible in real situations.
Beyond basic emotions
More complex emotions
Once basic emotions are mastered, you can gradually introduce more nuanced emotions: worry, disappointment, surprise, pride, shame, boredom, excitement...
These emotions are subtler and require a more advanced level of understanding. Proceed gradually, ensuring each learning is well consolidated before moving on to the next.
Mixed emotions
In reality, people often feel several emotions at the same time. One can be happy about going on vacation but sad to leave friends behind. One can be proud of their performance but disappointed not to have won.
This emotional complexity is difficult for your child to grasp. Approach it gradually, starting with simple examples and accepting that this advanced understanding will take time to develop.
In daily life: maintaining attention to emotions
The continuous emotional commentary
Get into the habit of commenting on the emotions you observe together in daily life. At the park, in the supermarket, with family: "Look at that lady, she is smiling, she looks happy." "That man is furrowing his brows, he looks focused." "Your cousin has his head down, I think he is a bit sad."
These regular comments keep your child's attention on the emotions of others and continuously reinforce their learning.
Encouraging observation
Encourage your child to observe the emotions of others themselves. "What do you think grandma feels?" "Did you see your friend's face, what is he feeling?" These questions prompt him to develop his own emotional observation skills.
Linking emotions and appropriate behaviors
When you observe an emotion together, link it to the appropriate behavior. "That little boy is sad. What could we do to help him?" "Grandma looks tired. Maybe it's time to play more quietly."
These connections between emotional observation and behavioral adaptation are at the heart of social competence.
Conclusion: seeing the world with the heart
Helping your child with Down syndrome understand the emotions of others opens a door to richer and more harmonious relationships. It gives him the keys to perceive what others feel, to adapt his behavior, to create authentic connections.
This learning is gradual and takes time. It involves recognizing expressions, understanding causes, and developing appropriate responses. Each step counts and contributes to enriching your child's emotional competence.
And don't forget that your child already possesses a valuable quality: the authenticity of his own emotions. His joy is contagious, his affection is sincere, his empathy can be deep even if it doesn't always express itself in conventional ways. By helping him better read the emotions of others, you allow him to express more effectively those beautiful relational qualities that are his.
> 📚 To go further:
> - Autism in children: understanding and supporting emotions and outbursts (transferable strategies)
> - Non-verbal communication and Down syndrome: helping your child decode expressions and tone
