April’s LP Focus

April 2014 – This month Pre-K and Level 1 classes focus on fostering independence at home or in school.  As with all learning, our children will achieve more if tasks are broken into smaller steps and presented with visual support.  Allowing time for practice and providing more structured guidance will help as well.  A key question for parents is “What am I doing for my child that he can do (or should) do for himself?”  Answering this question will guide you in choosing the skills on which to focus.  Learning Program classes for Levels 2, 3, and 4 focus on learning about time on a clock and calendar.  Understanding the concept of time is important for independence and because many of the components are abstract, can take longer to master for children with Down syndrome who are often thought of as concrete thinkers.