MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY. DOWN'S SYNDROME PROGRAM

Abstract

Human society nowadays is becoming more and more engaged in the problems of mental or physical aberration, concerning some children and adolescents. It is now highly acknowledged that much can be done in the form of giving pedagogical support, encouragement, bending the needed steps into a practically useful and successful direction and aim. What is pursued are real results in the development of the child. The great problem is HOW to act. Obviously it cannot be done either by school or by parents and families alone. But while the teachers and the supervisors have been more or less prepared to be good at dealing with such children, parents and in the first place mothers should be taught how to deal with their children in the right way, without panic, anger, despair, shouts, tears, punishment or any kind of insult which can turn out to be really injurious. Parents should realize that three points in the first place are vital. First: They should study in details the specific needs and special features of their child; Second: after giving those individual characteristics their full and mature consideration, start creating a step-by-step program for action. Such a program built on the basis of a long-term plan, can be changed, altered, enriched according to the result observed daily but its existence is exceptionally important; Third: The light of love, approval, praise is a factor which can give the infant child the strength and ambition to go what he/she is expected to do. This youngster may never become a child-prodigy but he would be one of the people who can master their lives in mortal and proper way and can be accepted in society as one of us. Parents, families with children having intellectual difficulties need knowledge in special pedagogy. This is the purpose to present the program Little Steps directed and produced by Pieterse, Moira Monica, MacquarieUniversity, Special Education Centre1979-1984. Down's syndrome program at Macquarie University prepares handicapped children from birth so that they can enter the main stream of education at the expected school entry age. At the infant and toddlers' stage they are taught language, gross motor, personal and social skills. At age 3 they are taught to attend to instruction, interact and respond to other children and adults, work independently, communicate effectively and conform to classroom situations. The programme is used in USA, many counters in Europe and has received the approval of the Ministry of Education in Russia.