Behavior and Sensory Support

What You Need To Know

• Social withdrawal is common and may be in part due to speech problems.
• Attention deficit is common and may make the behaviors in a classroom challenging.
• Anxiety, perseveration and autism spectrum disorders can also be present and contribute to social withdrawal.

Interventions for Behavior & Sensory Support

• Advocate for continued speech therapy to address speech differences
• Be alert for signs of autism and advocate for appropriate support
• Monitor for the need for additional support services for anxiety or depression

Notes:

Studies show that kids with 22q experience anxiety in everyday situations, even though they might not show the typical signs of distress that teachers will recognize. This is largely based on the common language deficits shared by children with 22q.  These deficits make it more challenging for a teacher to identify anxiety that might be more obvious in other children who also requires IEP’s.  Both parents and teachers should vigilant in identifying underlying anxiety, and work jointly (in the home and at school) to address this common pitfall as partners in your child’s education process.

This information is provided by GEMSS -Genetics Education Materials for School Success: The New England Genetics Collaborative is funded by Cooperative Agreement No. U22MC10980 between the University of New Hampshire and the Health Resources and Services Administration/ Maternal and Child Health Bureau/DSCSHN Genetic Services Branch.  To vistit the GEMMS website CLICK HERE