The following goals may be appropriate for teachers of pupils with Down syndrome to bear in mind when planning:
- to involve the teenager in all aspects of school life and school routines
- to support social independence in school and the development of friendships with peers
- to support the development of leisure skills and inclusion with peers in break and lunchtimes
- to encourage, model and expect age-appropriate, socially acceptable behaviour at all times
- to be familiar with the research findings which demonstrate a specific cognitive profile associated with Down syndrome and to adapt teaching methods and lesson content accordingly
- to provide access to all areas of the school curriculum at a level appropri¬ate for the individual teenager
- to recognise the importance of teaching reading and writing daily
- to develop speech, language and working memory skills as well as literacy skills
- to have clear targets for speech and language work for each teenager, and identify how these can be absorbed into all aspects of the curriculum
- to facilitate independent learning and the ability to work and to learn as part of a group
- to make full use of computer aided learning, with appropriate software for individual and group work
