Not sure if you've ever heard this before, but I have been told that individuals with Down syndrome can be quite defiant. I don't know how I feel about this.
Honestly, I think that people who are called "defiant" or "stubborn" are just often misunderstood.
Down Syndrome Fact of the Day # 24:
Individuals with Down syndrome are NOT (always :) stubborn.
A child with Down syndrome may not always be able to tell you how he or she feels, so this can easily lead to the false perception that they are stubborn of defiant. This is not the case. Behavior is communication, so if you're having trouble communicating with a young person with Ds, consider all of the circumstances.
Are they experiencing communcation or sensory integration difficulties?
I find that Jack has "tantrums" or acts out with "defiance" mostly when he is frustrated and unable to communicate his needs to me. (Also, let's face it ... he's also TWO!!! Ha! ;) As frustrating as this can be on the receiving end, I never question my child's intelligence. Jack's nonverbal cues, whether they're signs or other indications) prove that he KNOWS exactly what is going on around him; it's just his inability to verbalize this understanding that misleads others into assuming that he doesn't.
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