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H. Some activities for children with Down Syndrome

    - Playing with clay, slime, sand, etc, building blocks, picking up and sorting beads, pasting stickers, are some activities that can help to improve fine motor skills.

    - Throwing and catching the ball, jumping, etc can help with gross motor skills.

    - Involve your child in their self-care activities, provide them with assistance to learn, and encourage them to attempt brushing, bathing, wearing clothes, etc independently.

    - Play games that involve listening and following instructions like the statue game, Simon says, etc. Always speak to your child in full sentences, this works as an example and encourages the child to speak in sentences.

    You can use pretend play as a fun way to prepare your child to face various social situations like the hospital, market, grocery store, public transport, etc. For example, You can pretend to be the shopkeeper and your child can be the customer. Give a list of groceries that your child must buy, and assist your child to play along. This will help the child learn the concept of shopping, the skill required, as well as the use of language and social conduct in such a situation.

    Some children with Down syndrome have poor memory. You can play games that increase the capacity of the child's working memory, such as the memory chain game where player 1 says a word, player 2 repeats it and adds another word, player 3 repeats both words and adds another word, and so the game goes on.
    Look for alternate ways for the child to remember things. This could be a notepad or a memo book.

    Social stories are an excellent way to teach your child good behavior, and social conduct. They can be used to teach your child the concepts of friendship, personal space, appropriate behaviors, good manners, good touch - bad touch, following rules, emotions, etc. You can look for social stories online or even make them up yourself based on your child’s needs.
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