BRIDGING LITERACY GAPS: A BEHAVIOR-BASED INTERVENTION FOR A CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME

Abstract

Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that appear during the developmental period. As per the DSM-5-TR, IDD has different severity level across conceptual, social, and practical domains (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Children with IDD and Down Syndrome typically display significant challenges in the conceptual area, including academic learning, memory, language, and problem-solving difficulties (Schalock et al., 2021). Such delays prevent them from developing foundational academic skills like recognizing shapes, writing their name, having fine motor skills, and beginning numeracy. A 13-year-old boy was referred for psychological intervention. This case study investigated a three-month intervention, administered three times weekly the intervention produced strong improvements in task independence and classroom behavior. These results demonstrate the efficacy of closely structured, individualized behavioral interventions for enhancing academic readiness in children with developmental disabilities. Following the guidelines of behavioral modification like modelling, task analysis, prompting, positive reinforcement, and visual supports, a personalized intervention plan was developed to minimize these academics problems (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2020). The intent of this research is to show the worth of utilizing scheduled behavioral modification techniques to enhance learning skills among children with Down syndrome and IDD.