Section Heading Background Image

Search our Resources

For people with Down syndrome, family members, caregivers and professionals.

Home Resources

Duration: 21 ms, Number of Results: 64

Showing 1 - 24 of 64
1 2 3 Next Last Page 1 of 3
item name

Chronic Cough in Adults with Down Syndrome

Author: Ravi Shah, MD and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Key Points Chronic cough is a cough that lasts more than eight weeks (four weeks in a child). There are many reasons for a chronic cough. Three common causes in people with Down syndrome (DS) include

item name

Staff Turnover

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

For people living in a group home or participating in day programs, the staff members often become like family. This is especially true if the person does not have other family involved in his life bu

item name

Opposite Actions

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adult Down Syndrome Center

When we experience an emotion, there is often a behavioral urge that comes along with it. When we feel angry, we may have the urge to yell or break things or hurt someone. When we feel sad, we may hav

item name

Calming vs. Coping Strategies

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Many times, we use the terms "calming" and "coping" interchangeably. There is often overlap in the strategies that people use to help themselves calm down and cope

item name

Reframing our Thoughts

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Reframing our thoughts is a strategy to change the way we think about a situation, person, or relationship. Sometimes, we can get stuck in thought patterns that negatively impact our mood and behavior

item name

Resources on Healthy Ways to Manage Stress

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center - Resource List

Learning how to manage our stress in healthy ways is a lifelong process. We have compiled a list of resources below that may help people with and without Down syndrome who are workin

item name

Eating Refusal

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

We received the following question:  I have a son with Down syndrome. He had testicular cancer in his late 20s. Since then, he seems to have developed an eating disorder. He always feels he i

item name

Fear of Heights

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD and Abby Rowley, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

We have seen people with Down syndrome with a variety of phobias. Concern about heights is one we see more commonly. For this fear in particular, we often ask if it is indeed a phobia or if it is caus

item name

Alternatives to Guardianship

Author: Ann Garcia, Patient Advocate - Resource List

Families trying to decide what level of support would work best for their adult family member with Down syndrome may want to look at options besides guardianship . Individuals with Down syndrome and t

item name

Guardianship

Author: Ann Garcia, Patient Advocate - Resource List

Whether you decide to obtain guardianship for your child is an individual family decision that should be considered carefully. If your child is 18 years old and is unable to make decisions about finan

item name

Contingency Maps

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Clinical Therapist, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Contingency maps can help an individual visualize their behavioral choices and the outcomes/consequences of their behaviors. They can help make the problem-solving process more concrete. The individua

item name

Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Clinical Therapist, Adult Down Syndrome Center

The handouts linked below were developed to teach individuals with Down syndrome how to think more positively. If an individual has an automatic negative thought (or ANT), they can squish it or brush

item name

How to Cope with Stress

Author: Abby Rowley, LCSW - Clinical Therapist, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Coping with stress is an important and necessary part of life. There are some strategies that can help us manage our reactions to different life stressors. The steps below are strategies that I use wi

item name

Behavior Changes in Individuals with Down Syndrome Webinar Recording (2/23/2023)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD, Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, and Abby Rowley, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

The video below is a recording of a webinar presented by Brian Chicoine, MD, Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L, and Abby Rowley, LCSW, on February 23, 2023. In this webinar, the presenters define, iden

item name

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD, and Dennis McGuire, PhD, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

*This article was adapted from  Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome: A Guide to Emotional and Behavioral Strengths and Challenges, 2nd Edition . What is attention-deficit/hyperactivi

item name

Acrocyanosis

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is acrocyanosis? Acrocyanosis is the bluish discoloration of the extremities (usually the hands and/or feet) due to decreased oxygen being delivered to those areas. The small blood vessels in the

item name

Obsessional Slowness

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is obsessional slowness? Obsessional slowness is an apparent form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that appears to be more common in people with Down syndrome. At this point, much more needs to b

item name

Electroconvulsive Therapy, Catatonia, and Regression in People with Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment that involves sedating an individual with anesthesia and then inducing a seizure with a short electrical stimulation of the brain (more information can b

item name

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition in which an individual develops psychological symptoms in response to an extremely distressing experience. The symptoms can vary and

item name

Impact of Physical Health Conditions on Mental Health

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Every thorough mental health assessment should include an assessment of physical health to ensure that physical health problems are not affecting mental well-being in any way. This is true whether or

item name

Stereotypies: Repetitive Movements or Sounds

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - "Ask Dr. Chicoine" LuMind IDSC Foundation

A parent of an individual with Down syndrome asked a question about stereotypies and self-stimulatory behavior. The parent shared that the individual made noises while watching videos on their iPad an

item name

Managing Anxiety During Storms

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center - Resource

We received a question from a family member of an individual with Down syndrome who is anxious and fearful of bad weather, particularly thunderstorms. Thunder, lightning, strong winds, heavy rain, hai

item name

Weaning Off Psychotropic Medications

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

A common and appropriate question is: Can a person be weaned off a psychotropic medication? A psychotropic medication is a medication prescribed to treat a psychological problem such as depression or

item name

Unexplained Weight Loss

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What can cause unexplained weight loss? We were sent a question about unexplained weight loss. We are sharing some information here for general knowledge and/or information that can be used in consult

Showing 1 - 24 of 64
1 2 3 Next Last Page 1 of 3
 

 

Please note: The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for a medical, psychiatric, mental health, or behavioral evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment plan by a qualified professional. We recommend you review the educational material with your health providers regarding the specifics of your health care needs.

Ask a Question

Join Our Email List Opens in new window

Close