Is it common for a person with Downs Syndrome to be compulsive about certain things such as precisely folding?

Question

sheets of paper towel so that they are all perfectly folded into little squares? Or constantly wiping off her tv table, or when washing herself she scrubs and scrubs each body part until it is almost red? I have a senior citizen client with DS and was just wondering if this is a usual characteristic of DS or not.

Answer 1

I have worked in Sp Ed for over 25 years, and have worked with a lot of Downs Syndrome clients. They do have many compulsions and were actually one of the first populations to be scientifically and medically followed in research in early studies of compulsions in the early decades of the 20th century. A lot of my higher verbal functioning clients have said that it makes them more controlled, and therefore; more in control of their everyday lives. It is one of the human conditions that can cross all boundaries of health and intelligence. There has been some studies done recently on people with dementia and the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. The people with less and less memory will retain a lot of rigid and "rote" type behavior; it most likely is to give them some control when they are losing their memory and thought processes. Enjoy your work, special needs is a great and interesting and challenging field of study and work. Have a good day.

Answer 2

I am due to have a baby in 9 weeks time and opted to have a screening test at 12 weeks pregnant to determine the risk of my baby having Downs Syndrome. (The test returned a result which indicated that my baby does not have a high risk of Downs Syndrome.) However if the result had indicated otherwise, I would not have terminated my pregnancy. My partner and I chose to have the screening done, so that if it was positive, we would have time to prepare for any special needs our child may have. People with Downs Syndrome are beautiful, kind and valuable members of society (more so than many others). I have worked with many children with Downs Syndrome and they are some of the most loving children I have ever met. Although I support people's rights to choose whether or not they have a baby with a condition such as this, I for one, would love my child and support them regardless.

Answer 3

I've found several references for medical journals on the web that indicate that obsessive and compulsive tendencies are common in a proportion of adults with Down Syndrome. Unfortunately, many of the articles can't be accessed without a subscription to the journals. I include a link or two below that can be accessed online and might be of interest to you.

I think that if the behaviours are intefering and causing self-harm, involvement of a behavior therapist and consultation with a staff gerontologist or referral to a psychiatrist who treats individuals with dual diagnoses (e.g., mental retardation/developmental disability and mental illness) could be in order. Some behavioural and medication treatments can alleviate some of the compulsions and obsessive behaviours you are seeing. The doctor can also rule out the possible role of dementia. I worked in a group home years ago and was told by a fellow staffer that some of the same behaviours you mention seen in a 40-something adult male with Down Syndrome might be residual behavior learned during his years in institutions, where compliance with strict routines and regulations of the environment were musts. Those behaviours persisted although he was now in a fairly indpendent living setting. Given that you are working with a senior, there might be an effect of previous institutionalization which might've been a common practice during her generation.

Hope that this and some of the links below will be helpful to you.

Answer 4

I have found that to be true sometimes. I used to work with a DS person once and he wanted to know every single day what time you started work and when you were off. Every day he would ask everyone this, even if our hours were exactly the same each time.

Another lady, a neighbor, would recount people who were late at her job. She would wait for me to come home then pop out her back door and tell me who was late at her Occupational Developmental Center job. Every week day afternoon.

Answer 5

It can be a symptom of DS, but she might also have obsessive compulsive disorder and it just hasn't been diagnosed.

Answer 6

Yes, if that is something they feel they do well then it is foreseeable that they will be picky about it.

You have to think how it would feel to be that different by public perception, so when they find something that they feel they do well they want to get it right every time, because that is what makes them feel normal.

Answer 7

Yes it is common as that is how they are taught to perform tasks. They are taught repetitively, therefore they are perfectionists in their own right. It is healthy for them, so just encourage her to do what she's happy doing.