Children who have Down syndrome often have a hard time understanding social behavior. They do not do well in reading body cues and often need extra practice is basic social skills. Elizabeth Verdick has a wonderful series of books called Best Behavior Series that we checked out of the library. Among the series are the books: Words Are Not For Hurting and Feet Are Not For Kicking. The books have a section at the end for parents, caregivers, and teachers to help them approach the subjects in a fun manner.
Theses books are not meant solely for kids with disabilities but as a help for all kids who are learning the ropes of proper behavior. The drawings are simple and it is easy to judge the feelings of the children in the book by their facial expressions.
My daughter has had problems this past year with saying bad words to teachers and classmates, kicking, pushing, and otherwise doing things that first graders are supposed to know are not acceptable. It has been hard to know if she understands that the behavior is wrong and why there are consequences. I was really worried that we weren't getting through to her until we found Ms. Verdeck's series and started to read them every night before bed. It made a difference. The Love Magnet has had great success with these book and now often tells her own friends "Words are not for hurting!" when she hears them yell words that are not appropriate. That shows her progress right there. We're taking the books back to the library and purchasing our own copies.
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