Life skills imparted to persons with Down syndrome -- constraints and measures to sustain the use of skills learnt- A Qualitative study.

Viswanath, Subhashini; Jayanthi, T. P.; Parimala K.; Stephen T.; Gayathri B.; Joseph, Jeffrey; Gokul G.

Background: Down syndrome a genetic disorder which is one of the causes of mental retardation and developmental delay. Imparting life skills as an early intervention helps the children and families to understand and meet the needs of their children. The objective of the study is to assess various life skills imparted, constraints faced in practicing skills learnt and measures to sustain the use of learnt skills. Methodology: A Qualitative data was collected from 10 In-depth interviews (IDIs) and 6 Focus group discussions (FDGs) from parents and care givers of Down syndrome. Results: Life skills for persons with Down syndrome is categorized into general and specific. Constrains faced include short attention span, uncooperative behaviour, communication problems, difficulty distinguishing between good and bad touch, health complications, and socializing issues. Addressing these requires raising awareness, providing access to specialized schools with trained professionals, ensuring health insurance coverage, and offering financial support and resources for families and caregivers. Conclusion: Starting life skills at early age would help them have a better quality of life. A multi-disciplinary approach is needed to impart life skills to improve the quality of life in Downs syndrome. The access to improve speech and vocational therapy should be made available in all PHC's. Healthcare services for these persons need to be further streamlined to prevent stress of seeking a range of advanced laboratory tests and treatments from healthcare providers.

LIFE skills education; HEALTH insurance; LIFE skills; CAREGIVERS; MEDICAL personnel

Pravara Medical Review, 2024, Vol 16, Issue 4, p67

0975-0533

Academic Journal

10.36848/PMR/2024/044000.10785