Tendencias Pedagógicas (Oct 2015)
A study on the profiles of socialization in a sample of children and young people with Down syndrome.
Abstract
The values in youth with intelectual disability: Study about the socialization profiles over a sample of down syndrome people. The scheduled teaching of social abilities is a key element to optimize the social integration and to increase the quality of life for persons with Down Syndrome. On the other hand, descriptive studies of the specific profiles for socialization that a110w to determine if they present or not an abnormal pattern, have not been done so faro The present study demonstrates with scientific precision how a group of 180 children and teenagers with Down Syndrome shows a generallevel of socialization within the parameters of normality, after being treated and evaluated facilitator and disturber or inhibited aspects for socialization. In this sense, it can be asserted that the socialization level of the persons studied on this sample are normal, which pretends to be a reference point for further studies with the same characteristics. ~u_ The existence of normallevels of socialization does not mean the absence of significative differences with the mayority of the subjects without intelectual disability, as 60% of population is contained in the normal range that determines the variables of this type. This means that although the levels are normal, there are significant differences in favor of persons without intelectual disability, which means a sharper level of socialization in comparison with the Down Syndrome group, in a11 seven scales of socialization analyzed (leadership, joviality, social sensibility, respect-selfcontrol, aggressiveness-obstinacy, apathy-retreatment, anxiety-shyness). The possible explanations for these differential characteristics, must not be related with age, with IQ and neither with the number of brothers and sisters and their age. It has been proved the sma11 relationship between these variables and the socialization scales on the subjects with Down Syndrome studied on this sample.However, the verbal comprehension capacity of Down Syndrome subjects seems to have an important role. On the other hand, it has been verified that Down Syndrome women have more respect and more selfcontrol in their relations with others than men do. This fact shows an specific characteristic of Down Syndrome women and not of women in general, which means a much greater social madurity. To finish, and on the basis of the obtained results, specific methodologic orientations are propossed to be implemented in the scolar curriculum. The objective is to facilitate the design of individualized programs that increase the social abilities in Down Syndrome children and teenagers, being the direct reinforcement, learning by observation, interpersonal feedback, and cognitive expectations the main elements.
