Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome often demonstrate oppositional behavior, another challenge for parents and caregivers.
Tips for managing oppositional behavior include:
- Avoid yes and no questions. Instead, offer limited choices. Rather than asking, “Do you want to wear your red coat,” try offering two choices: “Do you want to wear your red or blue coat?” It is important to allow your loved one time to process before answering.
- Individuals with PWS have a delay in processing information and will need between 3-5 seconds to understand what you say. Similarly, too many instructions given at once or that are too generalized can cause an individual with PWS to miss the middle part of what is said. Therefore, it is important to allow time for processing and to keep directions simple. You might need to break tasks down into smaller steps. Instead of saying “Get ready for bed,” give specific directions, such as “It’s time to brush your teeth.” Wait 3-5 seconds before repeating the request. If after the second request your loved one doesn’t comply, complete the task with them. Once that task is complete, he or she can be asked to complete the next task.
Speaking calmly, in concrete statements, breaking tasks down, and allowing individuals with PWS extra processing time can help decrease anxiety and frustration which in turn can help decrease oppositional behavior.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.