PWS Tip of the Week: Encouraging task completion

Compliance starts with small cooperative tasks. Build momentum with small requests met with lots of praise.  Asking someone with PWS to get dressed may be overwhelming to them, but try breaking it down into small steps:  “Hey, do you want to wear white socks or blue socks?”  Act really happy when they choose and repeat with another item of clothing.  I know that this may sound like it takes a lot of extra time, but in the end, it takes less time to walk them through the task than it does to try to move a child through a routine when they are refusing and upset.

Patrice Carroll, LICSW, is world-renowned for her Prader-Willi syndrome expertise. As Director of PWS Services at Latham Centers, she works with Latham students and residents and their families, as well as experts in the field, teaching and learning PWS best practices. Patrice also serves on the IPWSO (International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation) Caregivers Board, and she co-chairs the PWSA | USA Professional Providers Advisory Board. If you have PWS-related questions, we invite you to email TipTopics@LathamCenters.org.