Self-Competence
Self-competence, which involves
the interrelationship between self-perception of personal worth and efficacy,
is an important component of healthy development during adolescence. All teens,
regardless of their physical challenges and cognitive impairments, are capable
of developing and expressing some degree of self-competence. The key components
of this self-competence are self-esteem, self-determination, and successful coping.
Nursing interventions aimed at promoting these components will contribute to the
adolescent’s self-competence.
When
working with adolescents with Down syndrome, the nurse can employ a variety
of approaches to help the teen and family identify and maximize personal strengths
and adaptive skills. Some of the most successful approaches include the following:
- Provide opportunities
for the teen to attempt new behaviors that build on their individual capabilities
- Facilitate access to
information that the teen can use for self-exploration and informed decision-making
- Promote the acquisition
and application of coping, social, and task-related skills
- Encourage the youth to
select goals that are moderately challenging, with a reasonable chance of
success
- Provide opportunities
for systematic training in problem-solving skills, and encourage the application
of these skills in daily living
- Consider assertiveness
training, which may include clear communication and managing other’s
resistance
- Promote the development
of self-advocacy skills, which include knowledge of personal rights and responsibilities
- Offer training and practice
in negotiating skills
- Encourage the use of
positive self-talk to shape the adolescent’s behavior
- Facilitate the teen’s
ability to self-monitor accomplishments and positive experiences
- Provide opportunities
to learn frustration management
- Educate the teen about
appropriate areas of medical self-care
INSTANT
FEEDBACK:
Teens
with Down syndrome should be encouraged to select goals that are somewhat challenging
and that virtually guarantee success.
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