Effects of social context and mothers' requesting strategies on Down's syndrome children's social responsiveness.

Social context and maternal style of requesting and responsiveness were examined in teaching and social interactions in relation to 28 Down's syndrome (DS; 30 to 69 months old) and 28 mental-age matched normal children's cooperation and social initiative. Compliance for DS children was similar to normal children for child-initiated exchanges but decreased during mother-initiated exchanges, particularly in less structured situations. The DS children initiated fewer exchanges but were comparable on self-directed behavior. Differences in mothers' requests and children's social competence related to risk, language skills, and social situation. The DS but not normal children were more likely to increase compliance with directive vs. suggestive requests, but only in the structured situation