Down syndrome is the most frequent chromosomic abnormality and the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability (Hawli et al., 2009). In the past four decades, medical research has dramatically increased the expected lifespan and enhanced the quality of life for individuals with DS (Patterson &; Costa, 2005). In addition, many children with DS are now educated alongside their typically developing peers in fully- or partially-integrated classrooms. Despite these advances, little is known about how individuals with DS may learn differently than their peers and how this may be optimized to support cognition in the classroom and daily life. Specifically, while a lot is known about the general neuropsychological profile in DS (Jarrold &; Nadel, 2009), behavioral interventions that may mitigate learning difficulties are not well understood.

In our lab, our goal is to identify and understand learning contexts that enhance cognition. In multiple studies, we have demonstrated that individuals exhibit greater memory for emotional compared to neutral information, and superior memory for neutral content learned in an emotional context (see Kensinger &; Ford, 2020). Emotional enhancements are not specific to healthy young adults; similar benefits exist in healthy older adults (see Kensinger, Ford, & Daley, 2020) and even older adults with mild cognitive impairment (a precursor to Alzheimer’s; Waring et al., 2017). In the current project, we focus on how such contexts may enhance learning in individuals with Down syndrome in a way that is different from their typically- developing peers. Identifying and better understanding changes to the cognitive profile in this population could provide critical insight into how individuals with DS should be taught new information.