Occupational Therapy This type of therapy focuses on finding ways for individuals to compensate for their disabilities to manage everyday tasks.Speech-Language Therapy This type of therapy focuses on communication and language skills.In children with Down syndrome this is important because a common characteristic of the disorder is low muscle tone, which if unaddressed can lead to long-term problems.
Physical Therapy The goals of physical therapy are to help build motor skills, increase muscle strength, and improve posture and balance.
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But legally, children with disabilities (including Down syndrome) are entitled to free educational services to help them learn through the end of high school or until they turn 21 (whichever comes first).Īdditionally some children may be eligible for an Individualized Educational Plan, or IEP, which includes a team of teachers, caregivers, a school psychologist, and the child’s parents working together to meet specific learning goals for that child.Ĭontinuing or adding a combination of some or all of the following therapies can be helpful in early intervention programs throughout an individual’s lifetime if he or she has Down syndrome: Rather than one-on-one sessions, there might be 5 to 10 kids working with one therapist, he says. “That gets a little bit more challenging because they aren’t necessarily going to be individual therapies.” These therapy options are available until a child’s third birthday, when the public school districts provide disabilities services, Vellody says. Speech therapy isn’t as widely available and typically doesn’t start until the child is about 18 months old, Vellody says. A developmental therapist will meet with the child two to four times per month to monitor motor skills and speech development, Vellody says.Ī physical therapist or an occupational therapist will likely get involved when the child is between 6 months and 1 year old. Some states put a limit on how many therapist visits are allowed before the person with Down syndrome will need to use private insurance for coverage, he says.īut regardless of specific options, the goal of the baby’s first year is overall development. The options that are available depend on the state you live in though, explains Dr. Vellody. “It will dictate the trajectory for your child.” “Early intervention is so important,” says Michelle Sie Whitten, chief executive officer of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in Denver. These programs provide children with Down syndrome the various types of therapies they need and that have been proven beneficial - including occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. ( 3) (Looking for one? Check out the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center’s helpful list of resources for families.) ( 4) Such services are available and should be started anytime after birth until the child turns 3, or until the child is eligible to enter kindergarten. The law includes coverage of early intervention services designed to help address the developmental delays children with Down syndrome face. The federal law requires that states offer free, appropriate public education for all children with Down syndrome as part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Here’s a look at what’s recommended, based on age group: It’s not as much about “treating” Down syndrome as it is finding the therapies and services that make a positive impact, says Kathy Higgins, family liaison and early intervention evaluation coordinator at The Arc Westchester's Children's School for Early Development in Hawthorne, New York. ( 2) It really comes down to the individual, and treatments should be based on what each person needs. It’s important to note that there’s no one perfect way to treat Down syndrome. But there are many ways to help people living with the condition manage their disabilities and lead happy and productive lives. And there’s also no way to prevent Down syndrome from occurring. There’s no way to cure Down syndrome because it’s a genetic disorder. “And that, thankfully, started to take over.” “Somewhere around the early '70s there was this idea that this was a child you could take care of and educate, and manage their medical issues and things of that nature,” he says. In the 1960s, when a baby was born with Down syndrome, the parents were offered the option to institutionalize the child, says Kishore Vellody, MD, medical director for the Down Syndrome Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Services to help people with Down syndrome have changed dramatically in the past half century.
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