Early Intervention For Children With Down Syndrome

A Quick Guide

The first few years of life are a child’s most formative years. The most substantial and rapid developmental changes in all young children occur at this time. Basic physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and self-help skills that set the foundation for future growth are developed during these formative years in accordance with predetermined developmental patterns. Certain times there are delays in the developmental patterns of children due to some heredity disorders such as Down Syndrome. Early intervention is strongly advised for children with Down syndrome because these kids frequently experience delays in particular developmental domains. In this article, we will discuss what Down syndrome is, along with its symptoms and treatment options.

Understanding Down syndrome

Down syndrome is a hereditary disorder, also known as Trisomy 21. Down syndrome occurs when a child’s cells develop 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. About 1 in every 1100 babies is affected by it, and it can lead to a variety of physical and developmental issues as well as intellectual difficulties. Although we understand how Down syndrome develops, we do not understand why. A baby’s cells frequently undergo a transformation at the time of conception. Down syndrome can affect children born to parents of any age and members of all racial and cultural groups.

Read: Down Syndrome & Cognitive Delays: Here’s What You Need To Know

Down syndrome screening

Prenatal tests are available to assist you to determine whether your unborn child has Down syndrome. Screening tests can tell you how likely it is that your child has Down syndrome, but they cannot tell you for sure. These are some examples of screening tests:

• Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) involves giving a tiny sample of blood to examine it for various DNA components of your unborn child.
• An examination of your blood and measurement from your 12-week ultrasound scan is included in the combined first-trimester screening test. If you haven’t had a screening test for maternal serum during the first trimester, you can still get this blood test.
• Down syndrome screening tests take your age into account. This is due to the fact that as you age, your chances of having a baby with Down syndrome increase.

Diagnosing Down syndrome

You may need diagnostic testing based on the findings of screening tests. You can find out if your baby has Down syndrome through diagnostic testing. Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis are examples of diagnostic tests. Although both of these tests are extremely accurate, there are some potential dangers. Additionally, even if the tests reveal that your child has Down syndrome, they are unable to predict how the disorder will impact your child. To learn more about these tests, speak with your doctor or midwife. Since Down syndrome has several distinguishing physical characteristics, your doctor can make a diagnosis at delivery. A blood or saliva test will be administered to your child if the doctor suspects that he or she has Down syndrome.

What are the most common Down syndrome treatments?

For those with Down syndrome, there is no one, accepted treatment. Treatments are based on each person’s particular qualities and shortcomings as well as his or her physical and intellectual needs.   In-home and community care can be provided for people with Down syndrome.

A group of medical experts, including but not limited to doctors, special educators, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and social workers, will likely provide care for a child with Down syndrome. All professionals who work with kids who have Down syndrome ought to be encouraging and engaging. People who have Down syndrome are more likely to have certain illnesses and disorders than people who do not.

Numerous of these related disorders may demand quick attention shortly after birth, sporadic care during childhood and adolescence, or ongoing care throughout one’s entire life. For instance, a baby with Down syndrome can require surgery a few days after birth to fix a heart abnormality, or a person with Down syndrome might have digestive issues that necessitate a particular diet for the rest of their lives.

The same regular medical care is required for children, teenagers, and adults with Down syndrome as for those without the disorder, from well-baby checkups and normal vaccines as babies to cardiovascular care and reproductive counseling as they age. They gain advantages from frequent physical activity and social interactions much like everyone else. Some other common treatments can include the following: 

• Early Intervention
• Drugs and dietary supplements
• Assistive Devices

Early intervention for children with Down Syndrome

Children with Down syndrome or other disorders may need early intervention as they may experience developmental delays. It is a structured program of therapy, exercises, and activities to address these problems. The individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), federal law requires these programs. According to the law, states must offer early intervention services to all eligible children in order to promote infant and toddler development and assist families in understanding and meeting their children’s needs. The most often used early intervention services for children with Down syndrome include occupational, speech, and physical therapy. Early intervention programs’ overall objective is to enhance and accelerate development by building on a child’s strengths and by enhancing their weaker developmentally appropriate skills.

Physical Therapy

The goal of physical therapy is to promote motor growth. For instance, within the first three to four months of life, a baby should learn to control their head, be able to pull themselves into sitting postures (with assistance), and have the adequate upper body strength to maintain an upright posture. A newborn with Down syndrome who may have low muscle tone may benefit from appropriate physical treatment to reach this milestone. Physical development continues to be the fundamental building block for all subsequent development before birth and during the first few months of life. Babies pick up new skills by interacting with their surroundings. An infant must consequently be able to move freely and with purpose in order to learn.

A newborn must develop both gross and fine motor skills to be able to explore his or her environment, reach and hold objects, turn their head to watch something move, or roll over and crawl. These physically demanding, engaging pursuits encourage environmental awareness and mastery while promoting social, linguistic, and cognitive growth. Physical treatment also aids in preventing the compensatory movement patterns that people with Down syndrome are prone to adopt in the long run. These tendencies may result in orthopedic and functional issues if not changed.

Speech and language therapy

The treatment of speech and language disorders is a crucial part of early intervention. Even though newborns with Down syndrome may not speak until they are two or three years old, they must first acquire a number of pre-speech and pre-language abilities before they can learn how to put words together.

These include the capacity to mimic and echo sounds, turn-taking abilities (learned through games like “peek-a-boo”), visual and auditory skills (listening to music, speech, or speech sounds for longer periods of time), tactile skills (learning about touch, exploring objects in the mouth), oral motor skills (using the tongue, moving the lips), and cognitive abilities (understanding object permanence and cause and effect relationships). A speech and language therapist can assist with these and other behaviors, such as breastfeeding. Breastfeeding helps improve a baby’s jaw and facial muscles and builds the groundwork for future communication abilities since it uses the same anatomical structures as speech.

Occupational therapy

Children receive occupational therapy to help them learn and acquire independent living skills. Opening and shutting objects, taking up and releasing toys of different sizes and shapes, stacking and building, manipulating knobs and buttons, experimenting with crayons, etc. are all skills that occupational therapy can help with. Additionally, therapists teach kids how to play and connect with other kids, as well as how to eat and dress themselves. A kid with Down syndrome can avoid hitting a developmental plateau by receiving early intervention. The main objective of early intervention programs is to accelerate and enhance development by leveraging a child’s strengths and enhancing their weaknesses across all domains of development.

Emotional and behavioral therapies

Finding practical solutions to both desired and unwanted behaviors is the goal of emotional and behavioral therapy. Communication difficulties in children with Down syndrome can lead to frustration, obsessive behaviors, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and other mental health problems. These therapists make an effort to comprehend the underlying causes of a child’s behavior, develop avoidance and prevention methods, and teach better or more constructive ways to react to situations. A child can develop coping and social skills and learn how to manage their emotions with the aid of a psychologist, counselor, or another mental health specialist.

Teenagers going through puberty may undergo changes in their hormone levels that make them more aggressive. Teenagers can learn from behavioral therapists how to identify their strong emotions and develop appropriate coping mechanisms. Parents may also learn from guidance on how to support a kid with Down syndrome in overcoming daily difficulties and realizing his or her full potential.

Responsive Teaching: Early intervention for children with Down syndrome

A child development early intervention curriculum called Responsive Teaching (RT) was created for parents and other carers who spend a lot of time interacting with and looking after young children with Down Syndrome. Responsive Teaching assists adults in getting the most out of every routine interaction they have with their kids in order to promote and support their growth and well-being. This program encourages the “pivotal behaviors” that are the cornerstones of developmental learning, including social play, initiative, problem-solving, shared attention, communication, trust, cooperation, persistence, and feelings of competence. The core of responsive teaching is a set of “simple to remember” instructions that adults can include in their regular activities with kids.

Responsive Teaching aims to improve three areas of developmental functioning. They consist of the following:

• Children’s capacity to reason, think critically, solve issues, and pick up new knowledge about their surroundings and relationships also known as cognition.
• Children’s capacity to express their thoughts, perceptions, and intentions and to react to others’ feelings, observations, and intentions through nonverbal, symbolic, and spoken language also known as communication.
• Children’s capacity to connect with their parents, other adults, and other children in developmentally appropriate ways while also being able to follow sensible rules and expectations also known as social-emotional functioning.

Implementing Responsive Teaching

The five interactive qualities that are connected to responsiveness are meant to be incorporated into parent-child interactions through the use of these tactics. The following are some of these dimensions:

• Reciprocity, which is the regular interactions marked by a fair, “give and take” dynamic.
• Contingency: Interactions that directly and immediately relate to a child’s prior behaviors and that promote and support the child’s actions, intentions, and communication.
• Shared control: the encouragement and development of the child’s initiative or leadership in activities and communications.
• Affect: warm, energetic, and expressive exchanges characterized by happiness or excitement in interacting with the child.
• Match: Adapting interactions and requests to the child’s developmental stage, present interests, and behavioral or temperamental tendencies.

Drugs and Supplements

Some individuals with Down syndrome use medications or amino acid supplements that alter their brain activity. However, many of the most recent clinical trials for these medicines have inadequate quality control and showed side effects. Since then, many more specialized psychotropic substances have been created. However, there have been no well-controlled clinical studies that show these drugs are safe and effective for treating Down syndrome. Many medication studies for Down syndrome patients have only had a small number of patients. These trials’ findings did not clearly demonstrate these medications’ advantages either. Another research has revealed that antioxidant supplements are safe but ineffective in treating dementia in people with Down syndrome.

Assistive Devices

Assistive devices are any substance, tool, equipment, or technology that improves learning or makes tasks easier to complete. They are being used more frequently in interventions for kids with Down syndrome. Examples include hearing aid amplification gadgets, fitness bands, special pencils for writing efficiency, touchscreen computers, and computers with large-letter keyboards.

What are the advantages of early intervention programs for parents?

Early intervention programs have a lot to offer parents in the way of assistance, motivation, and knowledge. The programs instruct parents on how to engage with their baby or toddler, how to cater to their particular requirements, and how to promote development.

Who covers the cost of early intervention?

If carried out by a state-authorized organization, the evaluation to establish if your child qualifies for early intervention is free of charge. No child who is qualified may be denied services based on ability to pay, although depending on the state, insurance companies may be billed, and/or a sliding scale payment may be necessary. For information on approved service providers and financial requirements, parents should contact the early intervention center in their state. Parents frequently pay little or nothing for these services.

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

When a child is determined to be eligible for early childhood special education services, a written document known as an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) specifies the early intervention programs that the child will receive. Children with IFSPs range in age from newborn to three. Every child receiving early intervention services under IDEA-Part C must have an IFSP. However, state-by-state variations exist in the IFSP’s specific requirements.

We hope you found this article useful in learning more about early intervention along with other common treatments for children with Down Syndrome.