How can a speech and language therapist help someone with Down syndrome?

How can a speech and language therapist help someone with Down syndrome?

A child with Down’s Syndrome may be able to understand more than they are able to express. Our Speech and Language Therapists can help to increase their ability to express what they are feeling by increasing their vocabulary and developing a language programme that works on their expressive language and syntax skills.

What are the language and social interaction skills of a child with Down syndrome?

Children with Down syndrome have strengths in the area of vocabulary and pragmatics (social interactive language). They often develop a rich and varied vocabulary as they mature. They have good social interactive skills and use gestures and facial expressions effectively to help themselves communicate.

How do you encourage a Down syndrome speech?

6 Tips to Encourage your Child with Down Syndrome’s Speech

1. Nursery Rhymes and Songs.
2. Reading books to them nightly.
3. Gross motor or motor imitation–imitation starts at the hands first before the mouth.
4. Vocal play with animal sounds, vehicle sounds, etc…
5. Praise for any verbal attempts or word approximations (“mo” for “more”)

Why is speech therapy important for Down syndrome?

Speech therapists can assist children with Down syndrome with increasing the coordination in their mouth to form words, teach them alternative communication techniques such as sign language to assist and augment with the facilitation of spoken language or use a combination of both approaches.

How does Down syndrome affect speech and language?

Most children with Down syndrome seem to have considerably more difficulty in learning the grammar and syntax of the language than with learning lexical items. Most children with Down syndrome show specific productive delays, first in being able to say single words and then in being able to produce sequences of words.

How do you interact with a child with Down syndrome?

Topic Overview

1. Look directly at your baby when you talk to him or her.
2. Play games like peek-a-boo.
3. Show different objects to your baby.
4. Let your baby see himself or herself in the mirror.
5. If your child shows interest in an object, person, or event, say the name of the person or object or talk about the event.

Does Down syndrome affect language?

Overall, the development of speech and language skills is delayed compared to typically developing peers. Many children with Down syndrome develop non-verbal skills, such as gesturing and sign, earlier than they develop verbal communication skills.

How does Down syndrome affect cognitive development?

Cognitive impairment, problems with thinking and learning, is common in people with Down syndrome and usually ranges from mild to moderate. Only rarely is Down syndrome associated with severe cognitive impairment. Other common cognitive and behavioral problems may include1,2,3,4: Short attention span.

How do you teach a child with Down syndrome to read?

Teaching reading to students with Down syndrome can be aided by the following strategies:

1. Capitalizing on their visual spatial learning style by using multimedia teaching tools.
2. Breaking reading instruction into manageable chunks with plenty of breaks in between.

How do you calm a child with Down syndrome?

Everyday Tips

1. Give your child chores around the house.
2. Have your child play with other kids who do and don’t have Down syndrome.
3. Keep your expectations high as your child tries and learns new things.
4. Make time to play, read, have fun, and go out together.
5. Support your child in doing day-to-day tasks on their own.

Is Down syndrome a disability?

The extra chromosome affects the way the child’s brain and body develop, leading to developmental delays, intellectual disability and an increased risk for certain medical issues. Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, affecting approximately 1 in every 700 children.

At what age does a child with Down syndrome walk?

Some babies with Down syndrome start walking the same time as any other child, typically around the age of 2. Some babies with Down syndrome will start walking at the same time as any other child, typically around the age of two. If there are difficulties or you have any concerns, speak to your doctor.

What can a speech pathologist do for Down syndrome?

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can provide evaluation and treatment for the speech and language difficulties experienced by children, adolescents and adults with Down syndrome.

How to write good goals for Down syndrome?

Incorporate the baseline/present level into the goal preceded by the word increase and you won’t fail to write a good goal. For example: John will increase his speech intelligibility from his present level of 60% understandable to unfamiliar listeners with context to 80% understandable to unfamiliar listeners with no context.

How are language and communication skills related to Down syndrome?

The only etiological factor undoubtedly linked to Down syndrome is increasing maternal age ( Hassold & Sherman, 2002 ). See Patterson and Lott (2008) for further details about etiology. For all individuals, language and communication skills are related to skills in other areas of development.

What are the strengths of people with Down syndrome?

•People with Down syndrome have strengths in the area of vocabulary and pragmatics (social interactive language). They often develop a rich and varied vocabulary as they mature. They have good social interactive skills and use gestures and facial expressions effectively to help themselves communicate.