Ibtidayi Bunyaad – Early Childhood Intervention

Importance of Early Childhood Intervention and when should it start?

The importance of early intervention for children with Down syndrome cannot be stressed enough. It is through early intervention that a child with Down syndrome is able to get the best chance at achieving his or her potential later in life. New parents of children with Down syndrome often get confused between the meaning of Early Intervention and therapy. Early intervention refers to a comprehensive program of physical therapy, exercise and activity designed for a child’s specific needs, typically from birth to 3 years of age. The sooner early intervention begins, the better, however, it’s never too late to start. It helps in each of the four main areas of development: gross motor and fine motor skills, language, social development and self-help skills.

How can early intervention benefit a child with Down syndrome?

Early intervention can help in many ways. During the first three to four months of life, for example, an infant is expected to gain head control and the ability to pull to a sitting position (with help) with no head lags and enough strength in the upper torso to maintain an erect posture. Appropriate physical therapy may assist a baby with Down syndrome, who may have low muscle tone, in achieving this milestone.

One of the five motor skills that an infant is expected to achieve is the ability to hold and reach for objects. Here again, the baby with Down syndrome may need help before mastering these tasks. Physical therapy and practice in achieving these and subsequent milestones can assist a baby with Down syndrome in the four areas of development. Early intervention can also prevent a child with Down syndrome from reaching a plateau at some point in development. Thus, the goal of early intervention programs is to enhance and accelerate development by building on a child’s strengths and by strengthening those areas that are weaker, in all areas of development.

What can one expect in terms of their child’s potential and future development?

Early intervention, research and case histories have shown that children with Down syndrome have a far greater potential for learning and for functioning as contributing members of society than it was believed to be possible even 10 to 15 years ago. At the same time, we must remember that each child, whether he has Down syndrome or not, is a unique individual with his own strengths and weaknesses, his own abilities, as well as his own rate of development. Even when milestones are reached on schedule, expectations must be balanced. Low expectations will set limits on what a child can achieve. At the same time, unrealistically high expectations place undue burdens on a child, which may lead to failure. Acceptance of your child is the best approach. Optimistic, yet realistic, expectations plus the ability to recognize and reinforce the smallest increments of progress are the attitudes that are most likely to have a positive effect on development. In this way, early interventions succeed in maximizing achievement.

The three main kinds of early intervention therapies include Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy.

What is physical therapy?

Physical Therapy focuses on regimens for better lung development and exercises to attain, maintain, or prevent deterioration of a gross motor skill or function never learned or acquired due to a disabling condition. Gross motor skills are skills that develop through using the large muscles of the body in a coordinated and controlled way and helps the child in achieving his/her milestones such as neck holding, independent sitting ,walking, running etc.

How does physical therapy benefit children with down syndrome?

Physical therapy should be started from the first month of a baby's life to get the best possible outcomes. Proper lung development is essential in the early years of life. To ensure this, correct positioning of the child, along with some exercises is essential. Physical therapy helps in achieving milestones timely. In addition, strengthening exercises should be initiated to improve muscle tone and endurance.

Physical therapy services at KDSP

Physical Therapy services at KDSP initiated in January 2016, and has been providing quality services under the supervision of a specialized Pediatric Physical therapist. Therapies are play based since children learn best in a joyful environment. Parents/guardians and the therapist work as a team to provide the best care to every child’s individualized needs.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy (OT) is a client-centered health profession which enables people to participate in their occupations of everyday life i.e. Work, play and activities of daily living. An Occupational Therapist is a professional who evaluates how different health conditions can affect a person’s functioning and thus helps them to overcome or work around the difficulties in an improved manner.

How does Occupational Therapy benefit children with Down syndrome?

Occupational Therapy (OT) practitioners work with persons with Down syndrome to help them master skills for independence through self-care like feeding and dressing, fine and gross motor skills, school performance, and play and leisure activities. During infancy, OT practitioners can help mothers whose children are having feeding problems because of weak muscles in their cheeks, tongue, and lips. During early childhood, therapy can focus on mastering motor skills for independence, focusing on low muscle tone, loose ligaments at the joints, and visual and auditory deficits. A therapist can help parents place expectations that are appropriate to the ability of the child, can suggest positioning or adaptations that might help the child become more independent. School-aged children with Down syndrome benefit from an OT practitioner’s ability to address self-care skills like zipping a jacket, and fine and gross motor skills like cutting with scissors or completing multistep classroom routines to facilitate participation in school activities. OT practitioners can also assist in the classroom by enhancing the child’s communication skills through printing, handwriting, and keyboarding. Other challenges addressed are adaptations to the classroom—such as the position of desks and chairs—for optimal performance, based on the child’s physical abilities.

Occupational Therapy services at KDSP

KDSP’s Occupational Therapy clinic was set up in March 2015, aiming to provide early intervention and support to the children with Down syndrome. Importance is also placed upon educating care-givers so that they can understand the importance of a specific skill and continue practicing it with their child.

What is Speech & Language Therapy?

Speech and Language Therapy provides treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, speech, language, and swallowing. Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) work with parents, care takers and other professionals, such as teachers, nurses, occupational therapists and doctors in managing disorders.

How does Speech and Language Therapy benefit children with Down syndrome?

Children with Down syndrome usually have delays in development of communication skills, including receptive (understanding) language and expressive (speaking and composing sentences) language skills and reading. Speech-language pathologists have information and expertise to help address the speech and language problems faced by many children with Down syndrome. A speech therapist will help in developing/managing the following Speech delays | Language delays | Fluency disorders | Voice and resonance (nasality) disorders | Swallowing and feeding problems | Cognitive-communication disorders/barriers.

Speech and language therapy services at KDSP

KDSP has been offering Speech and Language Therapy services since March 2016. These services have helped children in communicating their needs in daily life, enhancing social interaction skills, being able to function better at school, and breaking the communication barrier that exists when the child has speech and language delays.