A Mother's Guide to Raising a Child With Down Syndrome
My Baby Has Down Syndome
The discovery that your child has Down Syndrome is a daunting one. Believe me, thirty-five years ago, at the tender age of twenty, I was daunted.
But after the shock and awe, after the ‘why me,’ and confusion, what you need is information. What Down Syndrome is, the effects and symptoms become tiresome and you start to ask the age-old question: what can I do to help my child? Below find simple strategies to help your child with Down Syndrome live up to a full potential, and, believe me, there is a lot of potential.
My main advise is not to worry. Anxiety is no good for you or your child. A child with Down Syndrome is first of all, a child and like all children, a delight, occasionally bratty (just like all children), and deserving of all the love you have to give.
Help your child with Down Syndrome live up to full potential.
1) Love.
2) Stimulation. Part of the definition of mental retardation is "an external locus of control." That means that the individual is not going to have a lot of motivation. You have to present your child with a variety of sights, sounds and sensations to capture her interest. But! If my daughter has an external locus of control, how did she decide to practice cutting shapes by snipping triangles, squares and rectangles on my six-foot rubber tree plant?
3) Expect the unexpected. Just because they tell you that a child with Down Syndrome will just sit there like a lump until you provide them with stimulation doesn’t mean she’ll sit there like a lump until you provide stimulation. Like it surprised me how quickly my daughter decided to scramble a half dozen eggs in a colander when my back was turned.
4) Get out and about. Take your baby everywhere. Provide constant commentary and questions on everything. If your child with Down Syndrome does not have the muscular control to climb the monkey bars, assist her, manipulate those little hands and feet until she gets the hang of it. Take long walks, meet people, go on trips – present the world to your child and your child to the world.
5) Turn off the TV. Learning is a multisensory event. Sitting in front of the television makes a child passive and inhibits the development of eye muscles as well as language.
6) Read early. Read often. A child with Down Syndrome, often somewhat passive by nature, will enjoy spending lots of time snuggled in your lap poring over picture books, catalogues and magazines. The movement of eyes across the page and the understanding that those squiggles and blocks of color represent something in the real world enrich any child’s development and encourage the skills needed for reading.Many children with Down's can learn to read.
7) Repetition. All children learn by repetition. Some just need a little more than others.
8) Music. A variety of music presents different sensations and offers a child a deeper view of the world. Music can be soothing or energizing. It enhances the development of motor skills through dance. Dancing will help your child’s balance, coordination, stamina and strength. My daughter has accumulated quite a lot of junk from winning all those dance contests at the ARC!
9) Talk. Talk. Talk. Language is civilization. Language allows us to understand the world and adapt to it my means of communication. Language allows a child to become a fully realized individual with ability to make his/her wishes known, ask questions and state observations.
10) From day one push that tongue in. Children with Down Syndrome have poor muscle control evidenced by that tongue hanging out. It doesn’t look good. A tongue hanging out interferes with the ability to speak. Wash your hands and push that tongue in. Eventually, your child will get the idea.
Of course, good wholesome, fresh food and supplemental vitamins are especially important for the child with Downs. Finding a doctor who is experienced with Down syndrome may be a bit difficult but well worth the search.
So, quit worrying and get on with life. Having a child with Down Syndrome provides you the opportunity to really make a difference for your baby, yourself, your family and everyone you meet.
Girl With Down Syndrome Atop the Twin Towers!
Health Concerns
Attempt to locate a pediatrician who has experience with children with Down Syndrome. An experienced doctor can suggest nutritional and supplemental additions to your child's diet that will benefit his or her health. A dentist experienced with patients with Down Syndrome can address the special needs of children who generally have slower progress of tooth eruption and my need help with dental hygiene.
School age children benefit from summer camps or extended school programs so that education and physical activity is not interrupted during school vacations. Many recreations centers and programs offer activities that are adapted to children with special needs.
Special Olympics offers continuing physical activities and competition that encourage exercise and the opportunity to excel in sports. Field and team sports, swimming, and sailing as well as winter sports are available with instruction and guidance for children with Down Syndrome and other special needs. Some areas even offer adaptive equestrian programs.
Down Syndrome and Exercise
Baby Jordan is sooo cute. He's sweet, fun and oh, yeah, he has Down Syndrome
A Girl With Down Syndrome Named Homecoming Queen
Comments
Dolores after the initial shock of learning our baby may have Down Syndrome we welcomed her into the world as any other baby. Sadly in our case she had Edward Syndrome which meant we were faced with other challenges. The beauty about having children is loving them regardless of their imperfections. Thank you for such an informative article. I wish this had been around when we needed answers.
Hi Dolores,
Thank you for writing this informative Hub! I have always been curious (as have many others, apparently!) about what life is like for people with DS and their families. As I suspected, the quality of their lives has a lot to do with the quality of their families (as with us all). Your daughter is lucky to have you, and you're lucky to have her. Best to you and yours!
I 3 months ago married a man with a 25 year old Down Syndrome child......was very loving at first, but after marriage has beem a constant power struggle.....there are a lot of things his dad does "kust to appease" him....he is let to do whatever he wants...father says it is his house and refuses to lock the kitchen at night as he creates a miserable mess in the kitchen and with the food in his room and goes ballistic if I try just to clean the stinky food out of his room......am at my wits end!!!
Oki dokie, fully agreed :)
I like your article Dolores, our little daughter of 8 months has also DS. Can you say whether this "aggressive etape" they should go through in the early childhood is a must or it depends as everything on all the other circumstances of life.?
One more thing, we are a bilingual family too and we do speak both languages at home. However it is still very helpful to me to get opinions of others: do you think some babies with DS could eventually pick up? or it is way too complicated to even think about.
is there life a shortage if they have down syndrome, or does there life stil continue just like everyone elses?
Interesting article. I do not understand though how pushing in a babies tongue is going to improve muscle strength. It would seem more logical to do tongue exercises.
Phil I love your comment. I too have a son with Down's Syndrome. He is now 25. He started in a program that came to my home and taught me how to stimulate him as much as possible, when he was 6 weeks old. He continued in some sort of education until he was 21 when he walked and received his certificate in the graduation ceremony at the high school he attended. He is VERY proud of that as I am of him. He has brought so much joy to my life! Thank you for your wonderful post.
Delores, what a wonderful outlook you have. I did my student teaching with Downs Syndrome children in the 4 to 5 age group. They were loving, giving, and eager to please. How lucky your child is to have you.
Very informative hub. Thanks.
is it rude to say those with down syndrome are retarded?
During my holidays from university, I used to help out at looking after the kids from Mont a L'Abbe school who had all sorts of physical and mental issues like Cri du Chat and, of course, Downs Syndrome children. I found their emotional honesty so refreshing. They liked you instantly, treated you like they had known you forever and were always happy to see you. Years later, I was talking to someone about various mental situations and she used the phrase "suffering from Down's Syndrome" to which I laughed and said "if that is suffering, then we should all suffer from Down's Syndrome and the world would be a happier, friendlier and better place".
Dolores, you da bomb! I knew a woman with a Down syndrome child, and she said he's the best thing that ever happened to her! she told me these kids lack aggression. All the ones I've known at school were super sweet and cuddly.
Thank you very much for your post. I have a one year old baby with Down Syndrome and I think this is one of the most useful and comprehensive articles I have read on raising a child with Down Syndrome. Thank you.
This is just great! You're the best there is!
Thanks for sharing such a loving thoughtful hub!
An awful lot of that - love, stimulation, reading, etc, applies to all babies equally, I think?
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