How to manage Down Syndrome

Some people argue that giving birth to a child with Down syndrome is difficult, but it should be appreciated as an honor because such children are incredibly blessed and special and all you have to do is to cater for them. However, regardless of the optimism parents hold they are going to be worried about the life of their newborn with Down syndrome. But let us assure you that if the right and appropriate action is taken you can ensure your kid learns how to be independent and lead a normal life. It is important to note that Down syndrome cannot be cured; therefore, if you are in the search for a simple solution to this disease, you will not find it but there is a way to live with it. Each kid will have their own symptoms, strengths, and limits that you have to understand before starting any intervention. To give you an overview of ways and strategies you can use for your kid to overcome their difficulties we have enlisted ways you can manage your kids with Down syndrome and let them live a happy life.

Educate yourself beforehand:

One of the best ways to manage Down syndrome effectively is to start inventions as soon as possible. Little kids learn a lot during their early years of life. Therefore, when your kid is diagnosed with Down syndrome you should start their treatment as soon as possible as the earlier you start it the better your kid will learn.

The best way to tackle this condition is to get the Down syndrome screening and diagnostic tests done during your pregnancy. If you find out that you are likely to have a kid with Down syndrome you can start planning even before the kid is born.

You can talk to the experts and devise strategies on how you will raise that precious kid. Moreover, you can go for counseling and talk to the speech therapist, behavioral therapist, pediatrician, and any other professional related to the field that you will be staying in touch with later on.

Start Early Intervention:

As discussed above the intervention should start as early as the child is born. Kids can learn a lot during the first three years of their lives and that’s the best time to intervene for kids with Down syndrome. You with the assistance of your kid’s doctor, therapists, and educators will make the child learn and grow in his own way. The more you delay the intervention the more behavioral and learning issues the kid will have later on in life. This early intervention also includes finding a school that caters to the needs of your special and has experienced educators who know the educational needs of a child with Down syndrome. There are a lot of free and community schools that you can enroll your kid in and there the kid will learn how they can life on in this world with the condition and will also learn to read and write.

Use consequence strategy:

If your kid has Down syndrome his mind will work in its own way. They will not show the so-called socially accepted behaviors and may have issues following commands and even simple instructions. There are ways to improve this behavior, and you can do that by using the consequence strategy. The consequence strategy is based on the reward and reinforcement mechanism. This means if the child shows unwanted behavior, you can show them negative reinforcement. The negative reinforcement is never a punishment but a gesture or silence that can make the kid realize that the behavior they have showed is unwanted and it has negative consequences. Same way the parents can give positive reinforcement when their kid shows desired behavior and can endorse the behavior by appreciating it. For example, your kid did not shout when you wanted to take their iPad away instead, they asked politely for a few more minutes. To appreciate this behavior, you can give the child what they want, and this will enforce the kid to show similar behavior in the future as they have gained the reward in the form of some extra minutes.

Go for occupational therapy:

If you want your child who has Down syndrome to lead an easy life you may have to make changes to their lives by making their everyday tasks easy.

You will find plenty of tools and everyday items that you can replace with regular ones to give your child ease. This all comes under the umbrella of occupational therapy. This therapy will help you child in learning about self-care and everyday simple tasks like getting dressed, write, read, eat and even walk.

Later on, occupational therapy will assist your offspring to find suitable colleges universities, and even jobs.

Apply physical therapy:

Children with Down syndrome may have physical milestone delays, but it is important to work on their physical milestones as they will later become the foundation of mental strength. If your kid learns to roll over, crawl, and walk on their own they will be able to know and see the world around them will learn how they can interact with this world. You can hire a physical therapist for this task as they will design certain physical activities and regimes for your kid and will help them overcome delayed milestones. Moreover, the therapist helps your kid with low muscle tone which is a symptom of Down syndrome.

Get language therapy for your kid:

One of the main things Down syndrome kids struggle with is communication and language learning. Communicating your needs effectively is the first step on getting towards a better lifestyle.

If your child can communicate with the world, they will get things done on their own without your assistance. This can only happen if you focus on your kid’s language therapy. For this, you will need to contact a speech therapist.

The therapist will first develop your kid’s early language skills like imitating and will also help the kid in latching as it will strengthen the muscles that can help in speech later on. Secondly, if the child cannot speak and want to convey their needs and wants, the therapist will help them learn sign language so that they have no issue communicating with their caregivers.

Be patient and consistent:

If you happen to be blessed with a beautiful angel who has Down syndrome you may feel overwhelmed and challenged at times, but we assure you that you have got this. There will come a time when you feel helpless and will feel nothing is working but you have to encourage yourself and your partner. These managing therapies may take longer to show positive results but are not without benefits. The key to have a better life for your kid is consistency and patience. Those who master it will be successful so do not lose hope and hang on there you will see your little one thrive like all other kids and will see them win at life.