What is Down’s Syndrome?Occupational therapy management for Down Syndrome
What is Downs Syndrome?
A congenital condition characterized by moderate to severe mental retardation, slanting eyes, a broad short skull, broad hands with short fingers, and trisomy of the human chromosome numbered 21 called also Downs syndrome.
Common clinical feature
Children with Down syndrome have a distinct facial appearance. Though not all children with Down syndrome have the same features, some of the more common features are:
Flattened facial features
Small head
Short neck
Protruding tongue
Upward slanting eyes, unusual for the childs ethnic group
Unusually shaped or small ears
Poor muscle tone
Broad, short hands with a single crease in the palm
Relatively short fingers and small hands and feet
Excessive flexibility
Tiny white spots on the colored part (iris) of the eye called Brushfield spots
Short height
Complications
Children with Down syndrome can have a variety of complications, some of which become more prominent as they get older, such as:
Heart defects.
Leukemia.
Infectious diseases.
Dementia.
Sleep apnea.
Obesity.
Other problems. Down syndrome may also be associated with other health conditions, including gastrointestinal blockage, thyroid problems, early menopause, seizures, ear infections, hearing loss, skin problems such as psoriasis, skeletal problems and poor vision.
Prevalence
The estimated incidence of Down Syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide. Each year approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder and it is believed there are about 250,000 families in the United States of America who are affected by Down Syndrome.
On average, one in every 800 children is born with the syndrome and there are two lakh children with this syndrome in Bangladesh.
Common Problem of Down syndrome
Intellectual and developmental problems range from mild to moderate
Poor fine motor skills e.g. Poor writing skills
Difficulty in balance during walking
Difficulties in cognitive skills
Difficulties in social skills
Sometimes difficulties to engage in Daily activities (e.g. Dressing,feeding,combing hair or grooming etc)
Some children may have physical problem and sensory integration difficulties
Occupational therapy management
Occupational therapy helps children participate in their everyday lives and occupations to the best of their ability. A childs occupations are the daily and meaningful activities that they need or want to do.
A childs occupations include play and learning, exploration of the environment, self-care (i.e. dressing, eating, toileting etc), school work (i.e. handwriting, organizing school work, cutting and drawing, and physical exercises).
Babies and children with Down Syndrome experience some delay in all aspects of their development - physical, social, language, play and emotional. They also have some physical features such as low muscle tone which may impact on their development and acquisition of fine motor and self care skills. Occupational therapy can help your baby or child in these areas.
A qualified occupational therapist firstly assesses the child and indentify problem list. According to problem list therapist provide following therapeutic management:
Engage the child in play activities
Perform self-care and functional activities like feeding, toileting and dressing
Practice fine motor skills
Practice functional walking like shopping
Cognitive skills training by using different type of puzzle
Social Skills training
Sensory integration therapy
Engage in Vocational Training session which helps the child to make independent in their life.
Conduct Parents training session about their condition and how to improve their life.
