OTs Helping Patients with Down Syndrome

Hi readers!

Occupational therapists help diagnose babies and play a large part in early intervention therapy to help physical, cognitive, and social development. For example, OTs help babies with Down Syndrome, which is a chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. Down Syndrome causes low muscle tone or hypotonia, which makes one feel floppy and have reduced strength and endurance (“Occupational Therapy”, 2016). This makes learning gross and fine motor skills very difficult. Children with Down Syndrome also have short arms and legs (“Occupational Therapy”, 2016). This can make fine motor, gross motor, and functional skills harder to perform. Occupational therapists’ goals with patients with Down Syndrome is to help improve their quality of life. OTs can start as early as in the NICU by assisting with arm/wrist/hand strength, control, and coordination. They can also address cognitive development through play and learning. Due to hypotonia and cheek, tongue, and lip muscle weakness, feeding can be difficult for some babies with Down Syndrome (Bruni, 2012). OTs can help with positioning and feeding techniques and request feeding studies. OTs can also start helping possible future difficulties involved with short arms and legs such as dressing and toileting and certain hand/arm movements such as coloring and opening things (Bruni, 2012). OTs can help promote arm and hand movements with infants to help lay the foundation for the future. It is all about early intervention in order to help a child with Down Syndrome have the best quality of life.

Talk to you next time,

Kayla

 

Works Cited

Bruni, M. (2012). Occupational Therapy & Down Syndrome. Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://www.ndss.org/Resources/Therapies-Development/Occupational-Therapy-Down-Syndrome

Occupational Therapy for Down Syndrome. (2016). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://www.therapiesforkids.com.au/conditions/syndrome-2/