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Early development for children with Down's syndrome
- SEND
- Child development and growing up
- Speech, language and communication
Down's syndrome is a genetic condition that results in some level of learning disability and a particular range of physical characteristics. The condition is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21.
Children with down's syndrome are all individuals. The effect that this extra genetic material has on each child's health and development widely varies.
Developmental milestones for children with Down's syndrome
It's common for children with Down's syndrome to be delayed in reaching physical and communication milestones. Milestones should be treated as a rough guide, as each child is unique and will develop at their own pace.
Understanding the different developmental milestones will help you support your child as they grow. Sometimes development can be slower than you expect, or you may notice something different about your baby. It's normal to feel worried but there is lots of support out there.
Physical development
| Physical | Down syndrome range | Typical range |
| Sitting without support | 6 to 30 months old | 5 to 9 months old |
| Crawling | 8 to 22 month old | 6 to 12 months old |
| Standing | 1 to 3.5 years old | 8 to 17 months old |
| Walking without support | 1 to 4 years old | 9 to 18 months old |
Communication development
| Communication | Down syndrome range | Typical range |
| Responsive smile | 1.5 to 5 months old | 1 to 3 months old |
| First word | 1 to 4 years old | 1 to 3 years old |
| Two word phrases | 2 to 7.5 years old | 1.5 to 2.5 years old |
Self-care development
| Physical | Down syndrome range | Typical range |
| Eating using their fingers | 10 to 24 months old | 4 to 14 months old |
| Drinking from a cup without help | 1 to 2.5 years old | 7 to 14 months old |
| Using a spoon | 1 to 3 years old | 1 to 2 years old |
| Toilet trained | 2 to 7 years old | 1.5 to 3.5 years old |
| Dresses themselves without help | 3.5 to 8.5 years old | 3 to 5 years old |
Main areas of difficulty
There are a few areas of development that can be particularly difficult for children with Down's syndrome.
How to support your Down's syndrome child
Have realistic expectations. Know what developmental stage your child is at and what is coming up in the next stage. From your child's responses you will know whether the activity is too easy or too hard for your child. It will be frustrating for you and your child if you try to force them to develop their developmental skills too soon.
Build on your success. Use activities you know your child can do. Build on that success by making the task a little more difficult. Succeeding in doing an activity can be a great motivator for children. This will encourage them to keep learning.
Break down activities into smaller steps (also known as grading). This can make the activities more manageable or seem easier to achieve. Breaking down activities into smaller steps is important for all children.
Be aware of the distractions. A distracting environment can make it harder to focus on learning a new activity or skill. Pay attention to the the time of day, the space you're working in, background noises and lights. Hunger can also be distracting for children.
Try out different activities. It's okay if an activity is unsuccessful. You can try again using a different method. For example, there are lots of ways to develop mark-making. Instead of using a pen or pencil, try using messy play to make marks with their hands.
Make it fun! If an activity is exciting or interesting, your child is more likely to take part and engage. Pay attention to your own body language. When you look excited, your child is more likely to be excited.
Activities to encourage early development
Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024
