The New Down Syndrome Action Plan

 Add Weight to Integrate! Proprioception - Ground Zero for Integration in Children with Low Muscle Tone Proprioception allows us to know where our bodies are both in space and in relation to the environment. This incoming combination of pressure and position information is necessary for the brain to process the pressure and forces  acting on our bodies in order to plan an appropriate motor response; praxis. This sense directly affects our overall sensory integration (which in turn impacts visual motor integration and primitive reflex integration), as well as balance, coordination, fine motor skills, attention, focus, and observable "behavior," to name a few. Because proper integration for development can feel like a circular chicken and egg cycle, we need a point at which to intervene. For babies and children with Down Syndrome, normalizing proprioception is a great place to begin. What, When, Where, and How This is a basic diagram of the proprioception circuit. The Golgi Ten...

Time To Take Action As an OT, I understand the inclination for therapists to create end goals that are focused on the desired milestones of the first few years; sitting, standing, walking, etc. These are the benchmarks of development, and they are also time-based. If your child isn't doing something within a reasonable time frame, therapy efforts are focused on achieving the milestone. The fact that your child is "delayed" in reaching the milestone becomes a problem on the problem list...and then everyone's mindset, approach, and method incorporated during therapy is focused on that delay-based goal. This seems right, why wouldn't we want our child to sit or stand or walk within a reasonable time frame?  The answer is neurodevelopment.  We should not be concerned with   what  and   when...  We should divert all our energy into   HOW. What good is excellent sitting ability if our child has no way of getting in or out of the position? Or, even worse, if ...