| Parents of a child with Down syndrome have their | | | | out and back arched, in a more pronounced, difficult, |
| hands full just trying to get used to their child's | | | | and precarious way. |
| condition. What could get them more dubious is when | | | | While it is true that your child is going to learn how to |
| someone suggests that their child should have a | | | | walk eventually and that what is only takes is for |
| physical therapist. Why physical therapy? Won't he | | | | you wait more patiently, it would still be more |
| learn to walk and run, just like other children do? | | | | worthwhile if you avoid making that wait wasted. |
| Down syndrome and physical therapy may be an odd | | | | Physical therapy during this development stage is so |
| pair yet the parent should realize the inherent | | | | powerful in preventing impending orthopedic problems |
| benefits that physical therapy could offer. First of all, | | | | in your child once he reaches his adolescence and |
| the arrangement of Down syndrome and physical | | | | adulthood. Otherwise his physical functioning will have |
| therapy offers the child one of the most important | | | | the tendency to be impaired later in life. Physical |
| services he will receive in the early intervention | | | | therapy can help a child with a Down syndrome by |
| period. It is during this early phase that the Down | | | | proactively teaching him some optimal movement |
| syndrome and physical therapy match will have the | | | | patterns to developed strength in particular muscles. |
| greatest chemistry to improve the child's condition in | | | | And aside from eliminating the compensatory |
| the future. | | | | movement patterns that the child with a Down |
| Although the limitation of having a child with a Down | | | | syndrome is prone to, physical therapy can also help |
| syndrome and physical therapy as his early treatment | | | | the child in attaining a mastery of his total motor |
| is apparently that it does not accelerate the rate at | | | | development. His total motor development - rolling |
| which the child achieves his total motor skill, physical | | | | over, sitting, crawling and walking are the first |
| therapy still helps the child in avoiding his development | | | | challenges he will meet in life. Hence this will also be |
| of abnormal compensatory movement patterns. A | | | | his first area of strength. Once the both of you has |
| child having a Down syndrome and physical therapy | | | | learned how to walk, your team will advance to |
| deficit are nearly certain that they will develop the | | | | refining the pattern, ultimately allowing you to access |
| following compensatory movement patterns: standing | | | | community recreation programs like 'gymboree', |
| and walking with hips in external rotation, knees stiff, | | | | dance, gymnastics, or any other program that you |
| feet flat and turned out, sitting with trunk rounded | | | | both would enjoy in. |
| and pelvis tilted back, and standing with a stomach | | | | |