Teaching sign language to kids with Down syndrome is common. So I know this opinion may ruffle some feathers. But I believe there that may be a negative side to teaching sign language. Particularly to the extent that it is often used to replace verbal language for younger children with Down syndrome.
A few months back, I read the BEST simple explanation about thyroid function and why checking only TSH and T4 is not enough. Most importantly, why TSH and T4 alone may not be the right way to choose treatment if medication is needed.
Can you imagine a doctor showing up to surgery without knowing how to operate, but still going to the operating room to give it a good effort? That doctor simply operating and hoping for the best? As crazy as this sounds, this sort of medical care is what MANY mothers of children with Down syndrome face daily when taking their children to the pediatrician.
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So many moms ask me about the exercises I do with Mara and I started sharing them on my YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago. We started doing these exercises at around 1-month-old (even though you can start as soon as your baby is born) and up until Mara’s neck was super strong (at approximately 4-months-old).
After seeing parallel bars used for young children to assist them in walking, PVC seemed like a good option. There were no resources we found with plans for making them for Mara. But we used a few pictures we found and relied on the advice of our friend and therapist Kailee @themovementmama to determine the height of the bars to make this for Mara.
My driving force behind everything I do is my sister, Rebecca. Becky is my older sister. She is severely disabled. Yes, she had challenges, and yes, she was different, but she was a living, breathing, beautiful human who deserved the same love and respect that any of us do.
One of my favorite tummy time hacks early on is using elevation to encourage motivation! Babies can only see very short distances early on & what they can see is often blurry. They are, however, made to see your face best. So, find a way to get eye to eye—on the couch, kitchen island, or changing table (all with hands on supervision) and watch the magic unfold!
Kids with Down syndrome, as well as many typically developed kids and others with special needs, have low muscle tone in their feet and legs. Bones in children are not entirely developed and if a shoe is not properly fitted, then the child’s body’s biomechanics can be altered. Therefore, careful consideration is needed to support the foot and to encourage proper form when walking.
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