Down Syndrome

Facts:

• IQ scores between 40 and 70

  • 85-115 IQ score is normal

• Extra (third) copy of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21)

• Associated w/ health concerns:

  • congenital heart defects

  • GERD

  • sleep apnea

  • greater risk of onset Alzheimer disease

  • low muscle tone → large tongue and small sized mouth

Language Characteristics:

Expressive language is severely impaired than receptive language abilities.

Form:

• speech intelligibility is poor relative to cognitive ability and particularly pronounced in connected speech → phonology

• high incidence of apraxia of speech-a motor speech disorders

• difficulties acquiring and using syntax → syntax

• limitations w/ tense marking → morphology

  • past tense (-d)

  • third person (-s)

Content:

• acquisition of first words in significantly delayed and subsequent growth of expressive vocabulary is slower then expected → semantics

• gesture is preferentially used by young child and supports vocabulary comprehension → semantics

Use:

• By age 2, they show more social-interactive behaviors than typically developing peers → pragmatics

• advanced socio-communicative competencies such as initiating eye contact, following eye gaze, and emotional responsivity. → pragmatics

• less likely to request clarification following strong conversations and narratives → pragmatics

Literacy

• Known to have poor phonological awareness

• word recognition is better than word decoding

• poor reading comprehension

Treatment Implications

Goal: improve functional use of skills in

• communication, academic, social, and vocational areas

• consider use of AAC device &/or ASL to support oral language development

→ finger tapping technique: client taps finger for each word or syllable produced for speech clarity and timing

→ friendly sabotage: taking something away or making barriers for requesting help