Speech Therapy for Down Syndrome can be more successful when using a multi-modal approach because Down Syndrome has unique cognitive, sensory, and physiological characteristics.

Children with Down Syndrome are truly unique in the way that they communicate and interact. Speech therapy for Down Syndrome can often be difficult because this syndrome involves so many different developmental domains. Down syndrome can often include anatomical and physical differences, such as low tone in a high, narrow palette relative to tongue size. Typically, there could be a high desire for social emotional interaction. Motor planning limitations, such as weak posture and low strength can occur. But, at the same time a child can have a highly functional vocabulary of gestures, Strong receptive language skills are often commonly alongside limited expressive language, and there can also be reduced or fluctuating hearing.
It makes sense that, one, because this population is so different, and two, because Down Syndrome is common enough that there would be a therapeutic strategy that take these unique considerations into consideration.
This is where total communication comes in, total communication basically means giving therapy through verbal and other modalities, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile awareness. This could include signing. Visual, manipulative, as well as voice output devices. The point is that many communication strategies, when used together, produce much greater results.
And here’s why: in studies of vocabulary, children with Down syndrome not only experience a later start to vocabulary acquisition. But slower growth over time. With regards to language development early, my milestones are nearly equal, while typically developing peers develop rapidly after 12 months.
So, it makes sense to not limit our students with Down syndrome to one communication modality, they truly are unique and require a variety of interaction options to perform to the best of their abilities.
Using this chart, we see that depending on your goal, different communication outputs or combination of communication would result in very different outcomes. Let’s take a look at this student using auditory, verbal and visual picture communication, this combination of communication types enables him to produce forward utterances.
If you want to learn more about this topic and also want continuing education, check out our course. Language Intervention for school age children with Down Syndrome.