What is Down Syndrome?
Down syndrome is a genetic condition caused by the presence of an extra copy of the 21st chromosome. While individuals typically have 46 chromosomes, those with Down syndrome have 47. This genetic difference can affect physical development, the learning process, and communication skills to varying degrees.
Every individual has a unique developmental profile; therefore, Down syndrome is not a "one-size-fits-all" condition.
Types of Down Syndrome
There are three primary types of Down syndrome:
- Trisomy 21: The most common type, where an extra 21st chromosome is present in every cell.
- Mosaic Down Syndrome: Some cells have the typical number of chromosomes while others contain three copies of the 21st chromosome. The clinical impact may be milder.
- Translocation Type: An extra piece of the 21st chromosome is attached to another chromosome. This type can rarely be inherited.
Developmental Areas and Monitoring
Individuals with Down syndrome are monitored through a multidisciplinary approach in the following areas:
- Motor development, hearing, and vision health
- Heart and thyroid functions
- Language and communication development
- Speech intelligibility
- Feeding and oral-motor skills (chewing, swallowing coordination)
Low muscle tone (hypotonia) can directly impact speech, chewing, and swallowing processes.
Language and Speech Development
Language development in children with Down syndrome typically exhibits the following characteristics:
- Receptive language (comprehension) skills are often stronger than expressive language (speech) skills.
- Sentence formation and the use of grammatical markers may develop more slowly.
- The desire for social communication is usually very strong, though speech clarity may be affected.
The Role of Speech and Language Therapy
At the Istanbul Atlas University Speech and Language Therapy Unit, we focus on:
Communication and Language Skills
- Joint attention, turn-taking, and requesting
- Increasing vocabulary and sentence construction skills
- Supporting grammatical structures
Speech and Oral-Motor Area
- Articulation therapy and speech motor coordination
- Regulating rhythm and stress (prosody)
- Chewing development, swallowing safety, and drooling control
When is an Evaluation Recommended?
You should consult a Speech and Language Therapist if:
- Speech clarity (intelligibility) is low
- Vocabulary development is significantly slow
- There is a history of frequent ear infections
- Feeding or swallowing problems are observed
- The child has difficulty expressing their needs and desires
Early intervention facilitates communication, increases academic participation, and ensures active family involvement in the process.
At the Istanbul Atlas University Speech and Language Therapy Unit, we are here to support you with our individualized programs.