Occupational Therapy With Down Syndrome

By Regan Tarrow

It has always been an interest of mine to work with children in the kinesiology field. I am really not sure what I would like to specialize in, but I am considering working with persons with down syndrome. In high school, for a semester, I took community service where every day I worked with down syndrome students with math. I learned so much in that course that will always stick with me throughout my life. The friendships I made with the students meant a lot to me as it did to them. Teaching them to work harder and watch their faces when they finally understand is priceless in my book. In curiosity, I looked up exactly what occupational therapists do while helping children with these disabilities and was really surprised with how interesting it is.

Occupational therapists work with persons with down syndrome to help them master independent skills such as feeding, clothing, and activities that involve playing with others. Motor skills is taught to insure that they have the right coordination and endurance while going into these kind of activities. OT's can also help with school performance skills like cutting paper, drawing, and printing. Occupational therapists really have such an impact with their lives when it comes to real life activities. Occupational therapists can also help these mothers in the early stages of having a baby with down syndrome with feeding problems because of the weak muscles in their cheeks, tongue, and lips. In school-aged children, occupational therapists help with the understanding of routines. They teach them the importance of what should be done first to last. Zipping a coat jacket, cleaning up after activities, and handwriting is something most people don't realize is very important to learn.

After looking into this specialization, I find it very interesting at how much of an impact they have on the lives of these children. It is very important for these children to develope independence, self-care, and motor skills in their lives. Working with children is rewarding to an occupational therapist because the progress that the child goes through really means everything to them.

References:
Bruni, Maryanne. "Occupational Therapy & Down Syndrome." Occupational Therapy & Down Syndrome - National Down Syndrome Society. NDSS, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.

Yamkovenko, Stephanie. "The Role of OT With Persons With Down Syndrome." Aota.org. AOTA, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.