What Is Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic condition that occurs at conception. Typically, individuals have 46 chromosomes in each cell. Children with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, resulting in 47 chromosomes. This is why Down syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21.

This additional genetic material can affect a child’s physical development, learning, and overall functioning. Every child with Down syndrome is unique, with their own strengths, abilities, and areas where additional support may be helpful.

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Occupational Therapy & Down Syndrome

Children with Down syndrome may require additional support to reach developmental milestones and to participate fully in everyday activities such as self-care routines, school tasks, and social interactions. Our team of experienced pediatric occupational therapists works closely with children and their families to promote independence, confidence, and quality of life.

Occupational therapy focuses on building functional skills while supporting each child’s individual needs through engaging, evidence-based, and family-centered care.

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How Occupational Therapy Can Help

 

Self-Care Skills:

Daily activities such as toileting, dressing, and feeding—skills that often develop naturally for other children—may be more challenging for children with Down syndrome. Our occupational therapists break these tasks down into manageable steps and provide individualized treatment, adaptive strategies, and equipment recommendations to support success.

 

Fine Motor Skills:

Fine motor challenges are common and may be influenced by differences in muscle tone, coordination, cognition, and hand structure (such as shorter fingers). Therapy sessions incorporate fun, play-based activities to strengthen hand skills needed for writing, buttoning, cutting, and other daily tasks.

 

Gross Motor Skills:

Children with Down syndrome may experience delays in skills such as balance, walking, running, jumping, or hopping. Occupational therapists skilled in gross motor development assess movement patterns and underlying challenges, then provide targeted activities, strategies, and recommendations to improve coordination, strength, and confidence.

 

Sensory Integration:

Many children with Down syndrome have difficulty processing and integrating sensory information from their environment. Our therapists use sensory integration techniques to identify areas of sensory processing difficulty and provide individualized programs and therapy sessions to support regulation and appropriate responses to sensory input.

 

Attention and Concentration:

Sustaining focus and attention can be challenging, especially in structured environments like classrooms. Occupational therapy helps children build foundational skills for attention, task engagement, and participation—supporting successful learning and school readiness.

 

Ocular Motor & Visual Processing Skills:

Children with Down syndrome may experience visual challenges related to binocular vision, such as amblyopia, strabismus, nearsightedness or farsightedness, exotropia, or esotropia. Occupational therapy addresses ocular motor skills including fixation, smooth pursuits, saccades, accommodation, convergence, and divergence. Improving these skills can have a significant impact on daily living tasks and academic performance.

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Our Approach

We begin with a comprehensive evaluation to understand each child’s strengths, challenges, and functional goals. Our sensory-based, holistic approach focuses on skill development, confidence building, and meaningful participation in daily life. We strongly value collaboration with families and work closely with parents and caregivers to ensure carryover of skills into home, school, and community settings.

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Our goal is to help every child reach their highest level of independence and success—at their own pace and in their own way.