Early developmental milestones and Down syndrome: How parents can support their child’s development

As parents ourselves, we understand the worry and stress you might have about your child’s development. Every child develops at their own rate, and it is important to remember that children with Down syndrome write their own developmental timelines, and will have their own unique strengths, just like their peers. 

What are developmental milestones? 

Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do within a certain age range, such as sitting, clapping, walking and talking. Don’t forget, they are measured and designed for typically developing children. 

How developmental timelines may differ for children with Down syndrome 

Children with Down syndrome typically have a profile of strengths and difficulties and it is important to understand these and use the strengths to support the things your child might find tricky. Having Down syndrome may mean that milestones can be reached at a slower pace, or it could mean that your child may need extra support to reach their full potential (or a mixture of both!) All children with Down syndrome are unique and individual but understanding areas they are likely to need support with can help parents and families support their development. Typical areas of difficulty for children with Down syndrome, include:

• speech and Language,
• cognition (particularly verbal short term memory difficulties and learning from listening) and
• motor skills.  

However, relative strengths can often include:

• visual short-term memory (learning from looking)
• social skills and later,
• self-help and
• living skills.  

How parents can support their child’s development 

Here are our top tips for how parents can support their child’s development.  

1. It is never too early to start 

Outdated thinking dictated there was no benefit of starting developmental support until the child was of school age. But modern research has proved early intervention can make a big difference, and support can begin from when the child is just a few months old. We now know the likely difficulties for children with Down syndrome so it’s important to support them as soon as we can. 

2. Celebrate all progress, not just the milestones  

Rather than focusing on timelines or big milestones, celebrate progress and the small wins. Small steps can be very rewarding especially if your child has been working hard to achieve them. Expectations can still be kept high at the same time as celebrating all the ways of getting there! 

3. Promote independence

Having independence as a goal is important – we all want our children to be as independent as possible when they are older, and the building blocks to this need to start early. Giving your child opportunities to try doing things by themselves can still be in small steps if needed, with support to demonstrate and then step back to allow them to have a go. This could be around eating, self-help skills, playing or anything you can think of! Increasing and developing independence is also a great way of building confidence and self-esteem (and you might be amazed at what your child can do!)  

4. Get support  

You are certainly not alone! Connecting with other parents and families who are on the same journey as you can really help. DSUK’s community of new and pre-school parents is a great way of connecting so you can share experiences and get support along the way.  

5. Sign up to DSUK’s Early Development Parent Groups 

Our online Early Development Parent Groups (also known as PEGS) provide parents with the knowledge and confidence to promote their child’s development at home, all whilst having the ongoing support of an experienced Early Development Advisor to celebrate and support every step with you. 

A final word 

Whilst milestones can be helpful guides, they can easily become a source of comparison.  Focus on where your child is and what they need now, so you can see and celebrate the small steps of achievement. Don’t be worried about reaching out for support and remember; your child with Down syndrome has an incredible capacity for learning and should not be underestimated!