Online Therapy Videos
Important Nutritional, Oral Motor, Feeding and Language Ideas to Ensure Optimal Development of Your Child with Down Syndrome by Jill Rabin, MS, CCC-SLPSequential Processing and Alternative Treatment Methods by Neurodevelopmentalist, Alison Wimmer
Here are some great video clips from James D. MacDonald of Communicating Partners with tips to help your child express himself.
Free audio seminar on Neurodevelopmental Therapy by Kay Ness.
NACD (The National Association for Child Development) has a YouTube channel where they post neurodevelopmental videos, located here: NACD YouTube Channel
Early Intervention: Oral Placement Therapy for Children with Down Syndrome (3 GB full video) by Sara
Feeding Options and Oral Motor Methods: Paving the Way for Optimal Speech by Jill Rabin M.S. CCC-SLP/L IBCLC
Let's Learn - Reading Math and Fun StuffLearn and discuss fun ways to help your child read, do math, socialize, and play. Explore simple, logical strategies and activities which will increase overall retention of the information being presented. Sometimes the best teaching strategies are the most obvious.
Therapy Articles
The Oral Motor Myths of Down Syndrome(84k)
Communication Issues and Down Syndrome
From Isolation to Conversation: Improving Social Communication Skills
Recommended Books on Therapy
Children of Dreams, Children of Hope by Raymundo Veras
This book is great for inspiration. Dr. Veras talks about Down syndrome in children. He uses the methods by Glenn Doman to make these children part of their peers. Since this book was written in the early 70's it is quit amazing that he sees these "veras" children as children who can do more than be given up on or locked away in institutions
Fit Baby, Smart Baby, Your Baby by Glenn Doman and Douglas Doman
Glenn Doman-founder of The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential-along with Douglas Doman and Bruce Hagy guide you in maximizing your child's physical capabilities. They clearly explain each stage of mobility and show how to create an environment that will help your baby more easily achieve that stage. Full-color charts, photographs, illustrations, and detailed yet easy-to-follow instructions are included to help you create an effective home program.
Play To Talk: A Practical Guide to Help Your Late-Talking Child Join the Conversation by James MacDonald Ph.D. and Pam Stoika Ph.D. A guide for children of all ages. Teaches you how to communicate with your child and get him to communicate with you.
How to Teach Your Baby to Be Physically Superb: Birth to Age Six by Glenn Doman, Douglas Doman and Bruce Hagy
A plan of action to start doing at home therapy with your baby right away. The early development of mobility in the newborn baby is a vital part of his future ability to learn and grow to his full potential. The authors show clearly each stage of mobility and how to create an environment that will help the baby to achieve each stage more easily.
Early Communication Skills for Children with Down syndrome by Libby Kumin
This guide is based on Libby Kumin's thirty years of experience of working with children and adolescents with Down syndrome and their families. Dr Kumin draws on her vast experience to show parents how they can support and encourage their child's speech and language development from birth to age 6 (or when a child can form 2- to 3-word sentences). Parents and teachers learn how to work through characteristic challenges, including hearing loss, intelligibility issues, apraxia (difficulty planning oral-motor movements), or a slower pace of development. Families soon see that many children with Down syndrome are natural and willing communicators.
Gross Motor Skills in Children with Down syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Patricia C. Winders
Has very helpful exercises in it to give our kids opportunities for physical development. As you go through the exercises, please keep in mind: our children should not be put into positions that their bodies (bones, muscles) may not be ready to support. Encouraging movement and giving them opportunities to put themselves into positions is great. If you are mindful of this idea, it's a safe book to follow.
Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Maryanne Bruni
Has activities to encourage fine motor skills from birth to early adolescence.
What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child by Glenn Doman
If you are action-oriented, you can read this one later. But if you want to better understand the theory behind the Doman methods in order to get motivated, read it sooner. Would be a good companion to read while you work with How to Teach Your Baby to Be Physically Superb. Okay to get from the library rather than purchase.
Naturally Better Kids by Kristin Morrison
A great book that shares Kristin's journey as she struggles with her son, Griffin's diagnosis and finds answers to treat him. She has great ideas here, but it can be overwhelming at times since it's written in journal style instead of as a step-by-step how-to book. Be ready to cry and rejoice with her! She also has an immediately downloadable version.
How to Teach Your Baby to Read by Glenn Doman, Janet Doman
This is a super great book. You don't need to start this until your baby can identify pictures, but you need time to read it and to make or purchase the flash cards. If you are making them yourself, you need a couple of months to do it so you won't be overwhelmed.
How to Teach Your Baby to Swim
You can start this right away, if desired. If you believe you may encounter asphyxiation problems, you may want to leave this to a professional.
How to Teach Your Baby Math
You don't need to start this until you've started teaching him to read, but before two years old is best (although with DS, your window of opportunity may be longer). Again, you need time to read this book and to make or purchase the flash cards. After you've read How to Teach Your Baby to Read, you would only need to get this book from the library since it follows many of the same principles.
How to Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence by Glenn Doman and Janet Doman
Has some of the same information as How to Teach Your Baby to Be Physically Superb, but is different. You may want to look through them both and decide whether or not to get them both.
How to Give Your Baby Encyclopedic Knowledge by Glenn Doman and Douglas Doman
The Achievement of Human Potential has demonstrated that children from birth to age six are capable of learning better and faster than older children. This book shows just how easy it is to teach a young child encyclopedic knowledge.
Therapy Websites
Talk ToolsCommunication Partners
Therapy Blogs
In this blog, you'll find an organized place for therapy and biomedical information you need to care for your loved one with T21. Featured child, Jett, started reading at 17 months old and read his first book at 25 months old. He speaks with above typical enunciation and is healthy and active.
The Down Syndrome Action Plan
Occupational Therapist, Geralyn Spiesz, shares her success with her son, Lucas, who is doing very well.
My Place
Parent, Jenny Mars shares her therapy plan and success. Her son, now 18, has graduated with Honors from High School and has enrolled into their local Community College to study to be a kindergarten teacher.
Up Up and Away!
Parent, Laura started this blog hoping to inspire other parents to help their children with Down syndrome reach for the sky! Her daughter was reading words before she was 2 years old & reading books by 3.5 years. She believes kids with Down syndrome can do amazing things if we give them the right tools.
Therapy Forums
Baby Center's Unlimited Potential ForumA group of parents of young children w/DS who believe in their child's unlimited potential focusing on Neurodevelopment Therapy and biomedical intervention. You visit the website to read the past posts and then post as needed. Is visible to anyone. Not a private group.
Yahoo's Communication Support Group
Learn how to slow down and playfully interact with the goal of speech, with emphasis on teaching preverbal and communication skills.
Therapy DVDs
Parent Kit: Using Oral Placement Therapy With Your Child - TalkTools® This is a great DVD for parents to learn quality, at-home speech therapy. You can purchase the entire parent kit which includes all the tools necessary including a 3-hour DVD where Sara R. J. demonstrates how to use each of the tools at home. This is a link to just the dvd http://www.talktools.net/s.nl/it.A/id.1669/.f?sc=23&category=3356 . Talk tools works on building oral motor skills (muscles in the mouth) to build a foundation for speech production.
Communicating Partners DVDs: ECO I and ECO II and Shortcuts are great companions to or replacement for the Play To Talk books because they show you exactly what to do and how to do it. I'm a big fan of James D. MacDonald's techniques.
Therapy Blog Posts
Pursue Speech, not Sign on the Einstein syndrome website.
If you choose to teach sign language, here's a nice post to help you teach your child to sign by Gretchen Mather of Julian's Journey blog.
How to Spoon Feed from Down Syndrome: A Day to Day Guide blog.
Proper Breastfeeding for Down Syndrome from Down Syndrome: A Day to Day Guide blog.
Oral Motor Therapy from the Bits of Real Life blog
Oral Motor Therapy: The Jaw from Hannah's Shenanigans blog.
Oral Motor Therapy: Sucking vs. Suckling from Hannah's Shenanigans blog.
How to Spoon Feed from Down Syndrome: A Day to Day Guide blog.
Straw Therapy 1-8 from Bill and Ria's blog.
How to get your local Speech Therapists trained in Oral Motor Skills from Hannah's Shenanigans blog.
Therapy Facebook Pages
DS Day Today's Community Page
Connect with other parents who practice outside of the box therapy for their kids with DS.
The Kay Ness Group
Neurodevelopmentalist, Kay Ness posts tons every day on topics not always specific to T21, but ones that support a healthy lifestyle, proactive ideas and the latest research. If you don't have time to explore the internet yourself, let Kay do it for you.
Therapy Products
The complete kit Talk Tooks Apraxia kit w/instructions.
Speech Therapy for Apraxia NACD Home Speech Therapist
NACD's speech app for iPad works on syllable production for all of the different speech sounds (phonemes).
