How to Raise a Child with Down Syndrome

Parents have a very important role to play in raising their children. However, for children with Down-syndrome parents are even more crucial to ensure their proper development. But, what can they do?

An expert in this field is Gerald Mahoney, Ph.D. who as a result of his research created a strategy called Responsive Teaching to improve cognition, behavior, and communication in children with special needs. He said that "Parents are far more influential on their children's development than teachers and therapists are." So, parents do not have to seek help of any specialists or rely on teachers as they are the greatest teachers for their children.

Dr Mahoney further says that: "Early developmental learning for all children can occur in the context of any interaction or activity the child is participating in throughout their day. And parents, especially in the first five years, have much more opportunity to interact with their children than do teachers in classrooms or related service specialists." It means that parents cannot waste time to wait until their child will go to school. The most crucial years for a child's development are the first years of a child's life. So, raising a child should start right after it was born.

Although, parents of children with Down syndrome may lack certainty about how to raise their child so it may be more difficult for them. However, parents of a sweet girl called Penny who was diagnosed with Down syndrome say that they were surprised about how supportive their family and friends turned out to be. Moreover, they received a lot of encouragement from other parents with children who have the same condition. What's also important is that they received advice and support from therapists, teachers and other medical professionals which they found very helpful.They are very grateful now for all the assistance and comfort they received in times of fear and doubts about their daughter's upbringing. 

In conclusion, parents are the most important teacher for their children and they should start to raise their children since their birthday. However, parents of children with Down syndrome have a more difficult job to do. But, they are able to raise their child by themselves, especially with support from people around them.

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