Developing communication in children with Down syndrome

This course offers comprehensive support to help children with Down syndrome develop their communication skills. It combines theoretical knowledge about the communicative characteristics of these children with practical strategies that can be applied daily. The approach is attentive and values both the child’s strengths and solutions to the difficulties encountered.

Target Audience: Parents, family assistants, and professionals working with children affected by Down syndrome.

Duration: 5 progressive modules – 2 hours

Training Objectives

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the physiological and developmental particularities that impact oral communication (orofacial hypotonia, articulation difficulties, vocabulary development speed).
2. Identify the communicative strengths of children with Down syndrome (non-verbal expressiveness, greater comprehension than expression, social motivation) and use them as leverage for learning.
3. Recognize the signs of frustration related to communication difficulties (anger, withdrawal, emotional outbursts) and respond appropriately.
4. Create an environment that encourages communication, using visual aids (pictograms, photos, gestures), appropriate instructions, and exchange routines.
5. Stimulate oral language daily through articulation games, vocabulary enrichment in context, and the reading-singing-repetition trio.
6. Support children in expressing their needs and managing frustrations, encouraging their communicative autonomy.
7. Use DYNSEO’s digital tools (COCO PENSA and COCO SI MUOVE, Mon Dico) to support the development of communication.