What are the main language strengths in people with Down syndrome?

People with Down syndrome typically show strengths in vocabulary comprehension, non-verbal communication (gestures and expressions), social skills with a strong desire to communicate, and visual memory abilities.

What language difficulties are commonly seen in Down syndrome?

Common language difficulties include challenges with verbal expression, articulation and speech intelligibility, morphosyntax and complex sentence formation, and short-term verbal memory problems.

What anatomical factors affect speech in Down syndrome?

Anatomical factors that influence speech include muscle hypotonia (low muscle tone), relative macroglossia (larger tongue), narrow palate structure, and specific dental characteristics that can impact articulation and speech clarity.

How common are hearing problems in people with Down syndrome?

Hearing problems are very common in Down syndrome, affecting 50-80% of individuals. These include frequent ear infections and hearing loss, which can significantly impact language development and communication skills.

How does speech therapy help individuals with Down syndrome?

Early and prolonged speech therapy support significantly improves communication skills in people with Down syndrome. Speech therapy addresses articulation difficulties, language expression, oral motor skills, and uses visual aids and adapted exercises to maximize communication potential.

Down syndrome (Trisomy 21): speech therapy support

Q: What is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability?

Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. Individuals with this condition exhibit a specific language profile with both strengths and challenges in communication development.

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Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21): Speech Therapy Support

The Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. Affected individuals exhibit a specific language profile with strengths (social communication, comprehension) and difficulties (expression, articulation, morphosyntax). Early and prolonged speech therapy support significantly improves communication skills.

💛 Resources for Support

Visual aids, communication tools, adapted exercises

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Specific Language Profile

Individuals with trisomy 21 exhibit a characteristic language profile, with a dissociation between comprehension (relatively preserved) and expression (more difficult). This profile is linked to anatomical, cognitive, and sensory factors.

Factors Influencing Language

Anatomical: muscle hypotonia, relative macroglossia, narrow palate, dental peculiarities
Sensory: frequent ear infections, hearing loss (50-80% of cases), visual disorders
Cognitive: variable intellectual disability, short-term verbal memory difficulties
Motor: frequent speech apraxia, coordination difficulties

Strengths and Difficulties

Strengths	Difficulties
Vocabulary comprehension	Verbal expression
Non-verbal communication (gestures, expressions)	Articulation, intelligibility
Social skills, desire to communicate	Morphosyntax, complex sentences
Visual memory	Short-term auditory memory
Learning by imitation	Rapid auditory processing
Reading (sometimes)	Phonological awareness

Language Development

Language development follows the same stages as in typical children, but with a slower pace and an increasing gap with age.

Key Stages

Babbling: delayed, often around 9-12 months (vs 6-8 months)
First Words: around 18-24 months on average (great variability)
Word Combinations: around 3-4 years
Sentences: slow development, often simple sentences

💡 The Importance of Signs

Gestures and signs (from LSF or Makaton) are particularly beneficial for children with trisomy 21. They leverage their visual strengths, support communication while waiting for oral language development, and do not delay the onset of speech (on the contrary, they facilitate it).

Oral Skills and Feeding

Hypotonia and anatomical peculiarities can lead to feeding difficulties from birth:

Weak sucking in infants
Difficult chewing (hypotonia, coordination)
Sometimes immature swallowing
Drooling related to lip hypotonia

Support for oral skills is part of early speech therapy management.

Speech Therapy Intervention

Early Intervention

Speech therapy should begin as early as the first months of life: parental guidance, stimulation of oral skills, awakening to communication. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcomes.

Areas of Focus

Early Communication: joint attention, turn-taking, imitation, communicative gestures, signs.

Oral Skills: feeding, oro-facial tone, sensitivity, praxis.

Oral Language: vocabulary (with visual support), morphosyntax, narration.

Articulation and Speech: intelligibility, rhythm, prosody. Attention to frequent apraxia.

Written Language: reading can be a support for oral language (global method, then analytical).

Pedagogical Adaptations

Systematic visual supports: images, pictograms, signs
Short and concrete instructions
Repetition and routine
Manipulation and active learning
Latency time: allow time to respond
Positive reinforcement

Our Downloadable Tools

💬 Communication Pictograms

Pictogram bank to support communication.

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📅 Visual Schedule

To structure the day and activities.

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🖼️ Daily Imagery

Images to develop vocabulary.

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👅 Oro-facial Praxies

Exercises for oro-facial tone.

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Frequently Asked Questions

📌 Does using signs delay speech?

No, on the contrary. Research shows that signs facilitate the emergence of oral language in children with trisomy 21. They allow communication while waiting for speech to develop, reduce frustration, and serve as a "bridge" to oral language. Children naturally abandon signs when they can express themselves verbally.

📌 How long should speech therapy continue?

Speech therapy can be beneficial throughout life, with goals adapted to each stage: early communication, oral language, reading, maintaining skills, professional communication... Intensity varies according to periods and needs. Even in adulthood, progress is possible.

📌 Can individuals with trisomy 21 learn to read?

Yes, many individuals with trisomy 21 learn to read, sometimes at a good level. Reading can even be a support for oral language (written words are stable, unlike heard words). An approach combining global and analytical methods, with plenty of visual supports, yields good results.