[Dysphagia] down's syndrome

[SuzMorris at aol.com (SuzMorris@aol.com)]

In a message dated 8/11/04 6:27:49 PM, ar_lehman@hotmail.com writes:


> I'm working with an infant (9 mo) who has down's and mom is interested in
> working on reducing tongue protrusion/open mouth posture.? Any ideas?
> 
> 

It is vital that therapists working with children who have problems with 
muscle tone and coordination of the whole body (as in a child with Down syndrome), 
take a total-body approach to the problem.   You can't just go in and work on 
isolated tongue protrusion and an open mouth without understanding the entire 
condition.    Low tone in the body in kids with Down syndrome affects head 
position and head and trunk control.   Working with a PT or OT to address the 
overall tone and movement issues in the child's body can strongly influence tone 
and movement of the jaw and tongue.    In addition, kids with Down syndrome 
frequently have chronic upper respiratory problems, making it hard for them to 
breathe easily.   The open mouth posture is frequently a compensation for 
respiratory congestion.   And when the mouth is constantly open you get more 
tongue protrusion.    So, it is vital to understand the interrelationship of issues 
within a condition before randomly asking for specific ideas to address just 
the tongue and jaw patterns.



Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D.
New Visions
1124 Roberts Mountain Rd.
Faber, VA 22938
(434) 361-2285 ext. 5
www.new-vis.com