by: Ben Sacks and Sue Buckley

This article can be found on Down Syndrome Online. Down Syndrome Online offers comprehensive information about Down syndrome, including articles, books and scientific papers.
In the first year of life, infants begin to gain control over movements – they begin to be able to hold their heads steady, to reach out and grasp objects, to roll, sit and crawl and to hold cups or bottles for feeding. They then go on to walk, run, climb stairs, use a spoon, knife and fork, and dress themselves. Later they draw, write, use the computer, play football and dance. We tend to take our movement abilities for granted as, for most of us, they have developed effortlessly and most are carried out as we go through our day without conscious attention to them at all. However, there is a large research literature devoted to trying to understand how the brain controls our everyday movements so skilfully, and the processes are still not fully understood. In the first section of this overview we will discuss the current views of the motor research experts, as it is relevant to our understanding of progress for children with Down syndrome.
Read the full text of “Motor development for individuals with Down syndrome – An overview” on the Down Syndrome Online Website HERE