Newly revised and updated, this compassionate and authoritative guide is based on Libby Kumin’s thirty years of experience of working with children and adolescents with Down Syndrome and their families. Dr Kumin draws on her vast experience to show parents how they can support and encourage their child’s speech and language development from birth to age 6 (or when a child can form 2- to 3-word sentences). Parents and teachers learn how to work through characteristic challenges, including hearing loss, intelligibility issues, apraxia (difficulty planning oral-motor movements), or a slower pace of development. Families soon see that many children with Down syndrome are natural and willing communicators.
In a warm and conversational style, the author shares her professional expertise in parent-friendly terms. She uses specific examples of difficulties and successes to illustrate the concepts behind speech and language development, and includes the latest research supporting current early intervention and pre-school approaches that can be used at home and in schools.