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Down Syndrome and Sound Therapy

Children with Down Syndrome need supportive measures if they are to reach their full cognitive potential. A delay in the comprehension of language results in a delay in speaking.

The impairment of language abilities delays learning in all areas and makes the task of education and socialisation more difficult. This results in behaviour problems which could be avoided if the language abilities were improved.

Children with Down Syndrome are highly prone to ear infections and wax impaction, due to a depressed immune system, a small Eustachian tube and narrow external ear canal. Repeated chronic middle ear infections result in fibrous adhesions which limit the movement of the ossicles, resulting in progressive hearing loss.

The voice can only produce what the ear can hear, which means that good hearing is a vital component of being able to speak clearly and intelligibly. It is very important for Down Syndrome children to have their hearing treated in the early years to assist with language development.

Photo courtesy of Vanellus Foto.

How Sound Therapy can help Down Syndrome children

The greatest area of difficulty in learning is in auditory vocal processing. Children with Down Syndrome often have difficulty learning to manipulate the speech system, coordinating the tongue, lips, jaw and palate. Because they face much greater obstacles in producing speech sounds, it is vital that they receive assistance with their hearing to aid their speech as well.

Regular use of Sound Therapy from an early age is a safe, non-invasive way to stimulate the middle ear apparatus and reduce infections and blockages. The protection and enhancement of hearing that may be achieved through Sound Therapy could have significant results for all areas of development of children with Down Syndrome.

As Sound Therapy restores hearing in the full range of frequencies, a greater range of tonality is available to the voice. This is very important for producing intelligible speech.

Improved hearing leads to a greater interest in the environment and what is happening, more liveliness, and more willingness to learn.

Language comprehension improves significantly, and because the links between learning language and learning about the world are direct, the child's education and performance in all areas will be enhanced.

Learn more about what Sound Therapy is and how it rehabilitates the ear.

Using Sound Therapy with Down's Syndrome children

Parents should ensure that their children's ears are checked regularly and that they receive treatment for ear infections or wax impaction. In some cases, the recurrence of these problems will decrease with the use of Sound Therapy. The movement and exercise produced in the ear by Sound Therapy often results in a spontaneous expulsion of fluid from the ear and blockages may not recur.

It has been helpful for children with Down Syndrome to listen regularly to Sound Therapy on a long term or permanent basis to protect the ear against its tendency to become easily blocked and to stimulate the full range of hearing. For the first few months of listening, children should listen to Sound Therapy every day for a period of 30 to 60 minutes or longer if desired. If your child wishes to listen for several hours at a time it will do no harm. The auditory stimulation provided by Sound Therapy has a re-charging effect on the brain and children with Down Syndrome generally respond with enthusiasm.

Learn more about how to use Sound Therapy.

It is important to continue language education through the life of someone with Down syndrome. This ongoing learning process may be greatly enhanced for people of any age by listening to Sound Therapy.