Mile stones and babies with down syndrome

Alisha - posted on 01/30/2011

congratulations on your baby girl! i'm sad that you live in a community where you dont feel there is much support or information, i know that i have went through frustrating periods of not getting answers as well. is your daughter enrolled in an early intervention birth to 3 program? is your childs doctor patient and helpful?

my daughter is now 7 years old. she has struggled with gross and fine motor skills, balance, jumping etc, but it certainly has not slowed her down :) she was slow to reach her early milestones, approx 15 months old when she was totally independently sitting (able to get into a sitting position solo) and about 2 1/2 when she began walking solo. however she was able to climb very well before she could walk and i have never seen a faster crawler :) i've met children who have reached some of these milestones sooner and later, what i've learned is that regardless of others, she is right where she is supposed to be. Good luck with your baby girl, and send me a message if you ever want to communicate! :)

Shynowa - posted on 01/29/2011

my son is 25 months corrected yet actually 24 months he also has DS he NEVER crawled just did a little bum scoot for ever he sat up by him self at 6 months started his bum scoot around 10 months and started walking around furniture holding on to it at 13 months at 21 months he became confident enough to start walking alone , now at 25 months he is trouble lol gets into everything his newest trick that he loves is to run away from me .. so yes like the other moms said it really does varie i like you am from a very small area and there is no help nor anyone in a similar situation as me .. all i have been able to do is take everything on a day to day basis and try hard to teach him everything i can .. and ultimately loving him unconditionally helps him strive faster i think :) good luck with your little one :)

Brenda - posted on 01/28/2011

My daughter Desi, now 7 w/ DS walked at 23 months. Sat up around 10 months, first tooth was a molar, nonverbal til 3 1/2, but she had over 200 signs. Today she is mainstreamed with an aid in 1st grade. She's learning to swim, has done dance and tumbling. Fully potty trained at age 5. She marches to the beat of her own drum. Recently she has discovered youtube on my computer and will sit for hours watching the Fresh Beat band among other things. She is learning to use the computer!

Christana - posted on 01/26/2011

I have a son that will be 10 in May, that has down syndrome. It really does vary on when they'll reach their milestones, as with any child... my son sat up about 9 mos, crawled around 1 1/2, walked around 3..

Louisa - posted on 01/26/2011

Hi I have a boy with DS. He is 5 and started to walk around 2 and a half. He had serious heart problems and had serious hyertonia- was very floppy. He had psiotherapy for over a year. He can not really talk yet but understands ervething we say to him. He feeds himself and eats all kinds of food. We are potty training but he isn´t very interested yet!!

Jeanette - posted on 01/26/2011

I adopted two children with Down Syndrome who are now 26 and 30. They were both much later in reaching milestones but now live together in a house round the corner from me. They have carers go in to check that they are managing but are mainly independant. I have learnt that they can do much more than I think they can. Just enjoy your child because he will achieve his goals.

Leslie - posted on 01/26/2011

My daughter sat up about 7 mths. Crawled about 15 mths and walked at about 18.5 mths. I would and do go by a "general population" development chart. If you haven't already, insist her thyroid is checked, TSH, Free T4 and Free T3. I am more concerned about hypothyroidism than Down's. I am not convinced that a lot of the developmental delays a Down's baby/child faces aren't more from the thyroid than they are "Down's." My daughter has been on thyroid supplement from very early on and attends a day care with "regular" children. She is doing the skills her peers are, but just not quite as mastered. Her growth is 50% on the normal girls chart and 95% on the Down's girls chart. The child I grieved for in the beginning has not turned out to be the child we have. Shoot for normal development and then make your adjustments from there. You will be surprised by what you get. With proper thyroid functioning and overall good health, y'all can go very far.

Vicki - posted on 01/26/2011

Hi Samantha,
Like everyone here says each child is different in their own way. Our daughter is now 12 going on 13 and she has set her own milestones and still is. She had many surgeries from the time she was 3 1/2 months to 6 years old and she still battles health issues but you would never know it to look at her or watch her. She was sitting up by 6 months, army crawled until one day my sister inlaws just grabbed hold of her and stood her up and made her walk between them (she was 2) and she never slowed down from then on. She was drinking from a sippy cup by the time she was one and a regular cup by the time she was 3. She did not get regular food until she was nearly 4 (health reasons) but now she eats nearly everything you put in front of her. She also matured pretty quickly....started her menstral cycle by the time she reached one week before her 11th birthday. She is growing up pretty well considering I am not that tall. We still have toilet issues but that too is something that deals with some health issues and hopefully will right itself. She is in a regular school system and spends about 50% of the time outside of the regular classes. We have high hopes for all our children and with encouragement they will achieve all that they are suppose to! Hope this helps, don't be afraid to ask any questions or seek any help......we all have been there or know someone that has!!

Derbhile - posted on 01/25/2011

Hi Samantha, my little girl is now 8 and in mainstream school. She sat up about 12/14 months, walked at 22 months, and was nappy trained by 5. Dont be rushing anything just enjoy her, I wish i had the time back!!! My little girl is now very happy in school and has lots of friends and is doin ok within her class. Enjoy your little girl and anything else u want to know just ask x

Bawani Nesamany - posted on 01/25/2011

hi Samantha;

my late beloved niece was a wonderful child who was diagnosed with syndrome of down's whe she was a year old. my parents her adopted her and we brought her up, she was a big part of our lives....her parents were not very literate or educated, however you put it, to handle and understand changes they needed in comprehending on the special care she needed thus the adoption to assist them...her Mom is a cousin...

Well my niece , Yamuna was toilet trained when she was 4 y.o, she sat up on her own without support when she was 1.5y.o and she said her first few words clearly at around 3.5 like tata (grandpa) pati (grandma) and chinmaa (aunt) how are you and so on as she began to make her first few steps also abt 3.5....

she was prone to flu & cough atleast 8 times/year, she attended special school where she could color and name various objects easily...she loved music and dancing...

i cant write anymore...i miss her much...GOD bless.

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Rhionna - posted on 01/25/2011

Hi Samantha, all kids are different- I have 3, 2boys and a girl. my DS1 is 5, he was pretty much a text book baby, crawled around 7 months walked the day after his 1st Bday. My DD is 20 months and was ahead from the beginning, she rolled over at 2 weeks, and was army crawling by 2months, sat alone at 4months but, she didn't walk until she was 13months. My DS2.aged 4, has autism and didn't sit until he was 9 months, he was 14 months when he learned to crawl, he walked at 23 1/2 months but has only learned to spoon feed last week!

Everything our kids do is special and they will learn in their own time, but when a child has struggled for something for so long seeing them achieve what they set out to do is magical, because of the effotr they have made to learn that new skill. My DS2 is non verbal, but occasionally tries to say words and we can sometimes get what he's trying to say. He'll get there, I'm sure but it will be when he is ready, and then I'll probably end up wanting him to be quiet as he probably won't shut up when he starts lol.

Dawna - posted on 01/25/2011

all our children do things at there own pace my daughter has mosaic down syndrome and mosaic turner syndrome she started sitting up on her own around 5.5 -6 months an was walkng at 13 months she is a true insperation shes doing everything i was told she wouldnt be doing until she was older than 3 , she has a mouth full of teeth she loves to talk , she can walk an run an climb, feed herself with a spoon an fork an use a reguler cup when i allow her ect ect to me she is like a normal toddler at her age our ownly fall back at the moment is i havent started potty training her an the only reason i havent started with potty training is cause she was just diagnosed with diabetes on october 9th 2010 so she tends to pee alot if her sugar is way up which has been happening alot. but we will soon be working on the potty training my daughter will be 2 in march an she shows every interest in the potty. my daughter has 2 brothers an a older sister she loves to learn from pluse i babysit alot so my daughter has lots of people to learn from which i believe helps alot.

Alison - posted on 01/25/2011

hi my son bobby was very late walking, but he had heart surgery at 9 mths and it took him a long while to get over that, he bum shuffled at about 3 yrs and started walking by 4 yrs, he is very laid back and will never ever rush to do anything, hes gorgeous and he knows it!!

Maria - posted on 01/25/2011

hi, where are you from? I have a son with ds he is 4 years old, he is our joy.

Laura - posted on 01/25/2011

My son Trip recently turned 6 and he didn't start walking until shortly after his second birthday - but he could army crawl faster than anyone I have ever seen! We are working on the potty training now and he can speak some. Actually he talks about a mile a minute and with purpose, but only some of it is english and some of it is his own language. :) I am not sure about your daughter's personality, but Trip absolutely would not be rushed into doing things before he was ready. He has the sweetest disposition and the patience of a saint (I would get frustrated and stop trying long before he would), but if he was not motivated to do something, there was no way I could get him to do it. He had to want to make the effort - then he gave 110% to accomplish the task and didn't look back. Our biggest struggle was trying to determine what motivated him! I guess my point is, if she is like Trip, don't get too attached to the charts - she will learn what she needs to do when she is good and ready. :)

Jane - posted on 01/25/2011

There is a useful set of charts at http://www.down-syndrome.org/information... for Down's Syndrome children ages 0 to 5 years.

Samantha - posted on 01/25/2011

Thank you so much to the both of you! That is all very helpful!!

Kathy - posted on 01/25/2011

My daughter is now 21 and she started walking at 14 months and like Ali said it just varies. I had a really hard potty training her she was 6 before i got her potty trained, taking the bottle from her was hard also, i believe she was like 3 when i finally got it away. I cant tell you the age she was when she sat up but i remember it clearly, she was laying on the floor playing and the next thing i know she put her feet behind her like a frog and sat up and watched TV. Also my daughter did sign language until she was 3 years old, she just didnt talk. Hope this helps some

Ali - posted on 01/25/2011

I think it really varies. My daugther was significantly delayed due to medical problems and as it turns out autism. I've attached a link to the National Down Syndrome Association page that lists all the developmental milestones. Hope this helps. Ali

http://www.ndss.org/images/stories/NDSSr...