Education for babies and very young children does not have to mean any kind of formal setting or provision. For children this age, engaging them in activities and enabling them to take a full part in family life is the best start you can give them. Your child will develop through enjoyable opportunities for interacting, moving and playing in their first years of life.

As your baby gets a little older, you may want to explore more structured learning opportunities or opportunities to socialise with other toddlers and pre-school aged children. Most children with Down’s syndrome attend mainstream early years settings with their typically developing peers. This gives them the opportunity to develop social relationships and learn new skills in an inclusive environment.

There is no hard and fast rule about how much extra help your child will need at nursery or pre-school. Some children who have Down’s syndrome manage well within what the setting generally provides; others may need additional support. The setting should work very closely with parents/carers, as they know their child best. It will also be helpful for the setting to get advice from other professionals such as a speech and language therapist or educational psychologist. The local authority may also have early years advisory staff for special educational needs, for example an early years inclusion officer (INCO) or area SENCO (special needs co-ordinator) covering a cluster of early years settings.

Early intervention

All families should receive early intervention services to help guide their child’s development. Although children’s needs vary, families should expect to engage with speech and language therapy, pre-school advisory and physical therapy (physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy) services during their children’s early years.

The DSA is able to offer subsidised speech and language therapy assessments to members of the DSA. Click here to find more information about the service.