Music and Children with Down Syndrome.

I have been providing music to groups of children with special needs and their families for many years. I have had many wonderful musical moments with children, but one night was particularly memorable. During one Music and Movement Magic class I taught a couple of years ago, there were 2 children who were certainly “moving to the music”. They knew the songs as well as anyone there – including all of the older siblings and parents. Those 2 children both have Down Syndrome. They were dancing, doing the finger plays of the songs, following the directions, and most of all, they were singing!

In thinking about that night, there are several key points to remember when helping your child with Down Syndrome.

1. Children with Down Syndrome can and will learn. Although teaching may take more repetition and consistency, your child can absorb what is presented and taught. Almost every child loves music, and I encourage every parent and educator to explore this gift of music with every student – especially those with Down Syndrome.

2. Parents, who believed and embraced the power of music. These parents began exposing their children to listening, dancing, and singing during infancy. They made up their own silly songs to help their children learn family member names, animal names, and common objects – just to name a few examples.
These kids were the stars that night because their parents started at birth, singing not only for the LOVE of music, but also for the LEARNING of it.

3. Children need repetition. The songs presented that night were familiar to these 2 children, because they had heard them over and over. Because of that repetition, they showed confidence with every tune. One technique often recommended for children with Down Syndrome is frequent repetition – and music is one way to create the repetition without the boredom. Children can listen and participate with the same songs over and over again and will never get tired of them.

Research has shown the benefits of using music to improve many developmental skills. Children have been able to learn and retain vocabulary, signs, social skills, and articulation of speech sounds. Children with Down Syndrome can benefit from music just as other children can. Music is especially effective if presented in a simple, repetitive way and with songs that invite participation. Listed below are some specific suggestions to consider when working with children with Down Syndrome.

1. Use music to teach common vocabulary either verbally, with sign, the printed word, or all three. At Kids’ Express Train, we often write songs that pertain to a child’s daily activities or occurrences. Some examples of Kids’ Express Train songs that emphasize daily routines include: Owie song (Imitation Station), Bath Time, and Let’s Eat (Vocalocomotion), Brushes, and Ride, Slide (Conversation Station). Listen to these types of songs often during the day. When you are actually in the middle of one of those daily routines, begin singing that song, so your child gets the connection between the words in the song and the actual activity. When possible, use props to act out the songs and sing them with and without the CD. Begin to speak the lyrics of the songs during routines of the day so that the words begin to make sense both not only with the song, but while speaking as well.

2. Make up your own songs to fit the needs of your child. Depending on what words you would like your child to understand, say verbally or sign, make up tunes throughout your day. I call it the “Spontaneous Song All Day Long.” Children don’t care HOW you sing. They just care THAT you sing. The rhythm and tune will keep them more attentive. Whether it is bath time, riding in the car, going to the store, brushing your teeth, etc., you can turn any simple words into a song. If you have already caught yourself being a composer, I applaud you and encourage you to continue your “Mozartism”. (:>)

3. If your child is not able to imitate verbally yet, use music to practice signs and motor imitation. Teaching your child signs is beneficial and will usually enhance a child’s verbal skills – not the reverse. Some Kids’ Express Train songs are especially effective in teaching signs of common objects. Some examples include Bye song, Animals (Imitation Station), Hi song, Let’s Eat (Vocalocomotion), I Love, and Bananas (Conversation Station).

You can also use any favorite song to encourage imitation of motor movements. Use two paper plates and begin clapping them together like cymbals. Move them in a variety of different ways and encourage your child to imitate the same motions.Motor imitation can also be done using scarves, ribbons, shakers, and even beach towels, moving them in various ways. The interaction that is created with these props is wonderful.

4. Use music to practice verbal imitation and speech. Children with Down Syndrome need practice verbally imitating. Sing whatever your child is able to say. If he/she is only able to utter vowel-like sounds, start by humming or singing vowels to your favorite songs. Classical music is excellent, because there are no words, and you can freely sing whatever you like. Beach Boys songs and many other rock and roll tunes from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s are also excellent because of the background vocals, which contain vowels and consonant-vowel structures.Kids’ Express Train songs have many levels of verbal imitation ranging from noises (such as yawning and coughing) to animal sounds, consonant-vowel structures, single words, and phrases. Begin with Noisy, Noisy, Noisy, the Monkey Song, Animals (Imitation Station), The New BMW, Tongue Tip Time (Vocalocomotion), Bananas and I Dressed Myself (Conversation Station). Also included in the Vocalocomotion CD are three instrumental-only tracks that allow you to vocally practice whatever sounds, noises, or words your child needs to practice. Make it fun by showing to your child how much fun you are having. When your child is imitating tongue tip sounds such as t, d, and n, watch whether he/she is able to move the tongue without excessive jaw movement. Practice imitating those consonants while stabilizing the jaw. You can do this by lying on your tummy and holding your jaw stable with your hands. Look in a mirror while you practice consonant-vowel structures such as do,do,do and na, na, na (I Dressed Myself). Make your tongue do the movement as you hold your jaw stable.

5. Use music to practice pre-reading and reading skills. Use our picture sheets (free on this website) and teach your child to follow along, moving from left to right just as you would when reading words. Many of our songs are so simple and repetitive that they are excellent to illustrate with simple pictures as well as having the printed word below the pictures. This will teach your child much about the logistics of reading and associating the printed word with the sounds. Using music will only serve to increase your child’s ability to attend, retain the words, and hear the similarities and differences in sounds. Use songs such as Put the Sound on the End (Imitation Station), Cheese and Macaroni, and Bananas (Conversation Station) to encourage phonemic awareness such as rhyming words and syllable counting. On longer words, tap out the syllables on your child’s leg or arm to feel the number of syllables in words.

As you explore your child’s learning style and the techniques that facilitate learning, always keep in mind that music stimulates the entire brain and can be an excellent tool for all children including those with Down Syndrome. Enjoy and remember, “You’ll never go wrong when you teach with a song.”

Rachel Arntson, M.S., CCC
Speech-Language Pathologist

Click here to listen to samples of our songs