by Sandunlekha Ekanayake

Language development and socialisation in children with Down Syndrome (DS) are generally characterized by developmental delays and intellectual difficulties. A few of the widely known characteristics of such children can be listed as follows:

• They are late in saying their first words

• Their vocabulary grows more slowly in comparison to typically developing children

• They find it difficult to talk in grammatically correct sentences by the phase that typically developing children do so

• Transitioning from the one word stage to the two word stage is delayed

• Their speech could be unintelligible to unfamiliar listeners due to delays in the development of speech sounds, elimination of certain sounds in words and difficulty in pronunciation.

• They are reluctant to make eye contact and find it difficult to take turns in conversations.

(Note: Despite these generalizations, it is vital to acknowledge that there is a wide range of individual differences in these delays)

These challenges hint at how children with DS illustrate specific delays in the production of speech, more than when it comes to comprehending speech.

However, a lesser known fact is that the use of songs as a speech intervention for children with DS tends to help at the stage when they transition from the one-word stage to sequencing two-word phrases stage.

Musical interests are commonly reported in individuals with developmental delays. It is established that they respond better if rhythm is involved and that songs/singing (which fall under music therapy) have a positive impact on language development and socialisation of children with DS. Songs help face the challenges that these kids encounter through their strengths!

How do Songs ‘Strike a Chord?’

• A key strength of these children is imitation. They display their ability to imitate others and use imitation in social play.

Songs teach gestural imitation skills to young/old children who are non-verbal. For instance, singing a song like ‘Kiri sudu haawaa paena paena aawaa’ (a song about a rabbit that Sinhala speaking children are familiar with) is accompanied by many gestures (animal gestures in this instance); an English song such as ‘Wheels on the bus’ has repetitive use of words: “the horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep”, showing how the wheels turn and the sound a vehicle makes.

• Use of gestures is considered a general strength of the kids because it provides a significance to communication. They use gestures for a longer period of time and they also possess a larger inventory of gestures.

A strength of music therapy/songs is the non-verbal medium created to support expression of emotions and ideas through singing which is then accompanied by activities such as dancing and even music-making. This compliments their ability to use gestures effectively.

• Songs have visual aids and signs to facilitate communication: Visual prompts can be helpful, as children with DS are considered robust visual learners and display strengths in visual processing

• Specific songs can assist and target movements of the muscles in the mouth, jaw, tongue, lips and cheeks and can also help with phonetic development .

E.g.: a song written to target the letter ‘d’ would develop the pronunciation and oral movements needed for this skill. Even if the song’s words are unfamiliar, constantly mimicking them will enable them to be familiar with producing the sounds and then eventually pave the way to actually understanding the meaning of the song through practice.

• Songs have repetition. Singing invites the child to repeat words/phrases in a more enthusiastic manner where repeating inevitably leads to learning the same words over and over again. Repetition of songs enables learning and reciting songs by heart, which improves their memory skills as well.

Songs come in different shapes and sizes!

Action songs, Counting songs: A hands on experience for the kids because they reinforce learning and encourage better coordination.

For instance:

1. The rhythm of an action can be in sync with the rhythm of the music (clapping)

2. Controlling movements: holding up five fingers to indicate there are five elephants when singing a counting song.

Imagination songs, Songs that tell stories: Songs invite children to be creative when singing the verses once they have grasped the tune and structure of the songs. These songs create freedom for the kids to express themselves without boundaries and communicate via movement, dance and gesture.

Participating in singing activities incorporates a sense of play and playfulness where the kids enjoy the melody, move their bodies along to the rhythms and make sense of the story which is found in the song lyrics.

In a home setting, songs, infant-directed singing, and nursery rhymes can be used to develop the interaction and attachment between the kid and the primary caregiver.

In a setting where many kids with down syndrome are involved in group singing, this fosters social interaction, turn taking and even enhances their eye contact skills. Building on the fact that children with DS enjoy communication and that they respond well to interaction/ social scripts, it is safe to state that songs do an effective job of contributing to develop and enhance these strengths and tendencies of the kids