Ask An Expert: Down Syndrome and Gross Motor Development with Dr. Halie McClaran, PT, DPT

Dr. Halie McClaran lends us her expertise as pediatric physical therapist, doctor of physical therapy, and a mom to Lane, a toddler with Down syndrome.

Many parents look forward to the day their child smiles at them for the first time, the day they utter that first “mama” or “dada,” and the day that they take their first steps. Parenting is a journey of firsts, and many of those first exciting milestones have to do with your baby’s gross motor development. Although every child develops at their own pace, it’s not uncommon for children with Down syndrome to exhibit gross motor delays in their first few years of life.

In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, we spoke with Dr. Halie McClaran about how Down syndrome affects gross motor development. As a doctor of physical therapy and mom to Lane, a toddler with Down syndrome, she shared with us how physical therapy helps little ones with Down syndrome, including Lane, gain strength and improve gross motor skills. 

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome, which is also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic condition in which a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. 

How does Down syndrome affect motor development?

Most children with Down syndrome have some sort of motor delay, mostly due to muscle hypotonia (decreased muscle tone) and difficulty with motor planning, coordination and balance. Some babies will meet milestones on time, but as they increase in age, they can start to fall behind their peers. 

Can physical therapy help children with Down syndrome?

Children with Down syndrome can benefit greatly from physical therapy services, especially when these services are started in infancy. Due to the motor delays and muscle hypotonia that typically accompany a Down syndrome diagnosis, early intervention is very important for motor development and helps maintain age-appropriate milestones and improve overall development! 

If you are concerned about your child’s development, you should discuss with your pediatrician whether your child would benefit from physical therapy services! Parents should remember that they are their child’s voice and #1 advocate! 

The physical therapist will work hands-on with your child to help strengthen their muscles and teach them the motor patterns necessary for gross motor skills, like rolling, sitting, crawling and walking!  The therapist will also show you things to work on at home to help your child with their motor development.

Lane’s story

My son Lane started receiving outpatient physical therapist services 1-2 times per week, starting at around 8-10 weeks old. Even with a physical therapist as a mom, Lane did experience some delays in motor development. As a baby, he reached many milestones on time, like rolling, sitting and army crawling. As he got older and gross motor skills got more advanced and complex, we started to see some delays with skills like crawling on hands and knees, standing and walking.

Today, Lane is a silly, wild, loving, 3-year-old, and some days can be chaotic—especially now that we have a new baby. He does have more medical appointments than most children, but hopefully one day that won’t be the case! He still receives physical therapy services, and is working on climbing, obstacle courses, riding a tricycle, jumping down and over obstacles, etc. We plan to keep him in therapy until he is 100% safe and functional in all of his environments, for example school, home, in the community and on the playground! 

All kids develop on their own timeline, and as a parent you just have to give them the necessary tools to get there! Lane put in many hours of hard work at therapy and now is a thriving, running, jumping, scooter riding 3-year-old!  

All children with Down syndrome are so capable! They are such brave, loving, hardworking, and beautiful souls. We are so blessed to be part of the lucky few!