Question

Does down syndrome affect speech?

Answer 1

Down syndrome is a developmental disorder caused by a chromosomal abnormality (or a problem with genes). Down syndrome youngsters all have a learning deficit and gain abilities at a slower rate than typical children. Around their first birthday, they show delays in language and learning milestones.

Complete answer:
Due to anatomical and physiological anomalies in the mouth area, children with Down Syndrome frequently have difficulty eating, swallowing, and speaking. A high arched palate, a tiny upper jaw, poor tongue muscle tone, and weak oral muscles are among the differences. This can create a lot of oral motor difficulties in children, which can lead to speech and feeding issues. Despite these challenges, children with Down syndrome are excellent communicators who just need some encouragement and training to do so effectively. As a result, speech and language therapy is recommended to aid in the facilitation of this urge to communicate and can be a very effective type of therapy.
Pre-verbal abilities such as eye contact, turn taking, and attentiveness can be worked on by the speech and language therapist. Early vocabulary and language ideas will also be addressed by the speech and language therapist. They can aid in the development of the child's language and cognitive skills, as well as their verbal and nonverbal communication. Activities to enhance muscle tone and coordination in the mouth, as well as exercises to improve speech output and techniques to support language development, may be included in therapy.
Babies with Down syndrome may take longer to speak or may require the assistance of a speech specialist to speak correctly. Speech-Language Pathology is one of the many resources offered to people who have Down syndrome. There is no set age at which a kid starts to speak.

Yes, down syndrome affects speech.

A tiny oral cavity, articulation challenges with certain sounds, low oral-facial muscle tone, trouble with sensory processing and oral tactile input, and difficulties in motor planning for speech are all factors that might lead to speech intelligibility issues.

Note:
Down syndrome is a genetic condition produced by an additional whole or partial copy of chromosome 21 due to faulty cell division. Down syndrome is characterised by developmental delays and physical characteristics caused by excess genetic material. An ultrasound and blood tests can be used to check for Down syndrome in your foetus. These tests have a higher probability of false positives than tests performed later in pregnancy. After your 15th week of pregnancy, if the results aren't normal, your doctor may do an amniocentesis.