Down Syndrome: Hypotonia and Physical Therapy

Quotes from the book Gross Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome

Patricia C. Winters, PT

 

• Hypotonia: "Not a decrease of muscle strength, but a decrease in resistance or stiffness of muscles in resting tension or relaxed state."

 

• "The degree of hypotonia can be mild, moderate, or severe. It can vary from one area of the body to another, and from the right side to the left. Hypotonia in the arms makes it harder to learn to combat crawl. Hypotonia in the abdomen makes it harder to move onto hands and knees and creep. Muscle tone will improve over time. When your child is school age you will only see subtle remnants of it."

 

• The goal of physical therapy: "The goal of physical therapy is not to have children with Down achieve gross motor skills more quickly. The goal is to have (your) my child achieve maximum physical potential and to build a body that is fit and functional throughout life and minimize compensations."