Toddlers (18 months – 3 years)
As your child moves into the toddler years, they will become more active, curious, and eager to explore the world around them. Children’s play becomes more focused and purposeful as they grow. You may be thinking about new ways to support their development, at home or through small group activities. Keep play activities fun and follow your child’s interests, as this is how children learn best.
Communication
Your toddler is learning to communicate more intentionally. You can support this by creating a language-rich environment: talk to your child, sing songs, read books together, and use pictures or flashcards to build vocabulary.
It’s also important to focus on key communication foundations like listening, turn-taking, and pointing. Lámh signs are a great way to support your child’s understanding and give them a way to communicate before speech develops.
We also recommend the See and Learn programmes, which are designed specifically for children with Down syndrome to support early speech and language development.
Physical Development
Toddlers with Down syndrome may need extra time and support to develop movement skills like walking, climbing, and using their hands to explore. This is due to lower muscle tone and challenges with motor coordination.
Daily play activities like stacking rings, building blocks, sensory play, or crawling through tunnels help strengthen hand coordination and promote finger dexterity. Outdoor play is also important; your garden or the local playground provides space for your child to practise gross motor skills, which build strength, balance, and coordination.
Activities that promote core stability and shoulder strength, like climbing playground equipment, will also support the development of fine motor skills.
Learning Through Play
Play is how toddlers learn. They’re naturally curious and love exploring how things work: opening, closing, stacking, throwing, and handling objects. Cause-and-effect toys, like pressing buttons or flipping switches, are fun and teach that actions lead to outcomes.
As your child grows, introduce toys that support problem-solving and fine motor skills, such as shape sorters, simple puzzles, and stacking rings. Sensory play with water, sand, or playdough encourages creativity and exploration. Simple pretend play, like feeding a teddy or using a toy tea set, helps your child learn about social routines and relationships and supports language development.
Building Independence
At this age, toddlers are starting to see themselves as their own little person. You can gently support independence by encouraging them to do small tasks like finger-feeding, helping tidy toys, or taking off their hat or socks. These everyday actions build confidence and early self-care skills.
It’s typical for toddlers to resist instructions or say “no” more often. This is a natural part of development. To help your child through this stage, be patient, offer choices, and balance growing independence with predictable routines and clear boundaries.
Support for Families
Our Early Intervention Specialist runs a monthly Toddler Group in Dublin for children aged 18 months to 3 years. Some DSI branches also offer early years groups locally. Get in touch to find out what’s available in your area.
We also offer training sessions and webinars on key topics such as the See and Learn programmes, Lámh, and preparing for preschool. You can check our training calendar for details of upcoming sessions.
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s development, our Early Intervention Specialist is available for one-to-one consultations. These can take place online or in person at our National Office in Dublin.
To learn more or book a consultation, please contact us at silvia@downsyndrome.ie
