Children with Down syndrome master basic gross motor skills just as their peers do, but may need help along the way. Written by a physical therapist with sixteen years of experience working with children with Down syndrome, this guide describes and illustrates more than 100 easy-to-follow activities to encourage end maximize a child's gross motor development. The skills covered are those appropriate from birth to age six, such as head control, rolling, sitting, cruising, walking, kicking, jumping, and riding a tricycle.Readers learn why the physical characteristics of Down syndrome, such as low muscle tone and increased flexibility, can affect gross motor development, and how to overcome those obstacles. Gross Motor Skills emphasizes the importance of letting each child acquire basic skills at his or her own pace and gives authoritative information on the stages of motor development, as well as specific exercises to practice motor skills with o child and enhance his or her physical development.