The facial- and mouth-muscle stimulation massage can be done at home from birth by the parents or close family members of infants with trisomy 21 or other intellectual disabilities.

If carried out every day, these gestures can significantly improve your child’s ability to feed itself, speak, and swallow. They can also help if your child suffers from hypersensitivity.

At first sight, this video presents what may seem a huge number of gestures to carry out! Nevertheless, Bénédicte Ronssin, the speech therapist presenting the gestures, would like to reassure family members. Once you have learnt this routine, it doesn’t take very long and can be done several times a day, before meals or whenever you change your child’s diaper.

Don’t forget to select the subtitles to enjoy the video!