Evaluating the HEP Homeostasis-Enrichment-Plasticity Therapy for Motor and Sensory Development in Infants with Down Syndrome

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effect of the Homeostasis-Enrichment-Plasticity HEP approach on motor and sensory development in infants with Down syndrome. This study aims to compare HEP therapy with traditional therapy in 26 infants diagnosed with Down syndrome, assessing developmental progress using standardized tests. The goal is to understand how these different therapies may influence infant development based on ecological theories and dynamic interaction models. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either 12 weekly sessions of HEP therapy or 12 weekly sessions of traditional therapy, each lasting 45 minutes. The HEP approach is a child-centered, family-based early intervention that emphasizes enriched environments, plasticity, and homeostasis, while traditional therapy focuses on standard motor and sensory development exercises. Both therapies are delivered by experienced physiotherapists. Throughout the study, infants will undergo assessments before and after the 12-week intervention period using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 PDMS-2, the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants TSFI, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires ASQ completed by parents. Individual goals will be set with the Goal Attainment Scale GAS, and social validity will be evaluated through parent questionnaires. Data on demographics and perinatal history will also be collected. The total study duration includes the 12 therapy sessions and follow-up assessments.

The Effect of the HEP Approach in Infants With Down Syndrome