Early intervention with Down syndrome children: follow-up report.

This report compares developmental milestones and current intellectual and adaptive functioning of 20 children with Down syndrome who participated in an early intervention program with those of 53 noninstitutionalized children with Down syndrome who did not experience such a program. The children in the former group generally showed earlier acquisition of motor and self-help skills and significantly higher intelligence quotients and social quotients at three to six years of age. Because of certain variables that could not be rigorously controlled in this type of program, the higher functioning cannot be clearly attributed to early intervention. These findings nevertheless are consistent with the hypothesis that early intervention has a beneficial effect and should provide encouragement for further studies.