You have a child in your program that has Down Syndrome. She is 3 and a half. She enjoys playing with the other children in the preschool room.

• Her favourite area is the dramatic play area where she loves to pretend to cook and feed the babies. She will spend short periods at the art easels but will avoid the block play and the climber.
• She loves the book area as long as other children or adults are there to read the book with her.
• She uses gestures and Holophrases to communicate her needs and interests to others.
• Cognitively she's at 24 months and physically she's at about 18 months because due to poor muscle tone.
• The physiotherapist would like her to stop playing with the dolls in the dramatic area. She would rather see her lifting and walking on blocks to increase her strength, balance and coordination.
• Response Questions:

According to the developmental approach:

1. How will you use her interests to meet the requests from the physiotherapist?
2. What materials will you include to encourage her development and how will you use/set up the environment. (Be specific.) Explain why you choose certain materials, why you are setting up the classroom and/or outdoor area in the manner you are presenting and How and When you will implement your activities. So, you are considering, "Who, What, When, Where, How and Why".
3. Consider the child's present developmental level in the areas of speech/language and cognition. What stage(s) is she at right now? What would be the next developmental stages, in each of these areas, name them and explain them. How would you support the child to move toward the next developmental level?