Living, Learning, Thriving – Multidisciplinary therapy for children with Down’s syndrome and their families.

Imagine being told your child has Down’s syndrome. For many parents, the news can feel overwhelming and full of uncertainty. The early years are the most critical for a child’s development, yet families often find the NHS cannot offer the regular, joined-up therapy their children need. Down’s South London has been filling this gap for over 20 years. We are applying for a grant of £48,750 to support 13 children under six with Down’s syndrome, alongside their parents and families, to receive therapy for a year. This core funding will sustain our weekly, year-round multidisciplinary therapy sessions which are not available anywhere else, locally or nationally. 

Why this matters

Across the UK, around 40,000 people live with Down’s syndrome, and one in every 1,000 babies will be born with Down’s Syndrome every year. Down’s syndrome is a learning disability, not an illness, and without early intervention and integrated support, children miss crucial developmental foundations in their early years before they start school.

What we will do

Down’s South London, based in Peckham, is the only organisation in the UK that provides evidence-based multidisciplinary therapy for young children with Down’s syndrome together with their families. Our successful approach, where children and their families attend weekly therapy sessions across a 12-month period, enable steady progress and sustained learning. Our therapy is fully inclusive and it’s free for families. Families come from a diverse range of backgrounds within Peckham and some surrounding south London boroughs. Each session combines three therapies in real time, bringing together in one room, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, and a speech and language therapist to ensure that every individual child’s needs and development is bespoke and supported holistically. Parents and carers actively participate and learn strategies they can use at home, empowering families to extend the benefits of therapy into supporting healthy choices in everyday life. The cost of supporting one child and their family for a full year’s therapy is £3,750. With a grant of £48,750, we will transform the future for 13 children.

Our impact 

Children gain essential skills that lay the foundation for their lifelong learning including walking, coordination, communication, independence, self-care and social confidence. Families benefit from emotional support, practical guidance, and a strong peer network that supports mental health, reduces isolation, and builds resilience. The wider community benefits as inclusion, understanding and connections grow.

Why this will be successful

Our model is grounded in robust evidence and meets a direct need for children with Down’s syndrome and their families. We use the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development to track each child’s progress and families report significant improvements in movement, speech, social skills, and confidence. Our approach is family-centred, focused on the whole child and meets a critical gap in early years provision. At Down’s South London, we believe every child deserves the best possible start. With your support, we will ensure that children with Down’s syndrome are not defined by their limitations, but by their potential to live, learn, and thrive.