Parents' Experiences and Expectations From Physiotherapy for Children With Down Syndrome: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Down Syndrome Research

Background:

• Physiotherapy is integral to the care and development of children with Down syndrome (CDS).
• Understanding parental perspectives on physiotherapy for CDS is key to improving service delivery.
• This review synthesizes research on parental experiences and expectations regarding physiotherapy for CDS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize research on parental experiences and expectations of physiotherapy for children with Down syndrome.
• To identify key themes in parental views on physiotherapy interventions for CDS.
• To inform future research and clinical practice for better outcomes in CDS.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review methodology was employed, following established guidelines.
• A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL, including grey literature.
• Five studies met the inclusion criteria after screening 97 relevant sources.

Main Results:

• Parents perceive physiotherapy as essential for their child's developmental progress.
• Reported benefits include improvements in motor skills, confidence, and independence.
• Identified challenges encompass limited access, emotional burden, and dissatisfaction with services.

Conclusions:

• This review deepens the understanding of parental experiences and expectations for physiotherapy in children with Down syndrome.
• Findings highlight critical areas for enhancing future research and clinical practices.
• Improvements can lead to better developmental outcomes and quality of life for CDS.