The Effect of the HEP Approach in Infants With Down Syndrome

"This intervention is administered to the HEP Intervention arm.~The HEP approach, which includes intervention, is a child-centered, family-based early intervention approach based on the principles of enriched environment and plasticity, emphasizing the importance of homeostasis. It is based on theories that argue that development occurs as a result of the dynamic interaction between the environment, time, task, and individual (Ecological Theory, Dynamic Systems Theory, Perception-Action Theory, Neuronal Group Selection Theory, and the Person-Environment-Occupation Model). Hypotheses for intervention are generated based on a comprehensive assessment of these four fundamental factors (environment, time, task, and individual), and 10 core principles derived from environmental enrichment studies are applied with the guidance of ecological models."

Participants in this arm will receive conventional pediatric therapy, consisting of 12 weekly sessions of 45 minutes each. Sessions will focus on standard motor and sensory development exercises, delivered by a physical therapist experienced in pediatric rehabilitation.