Summary
The emergence of crawling and walking is significantly delayed in infants with Down syndrome (DS), but the development of independent mobility provides infants with new opportunities for exploring the environment and interacting with objects and people that are important foundations for early learning. Increasing infant mobility early in development with body weight supported harness systems may support infant exploration, communication, and social interaction. This project will set the stage for the first clinical trial of a mobility-related intervention specifically tailored for infants with DS by developing and refining procedures for collecting data longitudinally in the home, allowing us to deliver a home-based intervention that will be accessible to all families with infants with DS.