Design and Development of Early Intervention Module for Social Skills of Children with Down Syndrome in a Malaysian Daycare Center

Children with Down syndrome may experience developmental differences in communication, social participation, adaptive functioning and peer interaction. However, they also possess individual strengths, learning potential and adaptive capacities that can be enhanced through structured, responsive and contextually relevant early intervention. This study aimed to design and develop an Early Intervention Module for Social Skills of Children with Down Syndrome in Malaysian Taska OKU settings. A Design and Development Research approach was applied across three phases: needs analysis, module design and development, and usability evaluation. Phase 1 involved semi-structured interviews with teachers to identify contextual challenges, existing strengths, available practices and support needs in teaching social skills to children with Down syndrome. Phase 2 focused on module development through expert consensus using the Fuzzy Delphi Method. Phase 3 examined the usability of the developed module among teachers in real daycare settings. The findings from the needs analysis showed that teachers required a structured module that could support children’s social participation, communication, turn-taking, emotional expression and interaction with peers and adults. At the same time, the findings highlighted the importance of recognising children’s strengths, including their responsiveness to visual cues, enjoyment of routine-based activities, imitation skills and ability to participate when appropriate support is provided. The developed module consists of structured social skill domains, learning outcomes, teaching activities, visual support, play-based strategies, parental involvement components and progress monitoring tools. The usability evaluation indicated that the module was practical, understandable and relevant for use in Taska OKU settings. Teachers reported that the module supported clearer planning, more consistent implementation and better opportunities for children to participate socially. This study contributes to the development of a locally adapted early intervention module that is grounded in stakeholder input, expert consensus and inclusive education principles. The module also reflects strength-based and functioning-oriented terminology aligned with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework. The findings suggest that contextually developed modules can support teachers and caregivers in enhancing the social participation of children with Down syndrome in Malaysian early childhood settings.