--- canonical: https://aderettherapy.com.au/resources/what-is-cat-cry-syndrome/ title: What is Cat Cry syndrome? slug: what-is-cat-cry-syndrome date: 2026-10-05 type: podcast status: published image: 2026-10-05.jpg image_alt: Aderet Therapy Weekly podcast cover: silhouette of a child on a ride-on toy in front of a blurred grey lounge room with a sofa, cushions, a play tent and toys on the rug, 5 October 2026 summary: What is cri du chat (cat's cry) syndrome, how a physio helps, and getting through the week two wall of the school holidays. keywords: cri du chat syndrome, cat's cry syndrome, rare diagnosis, low muscle tone, hypotonia, tummy time, school holidays, parent burnout, paediatric physiotherapy, paediatric physiotherapy Campbelltown, NDIS podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZT5NxP7t8vfqJd1rGEbU3 --- What is "Cat Cry" syndrome? It is the everyday name for Cri Du Chat syndrome, French for cry of the cat, where a small piece of chromosome five is missing. A parent handed that word, or any word nobody around them has heard, does not have to wait for a milestone to go missing, or for term to start, before asking a physio, a GP or a child and family health nurse. This episode lands in week two of the NSW spring holidays, the stretch where the plan has fallen apart, the house is a mess and everybody else's holiday looks lovely. The first half is the week two wall: the holiday photo that is one second of somebody's day. The reality is the messiness, the loud days and the drive to keep busy kids entertained. Then what gets a household through: functionally tidy, a cup of tea drunk while it is still hot, a five minute freeze dance, ten happy seconds, the letterbox as an outing, and the sentence that is harder than any of them, can you take them for an hour. The second half is for any parent who has left an appointment holding a word nobody in the family has heard, and ended up the expert in the room. Cri du chat syndrome, also called cat's cry syndrome, is the worked example. Demonstrated by low muscle tone and delayed movement skills. Treatment looking like a baby on a mat, a parent beside them, and everything done through a game, including why tummy time can be especially hard for babies who find sensory input difficult. Much of this applies to other diagnoses too. **Topics covered:** cri du chat syndrome, cat's cry syndrome, rare diagnosis, new diagnosis, child with a label nobody knows, low muscle tone, hypotonia, feeding difficulties in babies, communication and signing, tummy time, walking late, physiotherapy for children with disability, when to see a paediatric physiotherapist, school holidays week two, parent burnout, half past three, daylight saving and bedtime, Campbelltown, Macarthur, NSW. ## Read more from Aderet Therapy - [Cri Du Chat: Cat's cry syndrome](https://aderettherapy.com.au/resources/cri-du-chat/) ## Songs from Aderet Therapy Weekly - [A Look, A Smile, A Stare](https://youtu.be/ucj-OMx45hU) - [Good Enough For Today](https://youtu.be/FqkSM8E2F-I) - [The Ones Who Get It](https://youtu.be/evykuMyz7yQ) ## Sources behind this episode Written and recorded by the Aderet Therapy team in Campbelltown, with AI assisting in the drafting. The cri du chat segment draws on the clinic's own blog post on cri du chat (cat's cry) syndrome and on the clinic team's own practice. Cri Du Chat Parent Support group are very active in Australia. You can find out more or get in contact at [criduchat.org.au](https://criduchat.org.au/). ## In this episode - 00:00 - Intro - 01:38 - Song: Good Enough For Today - 04:08 - The week two wall - 08:41 - Song: A Look, A Smile, A Stare - 11:06 - Cri du chat - 17:42 - Song: The Ones Who Get It - 19:46 - Where to get help ## About the show Aderet Therapy Weekly is a short weekly podcast for parents of babies and young children, from the paediatric physiotherapy team at Aderet Therapy in Campbelltown, in the Macarthur region of south west Sydney, NSW. Every episode takes one thing parents worry about, explains what is actually known about it, and says plainly what is not known. No judgement, no jargon, no scare tactics. Aderet Therapy: paediatric physiotherapy, early intervention key worker support, communication physiotherapy and AAC, aquatic physiotherapy, equipment prescription, school holiday programs, and the free Little Movers League community sessions. NDIS, Medicare and private health. ## Contact - Website: [aderettherapy.com.au](https://aderettherapy.com.au) - Phone: [02 4949 7276](tel:+61249497276) - Address: [Suite 10, 261 Queen Street, Campbelltown NSW 2560](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=3113537277279447515) ## Disclaimer Everything in this episode is general information only. Every child is unique, and nothing here replaces a conversation with your GP, your child and family health nurse, or your physiotherapist. This episode, including its songs and scripts, was made with the help of AI.