MOTOR SKILLS
Signs your child may have challenges with Motor Skills (including, but not limited to):
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Cannot keep up with peers on the playground
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Appears clumsy or floppy
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Moves in an uncoordinated or stiff manner
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Has difficulty with jumping jacks
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Unable to ride a bicycle
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Requires assistance with clothing fasteners, shoe tying
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Has difficulty manipulating small toys, such as Legos
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Struggles with handwriting or holding a pencil
What is it?
Fine motor skills require use of the small muscles of the body. This includes those in the hand, mouth, and eyes. Most often, fine motor skills refer to those activities completed with hands and fingers, such as stringing beads, buttoning, holding a pencil, and tying shoes.
Fine motor skill development begins at an early age. As a child develops strength and body awareness, the fine motor control becomes more refined.
Gross motor skills require the large muscles of the body and allow children to roll over, walk, climb, run, jump, skip, and ride a bicycle. A child must have both adequate muscle tone and strength, as well as body awareness to develop appropriate coordination. The proprioceptive, vestibular and tactile systems help the body to know where it is in space, how to move, and when to move, in order to produce an efficient motor response. Gross motor delays can prevent a child from participating in activities at school or home which can lead to decreased self-esteem.
Our Approach
At Leaps and Bounds, occupational therapists assess your child to determine which foundational skills require support to facilitate functional fine and gross motor skills.
For example, a child attempting a fine motor task must know how and when to move muscles in order to complete tasks, have strong touch awareness in hands to manipulate small objects, and have a stable base of support from the core muscles in order to be successful.
When attempting gross motor tasks, a child must have both the skills to move his arms and legs, as well as the ability to complete movements in a smooth and coordinated manner.
We identify which sensory systems or underlying foundational skills are impacting your child’s ability to move efficiently and address them in a motivating way for your child.
