Understanding Motor Skills in Children with Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism, and Other Learning Disabilities: A Guide to Improving Coordination (JKP Essentials Series) (Jkp Essentials) by Lisa A. Kurtz

Author:Lisa A. Kurtz [Kurtz, Lisa A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Developmental, Motor Skills Disorders - psychology, Psychology, Learning Disorders, Movement disorders in children, Children with Special Needs, Neurology, Learning disabled children - Rehabilitation, Pediatrics, Rehabilitation, Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabled, Child, Motor Skills Disorders - rehabilitation, Physiology, Clumsiness in children, Psychomotor disorders in children - Patients - Rehabilitation, Learning disabled children, Medical, Child Development, Family & Relationships, Patients, Motor skills in children, Special Education, Motor Skills - physiology, General, Movement disorders in children - Patients - Rehabilitation, Education, Psychomotor disorders in children
ISBN: 9781843108658
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub
Published: 2007-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

P R O M O T I N G B A S I C M O T O R S K I L L S

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hand. If play with the toy involves reaching over to place it more towards the left of the child’s midline, he or she is likely to transfer the toy to the left hand before letting it go. By four or five years of age, most children will cross the midline to reach for a skilled tool such as scissors or pencil, but may continue to reach with the closest hand for materials that require less skill to manipulate, such as blocks or puzzle pieces. An easy way to observe for difficulties in crossing the midline of the body is to have the child face you while you assume various postures that he or she must imitate rapidly. Use a variety of postures including some that do and some that do not involve crossing the midline. For example, putting your left hand over your left ear and your right hand on your right knee while you tilt to the right does not require crossing the midline. Putting your left hand over your right ear and your right hand on your left elbow does require crossing the midline. Changing positions quickly and observing the child’s ability to imitate can provide good clues about this skill. The following suggestions may be helpful for the child with delays in bilateral motor integration.

To encourage more consistent hand preference

• Use a ribbon, wrist watch, or friendship bracelet to be worn on the preferred hand as a reminder to use that hand when writing or cutting.

• When offering a crayon, pencil, or other skilled tool, offer it toward the child’s preferred hand. Either sit facing the child, or on the side closest to his or her preferred side.

• During crafts or other projects, place materials used on the side of the table closest to the preferred hand so the child will not have to reach across his or her midline to obtain desired materials.

• Encourage games where the nondominant hand “holds” a container, and the dominant hand “fills” the container—for example, pushing marbles into a hole cut in the plastic lid of a coffee can, placing pennies into a piggy bank, measuring teaspoons of water to fill a jar, or using tweezers or tongs to fill a basket with cotton puffs.

To develop general bilateral motor integration skills

• Practice games such as “Twister,” “Simon says,” or other body position imitation games.

• Place a carpet square on a slippery floor (e.g. linoleum) and practice

“racing” by paddling with arms and legs using different “patterns” (e.g.

sit on the carpet and use both feet to propel; kneel on the carpet and use

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