Chapter 5 - Motor, Sensory and Perceptual Development Flashcards
What happens when children lose one sensation like Vision
Brain compensates by by enhancing sensory skills in another area such as touch, hearing
Unfolding of Genetic Plan
Maturation. for example babies gradually learn to turn over, then sit, then stand up and then walk. This happens in a specific sequence and at specific intervals. However later studies indicated that it does not depend on genetic plan
Dynamic Systems Theory
Believes that Motor skills develop based on infant’s perception and acting. AN Infant perceives something in the environment and acts on it as a motivation that develops their motor and fine motor skills
How dynamic systems help to develop motor skills
An environmental motivation makes baby take physical action, maturation if there support such movements, muscles get toned by repeated action and environment support also promotes such motor development
How dynamic systems theory differs from genetic principle of motor development
infant actively puts together a skill to achieve a goal within the con-straints set by the infant’s body and environment. Nature and nurture, the infant and the environment, are all working together as part of an ever-changing system.
Reflexes
Built-in reactions to stimuli. These are genetically carried survival mechanisms. For eg. Holding breath and contracting throat muscle to keep the water out of respiratory track
Key points about Reflexes
They are built in mechanisms
genetically carried
help child to respond adaptively to the environment
2 basic newborn reflexes
Rooting
Sucking
Rooting
When newborn’s cheek is stroked baby turns it’s head to that direction to find something to suck
Sucking reflex
Newborn automatically sucks on object placed in their mouth
2 Survival reflex for newborn are:
Rooting
Sucking
Moro reflex
Sudden intense noise makes baby arch it’s back, throw back head, fling it’s arm and legs and then close them again
How long rooting and moro reflex last
3-4 months till infant’s brain is matured and gains a voluntary control
grasping reflex,
When something touches infant’s palm they grab the thing
gross motor skills
Large muscle activities such as moving arms, moving leg
Why Posture Control is Important
It is a foundation to develop gross motor skills. For e.g to walk one must be able to hold balance on one leg.
What is Posture Control
is a dynamic process
that is linked with sensory information in the skin, joints, and muscles, which tell us where we are in space; in vestibular organs in the inner ear that regulate balance
vestibular organs
organs in the inner ear that regulate balance and equilibrium; and in vision and hearing
When alternating leg movements occur in baby
During the fetal period and birth
How locomotion ( walking) and posture control are linked
Walking upright requires integrating sensory information from various parts, vestibular organ to learn to walk
Between locomotor experience and age which one is a primary indicator of adaptive responding on slopes if various steepness
locomotor experience . Because with experience baby learns to avoid fall
What is specificity of learning in locomotion
When crawling babies learn to walk, initially they fall on slopes which they were expert in crawling. So a learning in one module of locomotion does not get carried forward in progression and a new learning is required in each stage
fine motor skills
fine motor skills .
. Grasping a toy, using a spoon, buttoning a shirt, or doing anything that requires finger dexterity demonstrates fine motor skills
How Infants learn fine motor skills
First learn to grab, use shoulder and elbow to reach out to things. Then learn to use wrist, then hand and then fingers
Which 2 types of grasps infant learn by 1st yr
1- Palmer Grasp . Grasping with whole palm
2 - Pincer Grip - Grasping with thumb and forefinger and middle finger too
Perceptual motor coupling
Four month old rely on touch of an object to grab it. 8 months old use vision to pre-shape their hand to pick up and grab things
Why vision is important in perceptual Motor skills
It helps to pre-shape the hand to grasp the things
What is sticky mittens experience
Mittens with glue on the outer side. Objects stick to it helping children to grasp and feel the shapes. This experiment has helped infants to handle and feel the objects. Improving grasping
Tower building activity
18-24 months of age
Requires cognitive and motor skills
Why in middle and late childhood motor skills develop almost fully
Complete myelination of axons is completed helping neurons transfer information at a greator speed
What is sensation
Sensation occurs when information interacts with sensory receptors - eye,tounge,skin,nose, ears
