Lecture 4: Fine Motor Flashcards
how much of a students day comprises of fine motor activities
more than 50%
what is an example of how culture might impact fine motor skills?
some cultures eat with their hands, so using eating utensils isn’t important to them
what are the 7 basic components of fine motor skill development for occupations
- Postural Mechanisms
- Hand Skills
- Patterns of Hand Function
- Cognition
- Visual Motor Integration (vision, visual perceptual skills, & motor skills interaction )
- Sensory Integrative Functioning
- Social Emotional Functioning
what are the 3 aspects of postural mechanisms?
Trunk Control and Stability
Shoulder Stability and Mobility
Wrist Stability and Mobility
what is trunk stability?
A strong and steady trunk (proximal stability) provides a base of support needed for activities requiring fine motor skills
what are some signs of trunk instability?
slouched posture
supporting body with arms
falling out of chair
what to do if the Childs feet don’t reach the ground
use stool, container, block of wood
what to do if chair is too deep or wide
add cushion/ foam to back of chair or sides
what to desk doesn’t fit properly
use desk without storage compartment inside desk
adjust desk height (blocks, cut down and use tennis balls)
if desk is too high and not adjustable - adjust chair and accommodate footrest height
what is shoulder stability and mobility
Muscles around the shoulder joint make it stable
To write, we use slow, controlled shoulder
movements
A “loose” shoulder joint makes fine motor activities difficult
what are some signs of shoulder instability?
Students may hold arms close to body during fine motor task
May hold fine motor tools (such as a pencil) too tightly: increasing the tightness of the muscles & decreasing fine motor skill as it limits fine hand muscle movement
what is wrist stability and mobility?
The wrist should be slightly extended so the small muscles of the hand are in the best position for effectively manipulating objects.
Wrist extension allows for:
Both thumb and finger opposition and arching in the hand
Speed and precision of fine motor activities
what are some signs of wrist instability?
Elbow positioned above wrist (not stabilizing forearm)
Excessive wrist flexion
what are some activities to support shoulder and wrist development?
monkey bars
animal walks
working on vertical surfaces
what are the 5 aspects of hand skill development
arches of the hand
separation of both sides of hand
finger isolation
opposition
web space
what 2 things does fine motor skill efficiency significantly influence?
quality of the task outcome
the speed of task performance
why are hand arches important?
they allow the hand to conform to objects being held
what are functional signs of difficulty with arches
difficulty with opposition and cupping hands
what are some activities to promote hand arches?
making balls with play-doh
shuffling cards
scoop to fill containers
