Fine motor skills involve the use of the smaller muscle of the hands, such as when doing up buttons, opening lunch boxes or using pencils or scissors. Fine motor skill efficiency significantly influences the quality of the task outcome as well as the speed of task performance. Efficient fine motor skills require a number of independent skills to occur simultaneously to appropriately manipulate the object or perform the task. Why are fine motor skills important?Fine motor skills are essential for performing everyday skills like self care tasks (e.g. clothing fastenings, opening lunch boxes, cleaning teeth, using cutlery) and academic skills (e.g. pencil skills of drawing, writing and colouring, as well as cutting and pasting). Without the ability to complete these every day tasks, a child’s self esteem can suffer and their academic performance is compromised. They may also be unable to develop appropriate independence in life skills (such as getting dressed and feeding themselves). What are the building blocks necessary to develop fine motor skills?
How can I tell if my child has problems with fine motor skills?If a child has difficulties with fine motor skills they might:
What other problems can occur when a child has fine motor skill difficulties?When a child has fine motor skill difficulties, they might also have difficulties with:
What can be done to improve fine motor skills?
What activities can help improve fine motor skills?
Why should I seek therapy if I notice difficulties with fine motor skills in my child?Therapeutic intervention for a child with fine motor skills difficulties is important to:
If left untreated what can difficulties with fine motor skills lead to?When a child has difficulties with fine motor shills, they might also have difficulties with:
What type of therapy is recommended for fine motor difficulties?If your child has difficulties with fine motor skills, it is recommended they consult an Occupational Therapist.
Fine motor skills involve the use of the smaller muscle of the hands, commonly in activities like using pencils, scissors, construction with lego or duplo, doing up buttons and opening lunch boxes. Fine motor skill efficiency significantly influences the quality of the task outcome as well as the speed of task performance. Efficient fine motor skills require a number of independent skills to work together to appropriately manipulate the object or perform the task. What skills do ‘fine motor skills’ include?
Note: Visual perception (accurately using vision, ‘seeing’ and interpreting) is not strictly a fine motor skill but directly supports fine motor skill performance. Why are fine motor skills important?Fine motor skills are essential for performing everyday skills as outlined above as well academic skills. Without the ability to complete these every day tasks, a child’s self esteem can suffer, their academic performance is compromised and their play options are very limited. They are also unable to develop appropriate independence in ‘life’ skills (such as getting dressed and feeding themselves) which in turn has social implications not only within the family but also within peer relationships. How can you tell if a child has fine motor skill difficulties at a glance?
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