As pediatric therapists, we are always on the lookout for lightweight, compact movement ideas. Here are 3 simple paper plate activities: ninja moves, paper plate ice skating and paper plate yoga. These are not your traditional paper plate crafts since they require the kids to participate in physical activity, motor planning and fun! Need to […]
Starting in infancy, children begin to develop skills through imitation. For young children with disabilities, this can be a more difficult skill to master due to cognitive, social, emotional, or motor skill deficits. Educators, therapists, and parents can try various strategies and activities to improve imitation skills in young children with disabilities. What Does the […]
Are you aware of the relationship between the development of fine motor skills and motor planning skills? Researchers took a closer look at the motor planning in 6- to 11-year-old children. Motor planning is the ability to create an idea, plan an action and execute that action. It is a complex process that requires cognitive […]
Are you a school-based therapist, parent, or teacher who help students on motor planning goals at occupational therapy, physical therapy, home or school? Children who struggle with executive functioning deficits may have difficulties learning how to initiate and plan motor skills. Strategies to Help Initiate and Plan When Learning New Motor Skills Here are […]
What is body percussion? Body percussion is using different parts of the body to make music. Have you ever stopped to think how may sounds you can make with your body? You can clap, snap, tap, stomp, click and more. Why Is Body Percussion a Wonderful Activity for Kids? Research indicates that rhythm and […]
Previous research has demonstrated common motor skill deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which may be related to decreased planning and control of sensory motor skills. A recent study examined motor planning, autism and the skill of catching a ball to determine more specific information regarding impairments. Methodology of the Study on Motor Planning […]
What is motor planning? Motor planning is the ability to create an idea, plan an action and execute that action. It is a complex process that requires cognitive thought, sensory input and a motor action. Why is motor planning important? We need to use motor planning for many activities of daily life. A clear example […]
Action Planning and Execution in Children with Cerebral Palsy Research in Developmental Disabilities published research on action planning and execution in children with cerebral palsy. The goal of the study was to determine the differences in anticipatory visual patterns between 13 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (average age 6.8 years) and 15 typically developing children (average […]
Motor Planning and Cerebral Palsy The Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology recently published longitudinal research on motor planning and cerebral palsy. Motor planning is the ability to plan out all the steps required for a motor action and carry out each step in the correct order. It is important to have efficient motor planning […]
Have you ever played Simon Says exercise ball style? This is an easy way to adapt a timeless game of Simon Says but add in more range of motion, muscle strengthening and spatial relationships. It is more of a challenge when you use a large, exercise ball but if that is not available grab a […]