Postural control through growth spurts

Children who have coordination deficits also tend to grow unevenly through growth spurts.  Motor patterns in need of additional support during these seasons of life include:

  1. Postural extensors of the back and neck —  these muscles enable the child to maintain an erect sitting posture allowing for precision at table top work
  2. Stabilizing muscles of the shoulder and pelvic girdles — these muscles enable the child to hold the body still as needed for accuracy during sports and fine motor tasks,
  3. Eyes that move the eyeballs — these muscles enable to child to coordinate ocular motor patterns needed for success during visual search tasks such as reading, and sport activities

Activities that provide for heavy work (antigravity and/or resistive exercises), may need to be extended  during growth spurts. Also plan to include visual targets with visual motor output for the workout periods.

 

Visual layout set up to prompt visual pursuits & discrimination skills

 

Child picks up matching block and turns it to match the spatial orientation of the target

 

Layout strengthens trunk and neck extensor muscles on both sides of the body

 

 

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