What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skill is the ability to perform small, precise hand movements with fluency and accuracy. It is based on efficient development of a variety of skills, including body awareness, processing touch sensations, postural stability and strength in the shoulder, wrist, and hand muscles.

 

Possible difficulties:

• Aches in hand, arm or shoulder following fine motor tasks
• Difficulty using cutlery appropriately
• Difficulty with dressing skills e.g. fastening buttons, tying shoelaces etc.
• Manipulating or using tools – ruler, scissors, maths / science equipment, tools used in design technology / food preparation
• Poor handwriting – formation of letters, neatness, fluency and speed
• Difficulty with graphics and drawing
• Poor or variable presentation of written work due to muscle fatigue
• Poor accuracy with copying skills
• Difficulty manipulating small objects / dropping objects

 

What are the fine motor group treatment sessions?

• The fine motor group programme runs for 4 weeks, each session lasting 45 minutes at Cherry Tree House, Clatterbridge Hospital.
• Each group has up to 6 children with their parent/ guardian. 
• Each child sits at a table and are provided with all the individual equipment they need to complete the activities.
• We have a set programme of activities each week which compliment the homework programme.
• Child's parent/ guardian(s) are encouraged to let their child get out and organise the equipment they need rather than doing it for the child.
• Staff will always give a physical demonstration and verbal instructions of each activity. The amount of instruction given can sometimes be challenging for some of the children but this is important to ensure health and safety of children, parents/ guardian, and staff.

 

What will my child be working on in sessions?

• Shoulders, wrists, and finger strength
• Hand and finger strength
• Developing pincer grip
• Use of tools - rulers, stencils, pencils
• Scissor skills development
• Developing confidence with fine motor tasks.

 

The importance of the homework programme

• Each week, Parents/ Guardian will be given a homework programme to practice specific activities with your child which is designed to compliment the work done in the motor skills groups.
• Just attending the sessions each week will not improve your child's motor skills. It is the homework programme that will make the biggest difference to a child's motor skills.
• You will log the daily homework that your child has completed on the sheets provided. Bring the sheets with you so that the therapist can keep a track of your child’s progress. Please be honest on the sheet or we are unable to see if treatment is working for your child.
• Inside the Motor skills information folder, there is a keeping track checklist of fine motor activities on page 29-30. This is not an exhaustive list but is designed to give you ideas to get started. By marking the checklist as you go through the programme this will allow you to keep track of what your child needs to keep practicing. It is important to continuing practicing after you have completed the programme to see any real changes in motor skill development. Research has shown that regular frequent activities are what improve motor skills. Ideally this should run alongside additional leisure activities e.g.  board games, colouring, threading, constructional toys, arts and crafts.

 

Therapeutic Putty/ Theraputty

Many children naturally develop adequate strength in all of these muscles to learn the fine motor skills needed to manipulate toys, dress themselves, and use a pencil and scissors. There are some children, however, that do not acquire this strength as easily and need extra attention to gain that necessary strength. Therapeutic Putty is great for helping to improve strength in hands. Motor skills and function can be greatly improved in both children and adults.

 

Therapeutic comes in a variety of strengths. In motor skills group sessions we use both Medium/Soft and Medium strength with children. It is available from a variety of stockists.

 

There are multiple videos and exercise plans on the internet to give you ideas to use with your child, like picture below.