Motor Skills Development and Autism
- Posted by spectrum
- On June 21, 2023
- 0
Research has consistently shown that autistic children often have some motor difficulties. They can also have both gross and fine motor delays which can result in difficulties ranging from posture to handwriting.
Gross motor skills are performed using whole body movements, meaning the use of those big muscles in our body. Example of these big movements are walking, throwing a ball and sitting upright at the desk. From an Occupational Therapy perspective, this is more than just a physical capability as it could determine to what extent a child can participate in their everyday activities. For example, a kid with poor ball skills may limit his opportunity to engage in play, and therefore interaction, with other children; a “sloppy” posture may impact his/her ability to participate in tabletop task.
If this sound familiar to you, don’t worry! Here are some ideas to help improve your child’s skills and confidence!
- Work on balance and core muscles! Use a gym ball, play hopscotch, and wheel-barrow games
- Trampolining – an excellent equipment to develop muscle tone, balance and stability skills
- Make the activity fun and set them for success! E.g., starting with bigger and lighter balls for catch and throw
- Swimming, Martial arts, Karate… – Great way to improve coordination and the training is usually graded!
- Consistency is a key! Practise the skills every day at least for 5 minutes
If you have any concerns with your child’s gross motor skill development, please call us on 02 9686 2306 to chat to one of our friendly Occupational Therapists.