How Pediatric Therapy Can Improve Your Child’s Fine Motor Skills
Think about how often you use your hands in a day. You turn your alarm off, brush your teeth and fix your hair, button up your shirt–and that’s all before breakfast! Fine motor skills (hand and finger dexterity) are essential in everyday life, so it can be concerning if your child struggles with delayed fine motor development.
Fortunately, pediatric therapy offers several approaches for helping your child meet those fine motor skill developmental milestones. At Skills on the Hill, we have a team of pediatric occupational therapists who can guide your child through fun hand and finger exercises to improve strength and dexterity. We can also identify whether there’s an underlying condition or gross motor skill issue that could impact your child’s fine motor skills.
As with all developmental concerns, the earlier you begin treatment for your child, the better their outcomes–so schedule an appointment at our Washington, DC or Arlington, VA clinic today to get started!
Delayed Fine Motor Development: What It Means and What To Watch Out For
As your child grows, they learn about the world around them–and how to interact with it. While children do develop at their own pace, several developmental milestones let you know the general time frame when a child will be able to perform certain activities.
For example, most six-month-olds can move objects (such as a toy) from one hand to the other. By the time your child is a year old, they should be able to pick up items with a “pincer” grasp (using their forefinger and thumb). By the time they’re two years old, they should be able to stack blocks into a tower or arrange them in a row.
Delayed fine motor development means that your child has missed one or more of these developmental milestones. There could be many reasons for this:
- Premature birth, which can lead to delayed muscle development
- Underlying conditions, such as Down’s syndrome, muscular dystrophy, or cerebral palsy
- Developmental or cognitive delays, such as autism
- A pre-existing gross motor delay that’s impacting your child’s hand and finger strength
The most important thing for you to do is to keep track of your child’s developmental milestones, making a note when they learn a new skill or ability. We use our fine motor skills all the time, so knowing what your child should be able to do at what age will help you notice if anything’s amiss.
Pediatric Therapy and Its Role in Improving Fine Motor Skills
At Skills on the Hill, we’ll develop a treatment plan that addresses your child’s unique needs and abilities. For example, suppose your child’s fine motor skill difficulties stem from muscular dystrophy. In that case, our team will help improve your child’s strength and muscle tone, work with them to improve their swallowing ability and utensil usage, and show them how to perform day-to-day tasks–including fine motor skills.
Pediatric occupational therapy is the specific field that focuses on improving fine motor skills. Occupational therapy is a type of healthcare that helps people perform day-to-day tasks. For children, this can mean working on social skills, learning ability, and activities that will help children be independent (such as dressing and bathing).
Fine motor skills are an essential part of succeeding in day-to-day tasks, so pediatric occupational therapists also do a great deal of work in improving strength and dexterity in the hands and fingers. We accomplish this through fun, playful activities such as the following:
- Working with Playdoh
- Creating works of art with finger paints
- Playing with finger puppets
As part of your child’s treatment plan, we’ll guide them through a progressive hand and finger exercise program and suggest activities they can do at home to improve their fine motor skills. We’ll also offer accommodations or adaptive devices to help them thrive at school and elsewhere.
What To Expect During Your Child’s Appointments
We’ll begin with a comprehensive assessment to help us understand your child’s specific needs, including identifying any underlying conditions contributing to your child’s fine motor skill delays.
We know going to the doctor can be scary for kids, so we make this assessment feel more like playtime. Our pediatric therapists will observe your child as they write, paint, or play games that challenge their fine motor skills. We’ll also ask you to complete an in-depth questionnaire.
Once we understand your child’s unique situation, we’ll develop a customized treatment program combining in-clinic appointments with activities and suggestions to continue their treatment at home. When working to improve fine motor skills, we’ll begin simply, then gradually increase the difficulty as your child progresses, helping to ensure they see improvements.
Schedule Your Child’s Initial Assessment Today!
If you notice your child is missing certain fine motor skill developmental milestones, contact Skills on the Hill right away! The sooner you begin treatment, the more likely your child will develop these crucial skills.