Is your kid facing a loss of ability to perform skilled motor activities? Read the reasons and ways to fix this condition.
Kids showing trouble in learning motor skills doesn’t always mean that they are lazy and might be due to an underlying reason. Children can sometimes struggle with certain movements and coordination. Some kids might even have trouble doing small movements like brushing their teeth and doing big movements like kicking a football. Every movement requires different motor skills. Developing these skills is crucial in early childhood. If your kid is facing a loss of ability to perform skilled motor activities as well, keep reading this article.
Loss of Ability to Perform Skilled Motor Activities
Disorders of motor skill, also known as motor dyspraxia or motor coordination disorder, are very common in children. Motor skills enable us to do everyday movements and tasks. They involve Fine motor skills and Gross Motor skills. Fine motor skills include using small muscles of the hand for a high degree of control and precision. In contrast, gross motor skills involve using the larger muscles in the body for coordinating, balancing, physical strength, etc. Motor planning is the skill that makes us remember and perform a sequence of movements. Difficulty in this area can make it hard for the kid to do day-to-day activities.
There is not a known cause for this disorder. It is usually associated with physiologic and developmental abnormalities like prematurity, congenital deficit, Attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder(ADHD), etc.
The symptoms vary depending on the age of diagnosis. Usually, it’s diagnosed during preschool. Symptoms can include difficulty holding a pencil and writing, inability to do physical activities like playing, swimming, painting, etc.
How To Develop Motor Skills In Children
Developing motor skills in kids is essential for their future. Lack of motor skills will affect their self-confidence and personality. Parents can help their kids develop motor skills by engaging them in fun activities like:
1. Playdough
Playing with dough will build tactile skills and make the kid more creative while experimenting with the clay. You can slowly introduce making shapes like animals with clay to help the kid learn.
2. Puzzles
Picking up the puzzle pieces and putting them all together will help develop a pincer grasp. The parent can introduce easy puzzles at the beginning and then progress to tougher ones. It will help the kid improve their hand and eye skills, coordination, and motor skills.
3. Drawing, Colouring, Painting
Encourage your kids to draw, color, and paint as this will help them develop their fine motor skills. Besides, it will improve their creativity and imagination. The kids might not like to write and learn the alphabet and numbers, but they seem more interested in drawing and coloring.
These activities will help the kids experiment and build their motor skills. Practice these activities in early childhood as it’s the best time to learn and grasp things immediately without any difficulty.
When to see a doctor
It should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible to prevent any secondary complications in life. Moreover, keep in mind that growth and learning are different in every child, and not necessarily everyone might have a motor skill disorder. If the symptoms persist for a long time, it’s advised to consult a doctor.
