Ryan's Gross Sensorimotor Development

Fine and gross motor development during the first 6 months includes a number of important milestones. During my observation of Sydney, she accomplished the following fine motor skills. When a rattle was introduced to the observation session and held in front of her, Sydney turned her head at the sound of the rattle and followed the rattle with her eyes. In addition, when rattle was placed on the table, she picked the rattle up and immediately raised it to her face and to her mouth. Sydney was also observed shaking the rattle and was capable to passing the rattle from her left to right hand. According to Kathleen Berger, most babies at six months old are able to reach, grab and hold onto objects with their hands (Berger, 2012, p. 147).

Unit 6 Assessment Criteria 1.1 Explain the sequence and rate of development from birth to 19 years. Physical Development: Gross motor control: 0 – 3 years 1 month: Head droops if unsupported Pulled to sit, head lags Lies with head to one side Large jerky movements of limbs Arms active Turns head from cheek to cheek when on tummy Lifts head momentarily when on tummy Lifts head (bobbing) when held in vertical at shoulder Kicks legs rhythmically 2-3 cycles when on back Looks at faces and objects 3 mths. Head held erect for a few moments before falling forward Pulled to sit, a little head lag Lies with head in midline Movements smoother and continuous Kicks vigorously,

| At birth babies are born with reflexes – such as: * swallowing and sucking * rooting * grasping * startle reflexIn the first few months babies change considerably * gradually sleeping less * looking less curled up and startle less

Reflexes:Plantar grasp is the flexion of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroke gently. It disappear after 6 weeks but present in infants. Babinski is a reflex action in which the big toe remains extended or extends itself when the sole or foot is stimulated, abnormal except in infants. Automatic walkis the act of lifting infants up and making their feet touch a hard surface and the process move one foot ahead of the other. Moro/startleis a reflex in which infant from new born to 5 months spread out their arms or abduct it in response to a sudden feel of fall. Tonic neckis characterized by the positioning of the infant’s arms and head which resembles that of a classically trained

Throughout the first year of life, babies will undergo rapid social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Motor control develops from the head, moves down through the arms and then to the legs and feet. Initial movements are reflexive in nature, such as turning the head to the side when the cheek is stroked, which aids in feeding. Babies will start to turn their heads from side to side when lying on the back or belly,this will happen around one month. At three

A new baby cannot hold up his or her head alone. Yet, within a few months, the baby will be able to sit alone. This is because control of the spine and central nervous system develops from the top of the head down to the base of the spine. You can see this control developing in a baby as he or she starts to hold the head without support. Similarly, a new-born baby waves his or her arms around vaguely, yet in nine months’ time will find the tiniest crumb or piece of Lego easy to pick up with the thumb and finger. This is because the nervous system also develops from the spinal cord out to the extremities (hands and feet).

Hypotonia and developmental delay are generally evident by three to six months of age and are the most common symptoms of nervous system impairment. Traits that are present in affected individuals are lack of speech, irritability, late in sitting up, moreover most never crawl or walk. During the first few years of life, dystonia, choreoathetosis, and opisthotonus can present as a result of extrapyramidial involvement. Extensor plantar reflexes, hyperreflexia, and spasticity can occur and are signs of pyramidial involvement. Often, individuals are initially diagnosed with athetoid cerebral palsy due to the similar neurological aspects. Most individuals will never walk and become lifelong wheelchair users due to the extent of motor disability.

This is being caused by the Atrial Septal Defect. All he can do is sit unsupported, which he should have been able to do at 8 months. At 11 months old, Ryan should be able to stand upright holding onto an adults hand, as well as feed himself finger foods and drink from a sippy cup. He should be able to pull himself up to a standing position as well. Also, sleeping after eating is just an indication of how much energy it is for him to complete a meal, which is making him uninterested in food overall. Again, all of these factors seem to be affected by his current diagnosis.

| Reflexes –Sucking, Grasping, Drinking, Eating.Lifting head unaided.Latterly, crawling, rolling over and possibly standing or cruising.

When I attended the Terrace Child Development Centre, I witnessed one therapy session with a 7.5 month old who was born 5 weeks earlier. This child had two prior sessions with the occupational therapist to work on independent sitting, and rolling over. The therapy session for that day was about getting the infant to roll over properly and trying to get the infant to start crawl. The infant would roll over with a wide stance of legs and arms, using the arms and head to roll over, and not using the hips or legs. The occupational therapist showed the parents how to properly help the infant to roll over by getting the infant to roll with the leg and hip first with the use of the parent’s finger to guide the hip to roll over. The occupational therapist

According to Beek, Peper, and Stegeman (1995), “the motor control theories provide an explanation on how the nervous system will solve the degrees of freedom problem and serve to direct movement command.” The following theories are the generalized motor program theory and the dynamical systems theory. The GMP theory “proposes that the movement plan is retrieved from memory within the central nervous system and neural instructions are sent down to the effectors via the efferent pathways.” The dynamical systems approach on the other hand, “does not propose a hierarchical control, but suggests that movements emerge through self-organization of the interaction of the body and environment.” It can be said that everybody’s “bodily movements occur in the context of the everyday functioning of people while realizing specific task goals.” As a general, yet acquired rule, “such movements involve the participation of multiple joints and limbs.” Moreover, when in action, these body parts are “coordinated and are brought into proper relation to one another as well as to the surrounding layout of surface.” The coordination of these body parts may “look relatively simple, as in picking up an object, or relatively complicated, as in juggling, performing an attacking forehand drive in table tennis or playing the drums.” To the psychomotor scientist or researcher, however, “all coordination is complex in that he or she is confronted with the challenge to explain

When Sean was 6 was referred to the Paediatric Occupational Therapist as the school was concern regarding Sean’s fine motor skills and the parents had concerns regarding his concentrations. The findings were that Sean’s motor coordination skills were within average for his age group. They also found that Sean has difficulties with concentrating and attending to activities, has poor confidence in his ability and has difficulties in visual perception, impacting on his

Breathe in, while slowly lifting your lower back, middle back and upper back off the floor. Gently roll in your shoulders. Touch your chest to your chin without bringing the chin down. Support your weight with your shoulders, arms and feet. Feel your buttocks firm up in this pose. Both your thighs should be parallel to each other and to the floor.

Because CP describes a group of neurological and physical abnormalities, people affected by the disorder may have other neurological and physical problems. CP may not be noticeable at birth. Children with CP develop predictable developmental milestones slowly because of their motor impairments, and these delays in reaching milestones are usually the first symptoms (Gale Enc). Doctors diagnose CP by checking the infant’s motor skills, looking for developmental delays, and considering the child’s medical history. Many Doctors use the Early Motor Pattern Profile (EMPP) to help in their evaluations. The EMPP indicates variations in muscle tone, reflexes, and movement and is used to identify children during the first year of life who are at risk for the development of CP. The EMPP can be done during a routine office visit. Observation and minimal handling can detect abnormal motor patterns, making it quick and inexpensive. EMPP is the beginning of evaluation and intervention (“Early” 692). CP is a neurological disorder affecting motor control. It is the most common physical disability in childhood. It is a lifelong condition that varies from person to person. It can be very mild or extremely severe. There is no known cure, and the cause is not completely understood. The four main categories of CP are spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed. Spastic is stiff and difficult movement. Athetoid is involuntary and uncontrolled movement. Ataxic is a disturbed sense of balance and

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also referred to as dyspraxia, is a motor disorder. The condition is characterized primarily by “lack of co-ordination/poor co-ordination,” “motor-difficulties/impairment,” “planning difficulties,” and “organizational difficulties” (Kirby, Davies, & Bryant, 2005, p. 124). DSM-IV-TR criteria for Developmental Coordination Disorder includes: (1) “marked impairment in the development of motor coordination,” (2) “significant interfere[nce] with academic achievement or activities of daily living,” and (3) the absence of “a general medication condition” or “Pervasive Developmental Disorder” (Lingam, Hunt, Golding, Jongmans, Emond, 2009, p. e695). Furthermore, in the