Showing posts with label motor planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motor planning. Show all posts

Monday, November 6, 2017

Motor Planning and Cerebral Palsy

Motor Planning and Cerebral Palsy

Motor Planning and Cerebral Palsy

The Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology recently published longitudinal research on motor planning and cerebral palsy.  Motor planning is the ability to plan out all the steps required for a motor action and carry out each step in the correct order.  It is important to have efficient motor planning to produce coordinated movements.  The researchers defined motor planning as “selecting a single pattern of behavior from many alternatives that allows the performer to achieve a task goal”.  This study included 22 children with cerebral palsy and 22 age-matched controls.   Each participant performed a bar transport task in which some conditions (“critical angles”) required participants to sacrifice initial posture comfort in order to achieve end-state comfort.  The longitudinal study was carried out with three measurements each separated by one year.  The following results were reported:

  • children with CP showed poor end-state planning for critical angles.
  • unlike in controls, motor planning ability did not improve across the three measurement occasions in children with CP.

The researchers concluded that children with cerebral palsy may have motor planning deficits that do not resolve with development over childhood.

Suggested Strategies for Intervention

Some research suggests that children with cerebral palsy may improve motor planning skills through training due to plasticity in the brain.  Current training for motor planning includes physical training and environmental stimulation.  New research with adults following brain injury and children with congenital motor disorders indicated two beneficial types of motor planning training:

  1. Motor Imagery – internal rehearsal of a future motor action without overt motor output.  Motor imagery requires the conscious activation of brain regions that are also involved in the actual movement preparation and execution.
  2. Action Observation – observation of the action performed by someone.

Deficits in motor planning in children with cerebral palsy do not appear to resolve throughout development.  Researchers suggest physical training, environmental stimulation, motor imagery and action observation to help with motor planning and cerebral palsy.

Reference: Lust, J. M., Spruijt, S., Wilson, P. H., & Steenbergen, B. (2017). Motor planning in children with cerebral palsy: A longitudinal perspective. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 1-8.

Go here for more blog posts on motor planning.

Therapeutic Play Activities for Children

Therapeutic Play Activities for Children Download

Therapeutic Play Activities for Children digital download includes 100 play activity pages and 12 tip sheets. The play activities encourage the development of fine motor skills, bimanual skills, rolling, crawling, tall kneeling, standing balance and cruising with a strong focus on children with cerebral palsy.  FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.

 

Teaching Motor Skills to Children with Cerebral Palsy and Similar Movement Disorders - A

Teaching Motor Skills to Children with Cerebral Palsy and Similar Movement Disorders: The ELECTRONIC version of Teaching Motor Skills is a must-have reference for all therapists who work with children with cerebral palsy.   Whether you are a beginner or experienced therapist you will find the information concise, informative and very helpful to carry out everyday functional tasks including stretching with children with cerebral palsy. The book provides activity suggestions throughout the developmental sequence such as head control, tummy time, sitting, transitions, walking and beyond.  There is also great information that reviews additional interventions for children with cerebral palsy such as bracing, surgical and medical management.  The author, Sieglinde Martin, is an experienced PT and a mother of a child with cerebral palsy. FIND OUT MORE.

Motor Planning and Cerebral Palsy

The post Motor Planning and Cerebral Palsy appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Clap, Snap or Tap – Rhythm, Motor Planning and Coordination Activity

Clap Snap Tap Rhythm Motor Planning and Coordination Activity

Have you ever stopped to think how may sounds you can make with your body?  You can clap, snap, tap, stomp, click and more.  These skills challenge children’s motor planning, rhythm and coordination skills.  Have children make some sounds with their bodies such as:

  1. clapping hands together
  2. snapping fingers
  3. tapping fingers on table
  4. slapping knees
  5. tapping top of head
  6. stomping feet
  7. rubbing hands together
  8. popping air filled cheeks
  9. tapping two fingers on palm of hand
  10. rubbing hands on floor.

Once the children have practiced these sounds try mixing it up to follow a two step pattern:

Clap hands – slap knees – clap hands – slap knees – clap hands – slap knees….

Try adding a rhythm:

Clap 2x – stomp feet 3x – clap 2x – stomp feet 3x…

Make it more difficult by trying a three step pattern:

Clap hands – tap top of head – snap fingers – clap hands – tap top of head – snap fingers…

Encourage the children to maintain a rhythm as they complete the body sounds.  This is a great brain break or indoor recess activity that requires no equipment and concentration.

Need more NO PREP, NO EQUIPMENT sensory motor group activities?   Get 25 instant sensory motor activity ideas for your group sessions. The ideas require absolutely NO equipment, just a little imagination and fun. These activities allow you to get your group off to an immediate, productive start taking full advantage of your students’ desire to move.  Find out more information about 25 Instant Sensory Motor Group Activities.

Here is a video of a group performing it together.  One child is establishing the pattern and the others follow. They added in additional locomotor skills and ball skills.

 

The post Clap, Snap or Tap – Rhythm, Motor Planning and Coordination Activity appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Simon Says Exercise Ball Style

Simon Says Exercise Ball Style

Have you ever played Simon Says exercise ball style?  This is an easy way to adapt a timeless game of Simon Says but add in more range of motion, muscle strengthening and spatial relationships.  It is more of a challenge when you use a large, exercise ball but if that is not available grab a large beach ball which is lighter weight.  No beach balls available?  Grab a kickball or playground ball?  No balls available?  Grab a pillow.  Just grab something large enough that requires two hands to hold.

Give each child playing an exercise ball or a large beach ball.  Provide the usual directions of a Simon Says game but add in some additional steps.  For example “Simon says….”

  1. Put the ball over your head.
  2. Hold the ball on your right side.
  3. Hold the ball on your left side.
  4. Squeeze the ball between your knees.
  5. Put the ball behind your back.
  6. Sit on the ball.
  7. Roll on your belly over the ball.
  8. Put the ball on top of the desk.
  9. Hold the ball next to the chair.
  10. Place the ball between your back and the wall.
  11. Put your left foot on the ball.
  12. Put both hands on the side of the ball.
  13. Put your right foot under the ball.
  14. Touch the ball with your left foot, right hand and your chin.
  15. Bounce the ball three times.

By adding in the extra location directions you are also reinforcing right versus left and spatial relationships.  The large ball encourages bilateral skills and crossing midline.  Simon Says incorporates body awareness, motor planning, crossing midline and balance.

Working with a group of children and only have one large ball?  Play hot potato.  Remind the children they always have to hold the ball with two hands (or two feet)!  Position the children in standing in a large circle with some space between each child.  Turn the music on and pass the ball around the circle.  Try passing it to the right, to the left or overhead.  Try sitting down and passing the ball using your feet.

Need MORE Simon Says ideas…

Simon says
The Simon Says download includes 68 body position cards (full page), 13 Simon Says Stop cards and 25 game ideas to use with the Simon Says cards. It also includes all the 81 picture cards in a smaller size (2.5″ by 3.25″ – nine cards to one page). Print the cards or play the Simon Says game using the electronic PDF on a screen or a tablet. This activity encourages body awareness, bilateral coordination, motor planning and following directions.

Find out more information.

The post Simon Says Exercise Ball Style appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Monday, September 26, 2016

5 Activity Ideas to Practice Motor Planning

5-activity-ideas-to-practice-motor-planning

Here are 5 activity ideas to practice motor planning skills:

Ninja Clothes Pin ClipsNinja Clothes Pin Clip Activity – find the matching Ninja, move your body like the Ninja and clip the Ninja to the circle. Download the Ninja Free Activity.

Motor Planning with Pool Noodles from http://ift.tt/1aNyO9oMotor Planning with Pool Noodles – here is a super easy set up but challenging activity to encourage motor planning skills, coordination and body awareness. Cut up pool noodles lengthwise and lay them on the floor in different directions. Ask the child to jump from noodle to noodle keeping the pool noodle between the feet.  Watch a video of it in action.

Box_Balance-214x190Box Balance Game – Watch the video at YourTherapySource to see how to play the Box Balance game to encourage balance skills, motor planning, body awareness, eye foot coordination and right/left discrimination.

Simon Says FreebieHere is a fun, new freebie from the latest download, Simon Says.  Print off these 9 cards to play a quick game of Simon Says.  Can the children copy the body poses exactly?  These are 9 samples cards from the HUGE collection of body position cards from the complete Simon Says download.

rhythmic-timing-and-motor-planning-videoTry this rhythmic timing and motor planning activity with a small group.  Trickier than it looks!

The post 5 Activity Ideas to Practice Motor Planning appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

3 Strategies to Help Children Initiate and Plan Motor Skills

helping-children-to-initiate-and-plan-motor-skills

Children who struggle with executive functioning deficits may have difficulties learning how to initiate and plan motor skills.  Here are 3 strategies to help initiate and plan when learning a new motor skill:

  1. Work with children to establish the end goal.  By asking open ended or more direct questions to the child, determine specifically what the end goal is for him or her.  sample-completed-pages-my-goal-trackerPictured above is just an example of how to guide the student perhaps they want to learn how to catch a ball in gym class?  Climb the playground equipment? Write faster?  Learn self calming techniques? Maintain personal space?  Complete assignments quicker?  By establishing a specific end goal, children will understand the clear intent of why they are learning the skill which will hopefully drive intrinsic motivation.
  2. Break down the goal into a series of steps.  Help the child to determine what steps need to be taken to achieve the goal ie practice sessions, modifications, etc.  Let the student help map out how to break up the skill.  Try using this four square idea to get started. 4-stepsAsk questions to help prompt the child if necessary but do not just provide the solution to the problem. If the student is able, write down a timeline of when each part will be completed. For example, if the student is learning how to climb stairs in a crowded stairwell, then the timeline could include activities such as climb the stairs independently with visual distractions in the stairwell, climb the stairs independently with one other student in the stairwell and finally climbing the stairs with many students in the stairwell. Set dates for each skill to be accomplished. If the student is tackling a big academic project, encourage him/her to set specific dates with specific directions for each part of the project.
  3. Stop, reflect and review.  When you are moving through each “piece” of the overall goal stop, reflect and review. To encourage staying on task, the student can self talk asking “is what I am working on now going to help me achieve the goal?”.   Review and check if the student is able to repeat what was previously learned and show 100% achievement of that “piece”? Ask the student if they need to change the timeline or any strategies that are being used. Encourage the student to reflect on what, if anything, could be done to improve it to do it better the next time?

My Goal Tracker

 

My Goal Tracker: This is an electronic book of data collection forms for students to track their own progress. The student can track his/her goals over time, by monitoring the skills over the course of a day, week, month or quarter. This allows the student to get a visual picture of improvement, decline or maintenance of different skills.

Find out more information here.

The post 3 Strategies to Help Children Initiate and Plan Motor Skills appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Friday, July 29, 2016

Cut, Sequence and Draw Trucks

Cut Sequence Draw Transportation Freebie

Practice scissor skills, sequencing, glueing, following directions and drawing all with this one activity – Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw Transportation. Download this truck freebie to get started with this no-prep activity.

Find out more information on the complete Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw Transportation Packet.

Cut Sequence Paste Transportation

Looking for different themes?

Check out Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw Alphabet where each pictures starts off with writing a letter of the alphabet.

Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw Cover

Check out Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw Monsters.

Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw - Monsters

COMING SOON – Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw DINOSAURS!!!!!

The post Cut, Sequence and Draw Trucks appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Simon Says – Body Awareness and Motor Planning Activity

Simon Says Freebie

Here is a fun, new freebie from the latest download, Simon Says.  Print off these 9 cards to play a quick game of Simon Says.  Can the children copy the body poses exactly?  These are 9 samples cards from the HUGE collection of body position cards from the complete Simon Says download.

The complete download includes 68 full page body position cards, 13 stop cards, and 25 game ideas to use with the cards.  Children will enjoy practicing motor planning skills, body awareness, following directions and bilateral coordination skills while playing this fun but challenging game.  Make sure the right and left sides of the body match the pose correctly as well.  It is not as easy as it looks!

The best thing about the Simon Says packet is that if you want it requires NO PREP.  Just download (and print if you want) the PDF document and show the children the full size body position cards to copy.  As you move through the activity, the Simon Says Stop cards appear randomly and children can freeze in the position until you change it to the next card.  It doesn’t get any easier than this.

Simon Says is a wonderful extra activity to have available for brain breaks in the classroom, large group instruction or send home copies of the small cards with the game ideas for a home exercise program.

Simon says

Simon Says – Find out more information at http://ift.tt/1ZqckGU

The post Simon Says – Body Awareness and Motor Planning Activity appeared first on YourTherapySource.com Blog.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Developing Motor Maps

Help Children to Develop Motor Maps of Their Surroundings from www.YourTherapySource.comMany pediatric occupational and physical therapists work with children who exhibit decreased sensory processing such as decreased body awareness, motor planning and proprioception. These difficulties of sensing where a child is in space can interfere with motor skill development, peer interaction and safety. We are all familiar with therapy sessions that focus on proprioceptive input, following motor commands and activities that encourage the children to learn where their body is in space. One additional activity to consider is fully exploring the environment where the functional skills are to be learned.
Let’s take this goal for example: Johnny will negotiate the classroom without bumping into stationary objects 100% of the time. As stated previously, therapy may consist of body awareness activities, proprioceptive input (heavy work activities) and motor planning skills. If it is pull out therapy all of this takes place outside of the true environment. If it is push in therapy perhaps skills are practiced during recess, physical education or sometimes in the classroom. BUT do you remember to explore and practice skills in the actual environment?
Remember to not only practice activities but how about really exploring the area where “Johnny” is having difficulties. When the classroom is empty, go inside and have Johnny walk in and around the desks and chairs. Johnny can crawl under desks, kneel down and sit in different locations in the classroom. Add in games or activities to keep it novel. Provide verbal cues as Johnny walks by items ie. this desk is wide or this aisle is narrow. This exploration allows Johnny to develop a motor map of his surroundings with him in it. He can develop a better sense of how big desks are, how tall are the chairs, how wide is the carpet and how far is the bathroom.
This can apply to different areas of the school or home. How about the cafeteria? Let a child explore it to help define a motor map for in between cafeteria tables, on the cafeteria line and around garbage cans. At home, if furniture is changed around allow time to just explore the new areas and obstacles without adding in the stressors of different goals. Now when you do start to add in the actual functional tasks that needs to be accomplished, Johnny should have a much better idea of what you are expecting of him.
In summary, keep it simple sometimes and start out with just simply exploring the surroundings without adding in any other functional tasks to help build a strong foundation.
Body Awareness Games Personal Space Journey from www.YourTherapySource.comPersonal Space Journey
By: Your Therapy Source Inc
Summary: Collection of activities to teach children about personal space
including many body awareness exercises and a social story on personal
space.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Building Block Pattern Freebie - Full Size Patterns

Building Block Free Sample PagesHere are a several free printables from Building Blocks Patterns and Games.  These free sample patterns are full size, ranging from simple to more complex patterns.  The full size patterns make it easier for children to match up the blocks exactly if they need a little extra help to complete the cards.  You will need DUPLO size blocks to use the cards.  Check out these free sample pattern cards to challenge fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills and motor planning skills.
Building Block Sample Pages from http://yourtherapysource.com/blocksfree.htmlStart at the easiest level and match up the blocks.
Building Block Sample Pages from http://yourtherapysource.com/blocksfree.html
The next level of cards includes different sized blocks to match.
FullSizeRender (13)
Try creating a more complex pattern.  First, find and count out the blocks you will need.
Building Block Sample Pages from http://yourtherapysource.com/blocksfree.htmlNow create the pattern using the blocks.
Building Block Patterns from http://yourtherapysource.com/blocksfree.html
Now lay the block tower right over the pattern page and the child can self check his/her creation!
You can download the sample pages here http://yourtherapysource.com/blocksfree.html
You may manage your subscription options from your profile
Building Block Patterns and Games from http://yourtherapysource.com/blocks.html

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

DIY Outdoor "Laser" Maze - Super Simple

Outdoor DIY Laser Maze from www.YourTherapySource.com/blog1Here is an easy outdoor activity to challenge body awareness, motor planning and balance skills.  Find two trees about 6 feet apart.  Give the child a skein of yarn or twine.  Wrap the yarn around the two trees in all different directions and heights to make the “laser” maze.  Once complete, the child needs to climb through the maze without falling.
We started with level one where your knees could touch the ground when going through the maze.  The level two challenge was to get through the maze without letting your knees touch the ground.  When done with the maze the child can practice scissor skills and cut the yarn off the two trees.
Have fun!
Play Move Develop from http://yourtherapysource.com/playmove.html
By: Your Therapy Source Inc
Summary: 100 reproducible games and activity ideas to encourage motor skill
development and learning in children. Great resource for fun, home exercise
program activities.  Find out more at http://yourtherapysource.com/playmove.html

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Body Awareness and Spatial Awareness Activity

Body awareness and spatial relationship activity
Need a quick body awareness and spatial relationship brain break that combines estimation with movement and motor planning?  Here is a simple activity that helps students to understand spatial relationships to objects in the classroom.
Start out with each student standing up next to their desk.  Have them guess how many baby steps it will take to walk to the desk in front of them.  Once they have made the estimate, they can count the baby steps it takes.
Now try moving to a target further away with a different movement.  Guess how many jumps it will take to get to the window.  Once the estimate is made, the students can count the jumps it takes them to get to the window.  Return to the starting point.  Now ask the students to double the amount of jumps it took them to get to the window.  The students must now adjust the size of the jumps and how the body moves through space to take double the amount of jumps to the window.
Have the students partner up.  The students can stand at least 10 feet apart.  Estimate how many hops it will take to meet in the middle.  Test you guess and hop to meet in the middle.  Try again with different movements - ie backwards steps, heel to toe walking, lunges, marching etc.  Make sure to remind the students that part of the challenge is meet in the middle but not to touch each other.
Personal Space Journey from http://yourtherapysource.com/personalspacejourney.html
 
Title: Personal Space JourneyBy:  Your Therapy Source Inc
Summary: Collection of activities to teach children about personal space
including many body awareness exercises and a social story on personal
space.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Do You Use Congruent Feedback?

congruent feedback - www.YourTherapySource.comCongruent feedback is an excellent tool to help children learn and improve motor skills.  Here is how it works -  decide upon one step or motion of the skill that you and the child thinks needs improvement or refinement.  Tell the child exactly what you are looking for during the skill.  It should only be one thing.  Provide a visual demonstration of that one aspect of the skill.  Once the child is performing the skill only look at that step or motion during the skill and reinforce it if it is correct.  Reinforce with consistent verbal cues.  If it is incorrect, provide verbal, visual or physical cues to correct that part of the skill.  Continue doing this for different parts of the skill.  But remember, only focus on one (1) part of the skill at a time.

For example, perhaps you are teaching or practicing skipping with a child.  Ask the child to focus on just one aspect of the skill at a time.  To begin with ask the child to "step and hop, step and hop".  Only provide feedback on lower extremity motion.  Do not provide feedback on arm swing, timing, rhythm of movement or speed.  When the child is able to perform the lower extremity motions of skipping correctly, target a new area of the skill.

To repeat the steps of congruent feedback:

1.  Tell the child what aspect of the skill he/she will focus on.

2.  Provide a visual demonstration with verbal cue for the child.

3.  Child performs the skill and observe only that aspect of the skill you demonstrated or discussed.

4.  Provide positive reinforcement feedback if correct.  Be specific with the positive reinforcement.  Don't just say "good job".  Use the same verbal cues from the specific task.

5,  If incorrect, provide verbal, visual or physical cues as feedback regarding only that one aspect of the skill.

Have you had success using this type of feedback?

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25 Bilateral Coordination Exercises from http://yourtherapysource.com/bilateralcoordination.html

25+ Bilateral Coordination Exercises is a collection of bilateral coordination exercise sheets including QR codes with links to video demonstration of exercises.  Find out more at http://www.yourtherapysource.com/bilateralcoordination.html

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Pool Noodle Stick for Reaction Time, Coordination and Balance

Pool Noodle Stick from www.YourTherapySource.comCreate this simple pool noodle stick to encourage reaction time, eye hand coordination, balance skills and muscle strengthening.  Read all the details and watch the video at http://yourtherapysource.com/videopoolnoodlestick.html

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sensory motor game boards from http://yourtherapysource.com/sensoryboards.htmlNeed more sensory motor activities?  Check out Sensory Motor Game Boards at http://yourtherapysource.com/sensoryboards.html.  Just print and play these games that encourage coordination, motor planning, gross motor and balance skills.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Personal Space Journey - Body Awareness Freebie

Body awareness card freebie from Personal Space Journey at http://yourtherapysource.com/personalspacejourneyfreebie.htmlHere is a freebie page from Personal Space Journey which is a collection of activities to teach children about maintaining personal space.  You can download the body cards at http://yourtherapysource.com/personalspacejourneyfreebie.html

Here are some suggestions to use the cards for:

1.  Musical Body Poses:  Scatter the cards around the room.  Move to music.  Turn the music off.  Determine what body card is closest to you.  Make your body into the same position like the card.  Turn music on again and repeat.

2.  Guess Who I Am:  Make your body into a pose.  The other player has to determine what pose your are mimicking.

3.  Memory Match:  Print the cards twice.  Play a game of memory but in order to keep the match you have to mimic the body position.

4.  Quick Brain Break:  Match the body positions on the card completing each one scanning from left to right.  Continue for 1 minute.  Rest and repeat 3 times.

Download your copy at http://yourtherapysource.com/personalspacejourneyfreebie.html

Be sure to check out the complete Personal Space Journey.

Personal Space Journey from http://yourtherapysource.com/personalspacejourney.html

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Friday, January 23, 2015

Quick Brain Break - Q and A Body Game

quick easy brain break idea from http://yourtherapysource.com/qandabodygame.htmlNeed a quick game to rest and refresh your student's brain?  Try this Q and A Body Game:

Purpose: Promote body awareness, motor skills and listening skills.

Materials: none

Activity: This can be played with one player or a group of children. The adult faces the group. Explain the directions of the game. The adult is going to ask the children to move certain body parts based on questions. The children are not to answer the questions. They should move the body part that is the answer to the question.

Here is an example:
Question: What body part waves hello?
Answer: Children wave hands in air.

Here is a list of several questions and answers or make up your own. See what questions the children can come up with.

Q: What body part makes funny faces?
A: Child moves mouth or tongue

Q: What body part wears socks?
A: Child moves feet.

Q: What body part uses crayons?
A: Child wiggles fingers.

Q: What body part smells skunks?
A: Child moves nose.

Q: What body part climbs ladders?
A: Child moves arms and legs

Now change the game and request actions based on different noises:

Make a clapping sound with your body.
Stomp your feet
Snap fingers
March in place
Smack lips
Slap knees
Tap shoulders quietly

Now have children close their eyes. Make one of the sounds with your body that you practiced together. Can the children guess what body part you are using to make the sound.

Need brain break ideas? Check out all of our Brain Break downloads at http://yourtherapysource.com/brainbreaks.

Or order our Brain Breaks Card Set at http://yourtherapysource.com/growingplaycards.html

Brain Breaks from http://yourtherapysource.com/growingplaycards.html

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Motor Planning Activity Using Pool Noodles

Motor Planning with Pool Noodles from www.YourTherapySource.comHere is a super easy set up but challenging activity to encourage motor planning skills, coordination and body awareness.  Cut up pool noodles lengthwise and lay them on the floor in different directions.  Ask the child to jump from noodle to noodle keeping the pool noodle between the feet.  You can view the brief video at http://yourtherapysource.com/videomotorplanningpoolnoodle.html

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Monday, June 30, 2014

Motor Planning and Execution in Cerebral Palsy

Motor Planning and execution in cerebral palsy

Child Development and Neurology has published research on using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine the neural oscillatory responses of the sensorimotor cortices during the motor planning and movement execution stages of 13 children with typical development and 13 children with cerebral palsy (CP). The children had to perform knee extension while MEG recordings were acquired. The following results were recorded: 
1. Children with CP have uncharacteristic beta event-related desynchronization during the motor planning period.
2. The sensorimotor cortices have problems with computing the proper motor output.
3. Children with CP have weaker gamma event-related synchronization during motor execution.
4. The sensorimotor cortices have trouble executing the motor plan.

The researchers concluded that Improving the motor planning stage may improve the final motor performance in children with CP.

Reference: Neurophysiological abnormalities in the sensorimotor cortices during the motor planning and movement execution stages of children with cerebral palsy
Max J Kurz, Katherine M Becker, Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham and Tony W Wilson
Article first published online: 14 JUN 2014 | DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12513

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Friday, April 18, 2014

Monday, February 24, 2014

Walking While Holding a Box Level in Children with Hemiplegia

hemiplegia walk hold

It can be difficult for some children to complete two tasks at one time (dual task conditions).  In the school setting, the task of walking and carrying school supplies, lunch tray or textbooks is a common occurrence.  Here is some recent research that was conducted to evaluate the effects of dual task constraints on walking and bimanual coordination for 10 children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) and 10 children without unilateral CP.   The children (ages 7-11 years old) were asked to

  1. stand still while holding a box level (standing condition)

  2. walk along a path (baseline condition)

  3. walk again while carrying a box steady and level (dual task condition) at a preferred speed.


The results indicated the following:  

  • the children with unilateral CP decreased their walking speed, stride length, step width, and toe clearance from the floor under dual task constraints when compared to the baseline condition.

  • typically developing children did not change under dual task constraints.

  • the children with unilateral CP also had less level box carrying, larger vertical box movement, and larger elbow movements when compared to typically developing children under dual task condition.


The researchers concluded that future treatments or assessments should consider using dual task constraints to manipulate the difficulty of tasks.

Reference:  Hung YC, Meredith GS. Influence of dual task constraints on gait performance and bimanual coordination during walking in children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy. Res Dev Disabil. 2014 Feb 13. pii: S0891-4222(14)00038-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.01.024. [Epub ahead of print]

Get activity ideas to challenge motor planning and coordination from 50 Sensory Motor Activities for Kids! at http://yourtherapysource.com/50book.html

Monday, February 10, 2014

5 Steps to Visualize Success at Motor Goals

[caption id="attachment_1211" align="aligncenter" width="300"]visualize Photo from Flickr Tamckile[/caption]

Do you ever use visualization techniques to help children improve their motor skills or reach their goals?  Visualization is a common practice among athletes to improve their performance and take their skills to the next level.  Research among adults indicates that mentally rehearsing a sport can help to improve performance, trigger responses from the autonomic nervous system and help in the construction of schema.


Here are 5 steps to carry out for visualization techniques:

  1. Determine what the overall goal is that the child would like to reach.

  2. Instruct the child to relax and visualize him/herself achieving the goal.

  3. Right before the child is going to try the skill again ask the child to visualize him/herself performing the skill perfectly.

  4. Throughout the attempt at trying/practicing the skill have the child imagine success.

  5. After the skill, have the child visualize the skill again.  Ask the child was there anything he/she could do different the next time to improve the skill.


Reference:  Saint Clair, Erica. Visualization: The Simple Tool for Even Greater Athletic Success. Retrieved from the web on 2/10/14 at http://breakingmuscle.com/sports-psychology/visualization-the-simple-tool-for-even-greater-athletic-success.

Imagine Action Journeys cover

Imagination Action Journeys are 10 fun filled stories that encourage literacy, physical activity, imagination and creativity. Children will enjoy reading and acting out the stories. These can be completed indoors or outdoors with one child or a group of children. What a great way to promote literacy and physical activity! Find out more at http://yourtherapysource.com/imagine.html
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