Motor Skills and Executive Function

Mental Health and Physical Activity published research on the relationships between physical activity, aerobic fitness, and motor skills to executive functions and academic achievement in 697, ten year old children.

The results indicated the following:

• no relationships were observed between moderate to vigorous physical activity and executive functions or academic performance.
• sedentary time was related to executive functions and academic performance in English in boys.
• aerobic fitness was associated with executive functions and academic performance in boys only.
• motor skills were associated with most measures of executive functions in both girls and boys and academic performance in girls.

The researchers concluded that the strongest independent associations were observed for motor skills to executive functions. Sex-specific associations were observed for aerobic fitness and motor skills. Programs that increase both aerobic fitness and motor skills may positively affect executive functions and academic performance.

Reference: Aadland, K. N., Moe, V. F., Aadland, E., Anderssen, S. A., Resaland, G. K., & Ommundsen, Y. (2017). Relationships between physical activity, sedentary time, aerobic fitness, motor skills and executive function and academic performance in children. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 12, 10-18.

Need activities that include aerobic fitness and motor skills?  Check out 25 Bilateral Coordination Exercises.

The post Motor Skills and Executive Function appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Quick Brain Break - Q and A Body Game

Need 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



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5 Physical Activities to Increase Power in Children

The definition of power is (force x distance) ÷ time.  In other words power is the product of strength and speed over time.  Many times children who receive therapy services exhibit a decrease in power.  For example, perhaps a child can jump forward but does not have the power to jump forward long distances over the course of time.   Obviously, use caution with power exercises - due to increase stress on certain joints power exercises may be contraindicated in some children.

Here are 5 physical activities to increase power in children:

1.  Plyometric Jumps - Sometimes known as jump training, plyometric exercises have muscle exert a maximum amount of force in the shortest amount of time.  The easiest plyometric to try with a child is a box jump.  Have a child stand on top of a box or stool (about 12-18" high).  Jump down and perform a vertical jump as high as you can when you hit the ground.  

You can vary this activity by jumping down followed by jumping forward or to increase the challenge further jump down and jump back up onto a different stool.

2.  Squat Jumps - Begin starting tall.  Squat down and then jump as high as you can reaching for the sky.  Repeat going back into the squat position.  Vary it by doing a star jump - squat and jump high and out into a star position (jumping jack position).  Jump back to standing tall.  Repeat.

3.  High Fast Skips - Skip moving quickly lifting the knees as high as possible.  This can be very difficult for younger children.  Try to skip with high knees to start with a bounce in each skip.

4.  Medicine Balls - Throwing and catching medicine balls can help to increase power in the upper extremities.  Try rebounding a small medicine ball off a mini trampoline that is upright against the wall.  

5.  Partner Activities - Stand back to back with a partner.  Hold a medicine ball and twist at the trunk to pass it to your partner.  The partner then moves the ball to the front of the body and passes it back to you.  Play catch with a lightweight medicine ball with a partner.  Practice chest passes and over head passes.  Have the child lay down on the floor in hook lying position holding a medicine ball, perform a sit up and throw the medicine ball to an adult.   This is obviously difficult so you may need to start with the child on an incline wedge.

What is your favorite power exercise to do with children? 



Play Strong is a download of 40+ activities that promote muscle strengthening in children. The activities are great for your pediatric occupational and physical therapy sessions for children with varying abilities. This is an excellent resource for pediatric therapists.  Find out more information at http://yourtherapysource.com/playstrong.html

 

4 FREE Valentine's Day Printables for OT and PT

Here are 4 free last minute printables for OT and PT to help celebrate Valentine's Day.

1.  Valentine's Day Brain Break

2.  Conversation Heart Clothes Pins

3.  Multisensory Handwriting Freebie - Valentine's Day

4.  Valentine Pencil Critters to cut, fold and create.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!!!!

Poor Motor Performance Linked to Poor Academic Skills

Looking for research to justify school based physical or occupational therapy services during the early school years?  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise published research on 174 Finnish children grades 1-3 that investigated the relationship between cardiovascular fitness, motor skills and reading/arithmetic skills. 

The following results were reported:

• children who performed poorly in agility, speed and manual dexterity tests and had poor overall motor performance in the first grade had lower reading and arithmetic test scores in grades 1–3 than children with better performance in motor tests. 
• children in the lowest motor performance third had poorer reading and arithmetic test scores than children in the other thirds. 
• the associations were stronger in boys than girls. 
• surprisingly cardiovascular fitness was not related to academic skills.

The researchers concluded that motor performance and movement skills are important for children's school success during the early years of school.  

Reference:  University of Eastern Finland. Poor motor performance linked to poor academic skills in the first school years Retrieved from the web on 10/28/2013 at http://www.uef.fi/en/-/motoriikaltaan-huonommilla-lapsilla-on-heikompi-luku-ja-laskutaito-ensimmaisina-kouluvuosina?redirect=http%3A%2%2Fwww.uef.fi%2Fen%2Fhome%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_6Zu5%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-2%26p_p_col_pos%3D1%26p_p_col_count%3D7
  

Better Motor Skills = Better Adaptive Behavior Skills in Children with Autism

Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders published research on 233 children ages 14 to 49 months diagnosed with autism. The researchers examined the relationship of motor skills on the adaptive behavior composite, daily living, adaptive social and adaptive communicative skills while holding constant the age, non-verbal problem solving, and the severity of autism. The following results were recorded:

• Fine motor skills significantly predicted all adaptive behavior skills 
• Gross motor skills were predictive of daily living skills 
• Children with weaker motor skills displayed greater deficits in adaptive behavior skills

The researchers concluded that there is a need to implement early intervention and rehabilitation for young children with autism and motor skills.

Reference:  MacDonald, M et al. The relationship of motor skills and adaptive behavior skills in young children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Volume 7, Issue 11, November 2013, Pages 1383–1390

Free Self Assessment Form

Here is a free self assessment of skills form for students or clients.  You can type any skill into the form and the children can circle whether they think the skill is easy or they need help with the skill.  It will give you a general idea of the child's perspective of his/her skills.  Perhaps it will help you and the child identify areas of strengths and weakness.  Try having the child fill out the form at the start of the school year and then at the end of the school year.  Did his/her perceptions change?  

Go to YourTherapySource to get the download.

Motor Skills, Emotions and Autism

Autism published research on the relationship between motor skills, emotional/behavioral disturbances and autism.  The sample consisted of 22 children with Asperger's disorder (AD), 23 children with high functioning autism (HFA), 8 children with low functioning autism (LFD) and 20 typically developing children.  Two assessments were completed for each child: Movement Assessment Battery for Children to measure of motor impairment, and the Developmental Behavioural Checklist to measure emotional/behavioral disturbance.

The results indicated the following:

• HFA group had more difficulty with motor items, such as ball skills and balance, than did the AD group.
• significant positive correlations between impairments in motor proficiency (in particular ball skills and balance) and emotional/behavioral disturbance, autistic symptoms and communication disturbance.

Reference: Nicole Papadopoulos,Jennifer McGinley,Bruce Tonge,John Bradshaw, Kerryn Saunders, Anna Murphy, and Nicole Rinehart. Motor proficiency and emotional/behavioural disturbance in autism and Asperger’s disorder: another piece of the neurological puzzle? Autism November 2012 16: 627-640, first published on September 26, 2011 doi:10.1177/1362361311418692.

I'm Bored Activities

Another tip of the day for therapists... provide classrooms with folders that have activities to do when students are bored.  If the students have completed their assignments or they have some free time, then they could independently go access a folder or list of activity ideas to keep them busy. 

For children who need visual perceptual practice you could give the teacher a folder with mazes, dot to dots or visual motor exercises (ie Follow the Path, Visual Discrimination Puzzles, or Patterns, Patterns, Patterns.)   

For students who need fine motor practice leave a fine motor activity box that includes items such as lacing cards, small peg boards, marbles or hand strengthening putty would be beneficial.

Students who need gross motor practice may benefit from active play boxes, mini trampoline breaks or other motor activities (ie Mini Movement Breaks or Classroom Activity Posters). How about create a list of gross motor activities (especially outdoor if available), then when anyone hears the words "I'm bored" you can reach for the list of suggestions.

Does anyone have more suggestions for students when free time is available during the school day or at home? 

Head Lag and Autism

Recent research indicates that infants who exhibit a head lag are at risk for autism, language and/or social development delays.  Forty infants who were considered at risk for autism (due to sibling diagnosed with autism) were tested for head lag at 6, 14, 24, and, for outcome diagnosis, at 30 or 36 months. The results indicated the following:

•  90% of infants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibited head lag as infants
• 54% of children meeting criteria for social/communication delay had exhibited head lag as infants
• 35% of children not meeting the criteria for social or communication delay or ASD exhibited head lag at 6 months.

An additional aspect of the study examined twenty-two, 6 month olds for a head lag.  The results indicated that 75% of high risk infants exhibited a head lag but only 33% of low risk infants had a head lag at 6 months of age.

Finally, there was a separate longitudinal study indicating that motor delay becomes more evident as children with ASD near their third birthday.  Not all children with ASD experienced motor delay.  Although the children with ASD that did have motor delays were more severely impaired by three years of age.

Here are two YouTube videos with examples of typical head/neck movement and head lag at 6 months of age.

  

Reference: New Study Shows Simple Task at Six Months of Age May Predict Risk of Autism. Retreived from the web at http://www.kennedykrieger.org/overview/news/new-study-shows-simple-task-six-months-age-may-predict-risk-autism on 5/17/12.

ADHD, Asperger Syndrome and Motor Skills

Recent research evaluated the motor skills of 36, eight to twelve year old boys (12 with ADHD, 12 with Asperger Syndrome and 12 typically developing peers). The Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle Signs was used to evaluate the boys and the following was examined: 1) total speed of timed activities, 2) total overflow, and 3) total dysrhythmia. The results indicated:

• the boys with Asperger Syndrome performed more slowly that the boys with ADHD or the control group
• "total dysrhythmia differentiates Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and Asperger syndrome children from controls".

The researchers concluded that dysfunction of the fronto-striatal-cerebellar networks may be the physiopathological basis for the differences.

Reference: Augusto Pasini MD, PhD et al. (2011) Motor examination in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Asperger Syndrome. Acta Paediatrica Accepted for publication August 8, 2011. DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02436.x

Academics and Motor Skills in Children with LD

Some interesting research was published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) was performed on 137 children with learning disabilities (IQ>80). The following results were seen:

• 52.6% scored below the 15th percentile on manual dexterity
• 40.9% scored below the 15th percentile on ball skills
• 33.7% scored below the 15th percentile on balance skills

In addition, when controlled for IQ the following small to moderate correlations were seen between:

• spelling and math scores and overall MABC score
• mathematics and balance scores
• reading and ball skills
• spelling and manual dexterity.

Reference: Pieter Jelle Vuijk, Esther Hartman,Remo Mombarg,Erik Scherder, and Chris Visscher Associations Between Academic and Motor Performance in a Heterogeneous Sample of Children With Learning Disabilities J Learn Disabil May/June 2011 44: 276-282, doi:10.1177/0022219410378446

Autism, ADHD and Motor Skills

The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published research comparing the movement abilities of 91 children ages 6-10 with autism (28), ADHD (29) or typical development (34). The results indicated that children with autism or ADHD scored significantly lower than the control group on overall gross motor development, locomotor skills and object control skills. The autistic group scored lower than the ADHD group. Overall, 16% of the autistic and ADHD children had clinical levels of impairment.

Reference: Chien-Yu Pan, Chia-Liang Tsai and Chia-Hua Chu Fundamental Movement Skills in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Volume 39, Number 12 / December, 2009/ Pages 1694-1705. DOI 10.1007/s10803-009-0813-5

Motor Skills and ASD

Here are two interesting research studies on autism and motor skills both from Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. One study reports that out of 101 children with ASD (wide range of ASD and IQ), 79% exhibits movement impairments as reported on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Children with childhood autism and IQ of less than 70 exhibits more movement impairments than children with IQ's over 70 and broader autism.(1)

The second study appears to further explain the increased movement impairments in children with childhood autism. Using electroencephalography, researchers compared movement related potentials (MRP's) between children with high functioning autism, children with Asperger's and a healthy control group. The results showed abnormal MRP's in the children with autism but not Asperger's. The researchers concluded that this study supports a "neurobiological separateness" of autism and Asperger's. (2)

I would guess most therapists who work with children on the autism spectrum would have experienced these results in day to day practice with regards to motor skill abilities in children with autism and Asperger's. The interesting part of the research for me is the movement related potentials. These abnormal responses can indicate an interruption at the basal ganglia, thalamus, and supplementary motor area. Remember what the basal ganglia and the thalamus do? The basal ganglia helps to determine the intensity of motor activity. The thalamus prioritizes sensory information and maintains alertness. So the next question is can we infer anything from this study regarding sensory differences in children with autism? Something to think about.

References:
1. DIDO GREEN, TONY CHARMAN, ANDREW PICKLES, SUSIE CHANDLER, TOM LOUCAS, EMILY SIMONOFF, GILLIAN BAIRD (2009) Impairment in movement skills of children with autistic spectrum disorders Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 51:4 (311-316)
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03242.x
2. PETER G ENTICOTT, JOHN L BRADSHAW, ROBERT IANSEK, BRUCE J TONGE, NICOLE J RINEHART (2009) Electrophysiological signs of supplementary-motor-area deficits in high-functioning autism but not Asperger syndrome: an examination of internally cued movement-related potentials Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology Published online on March 11, 2009. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03270.x
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03270.x