Motor Development

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and principles related to motor control and motor learning.

Conditions related to Motor development issues

• CP

• DCP- Diskinetic CP

• ASD

• Down Syndrome

• Sensory Integration Disorders

• Acquired Brain Injury

• Intellectual disabilities

Motor Control Difficulties

• Dysmetria: ability to stigmata distances

• Intentional tremor: Tremor w/ attempt voluntary movements

• Limited Force control: limited strength or energy

• Dysdiadokokinesis: Difficulty w/rapid change of motion

• Poor bilateral motor coordination

Motor Control Difficulties

• Poor fine/gross motor coordination

• Balance difficulties

• Associated reactions: Involuntary movement on one side while the other is moving. Ex: sticking/ moving tongue while writing.

INTERACTION AMONG SYSTEMS (IAS)

Interventions will be more effective if multiple systems are involved

• Person: performance skills, client factors, motivation, goals

• Task: what actions are required

• Environment: Context

IAS: Person

• Age

• Cognition

• Muscular skeletal

• Sensory system

• Perception

• Social emotional

IAS: Taks

• nature of the task

• Simple or complex

• Size, shape, weight, texture

IAS: Enviorment

Enviorment can influence performance:

• Physical

• Social

• Cultural

• Temporal (developmental stage)

• Virtual

• Personal

Making the Grade

“Just the right challenge” “Challenging but possible”

PRACTICE ( +FAILURE) MAKES PERFECT!

THEORY: ECOLOGICAL THEORY

Emphasizes person–environment interaction, focusing on how environmental affordances shape action

Ex: a stair is climbable if bio-mechanic of pt allows it

THEORY: DYNAMIC SYSTEM THEORY

Interacting among systems is essential to adapt control of movement

• Person + Task + Enviorment

MOTOR CONTROL PRINCIPALS (MCP)

• Whole learning

• Variability

• Problem Solving

MCP: WHOLE LEARNING

• Play activities

  • Crafts

  • Dress-up

  • Cooking

• Games

• Themed activities

MCP: VARIABILITY

• Practicing the same movement

  • Variety of tasks w/ same motor movement

  • Vary the object or placement

  • Vary the requierments for the task

  • Vary the Enviorment context

MCP: PROBLEM SOLVING

Different degrees of difficulty and wait for the child to figure it out

• Error-based learning: Making errors or mistakes and self-correcting

MOTOR LEARNING PRINCIPALS (MLP)

• Meaningful Activities

• Transfer of Learning or Generalization

• Grading and Adapting Tasks

• Modeling and Demonstrating

• Verbal Instructions

• Variability and Skill Practice

• Porpusful

• Express interest

• Show pleasure

MLP: TRANSFER OF LEARNING

• Applying learning to new situations or generalization to natural context

  • Ex: child can maneuver w/c in clinic vs through a school wallway

MLP: GRADING & ADAPTING

• Make the task easier or harder to find the “just right challenge”

  • Simple vs complex

  • Single-step vs Double-step

  • Discrete vs Continuous

  • Uni-manual vs Bi-manual

  • Stationary vs Moving

MLP: MODELING & DEMONSTRATING

• Showing how to perform a skill

  • Before practicing the skill

  • After practicing the skill, emphasizing critical cues

  • Throughout as needed

• Model slowly, with or without verbal feedback

MLP: VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS

• Brief 1-3 words, clear and simple

• Emphasize key words related to movement

PROTOCOLS PRACTICE TYPE

• Whole vs Part Practice

• Blocked Practice (Early stage of intervention)

• Distributed Practice

• Variable Practice (Later on)

• Mental Practice

PRACTICE TYPE: BLOCKED PRACTICE

Repeating one specific movement or skill over and over before changing.

Mass Practice

• IMPORTANT

  • Not best for novel or complex tasks

  • Less transfer or learning (generalization)

  • Not as motivating

PRACTICE TYPE: WHOLE VS PART PRACTICE

• Whole practice: Better for simple task

  • Ex: making cookies w/ pre-made dough

• Part Practice: Better for complex skills

  • Natural units

  • Ex: Mixing butter and milk

PRACTICE TYPE: DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE

• Practice skills in a variety of ways by repetition of different but related skills

  • Ex: art activity where client will tear little pieces of paper, then glue them together and then coloring them

PRACTICE TYPE: VARIABLE PRACTICE

• Practicing a skill in unpredictable, real-life contexts to enhance carryover

  • Ex: engaging a child in playing marbles on the floor which requires multiple motor movements

• Considerate the BEST for Transfer learning

PRACTICE TYPE: MENTAL PRACTICE

• Cognitive rehearsal or imagery of a movement before physical performance

  • Basic Imaginary ability is needed

  • Combine physical practice works best

  • Short, not prolong

MNEMONIC for Practice in Intervention

MCP deficits make BLOcking DIS VERy hard!

BLOCKED PRACTICE > DISTRIBUTED PRACTIVE> VARIABLE PRACTICE