(Bishop 2014) Motor Skills and Teaching Approaches for Children with Autism
Introduction to Motor Skills in Children with Autism
Motor skills are critical for various aspects of everyday life, including language, play, academics, and adaptive behaviors. While deficits in motor skills are not explicitly listed as defining features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the DSM-5, research consistently highlights that many children with ASD exhibit delayed motor skills. As a result, it is essential to provide direct instruction in motor skills to support these children's development. Teaching motor skills follows a structured method which includes using prompts, positive reinforcement, and integration into natural contexts.
Teaching Motor Skills
The teaching of motor skills generally begins with simple movements accompanied by prompting and reinforcement. As the learner develops strength, flexibility, and coordination, the complexity of the tasks is gradually increased. The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) organizes its motor curriculum into four primary domains: visual, gross, fine, and oral motor skills. Each domain has specific lessons designed to enhance the respective skill set.
Visual Motor Skills
Deficits in visual motor skills may include difficulties with ocular motility, binocular vision, and visual perception. Activities aimed at improving these skills involve engaging the learner in exercises that require them to manipulate their eye movements, such as tracking moving objects or shifting gaze between different points. Convergence exercises, where the learner focuses on an object brought close to their face, help develop effective binocular skills, essential for tasks involving depth perception.
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills involve the coordination of large muscle movements, including actions such as running, jumping, and throwing. Children with ASD may struggle with foundational gross motor skills, necessitating direct teaching. Instruction in gross motor skills should incorporate functional and enjoyable activities, progressing from basic actions (like bending knees to jump) to more complex movements. For instance, catching a ball can start from simply scooping it up towards the chest, gradually increasing complexity by incorporating distance and varied types of balls.
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills focus on the coordination of small muscle movements, especially those involving the hands and fingers. Children with ASD often display difficulties with tasks such as writing or using scissors. Instruction should begin with reinforcing simple grasping techniques followed by activities that escalate in complexity, such as cutting along a line. Engaging in fun activities like crafts helps maintain motivation and develops these essential skills in a practical context.
Oral Motor Skills
Oral motor skills encompass the movements of the mouth, tongue, and lips necessary for speech production. Children with ASD may have significant challenges in this area. Teaching oral motor skills doesn't occur in isolation; rather, it supplements sound and word production. Therapists can employ techniques involving imitation and guided prompting to aid learners in developing the correct mouth movements for speech sounds.
Teaching Procedures
When imparting motor skills to learners with ASD, it is crucial to employ effective teaching strategies. Some of these include:
Discrete Trial Training (DTT): This structured method involves presenting an instruction, prompting the learner's response, and providing reinforcement based on performance accuracy.
Natural Environment Training (NET): This technique emphasizes practicing motor skills in real-life scenarios, facilitating the application of learned skills in naturalistic settings.
Prompting Techniques: Different forms of prompts, such as modeling or physical guidance, can assist learners in mastering motor skills. Over time, as learners progress, these prompts should be systematically faded out.
Strategies for Success
Beyond structural teaching methods, certain strategies can enhance the learning of motor skills:
Building Strength: Target activities that increase muscular strength necessary for executing motor responses, such as squeezing exercises that lead to improved grip for fine motor tasks.
Encouraging Speed and Fluency: As skills are mastered, it’s crucial to incorporate speed into practice sessions, ensuring learners can perform motor tasks quickly and accurately in everyday scenarios.
Avoiding Fatigue: Be attentive to learners' fatigue levels, incorporating breaks and altering activities to prevent overexertion.
Common Pitfalls and Considerations
Motor skill teaching should be tailored to the individual needs of learners. Avoid teaching irrelevant skills that aren’t necessary for the learner's development. It is also vital to maintain open communication among service providers to ensure cohesive teaching practices that align with each learner’s goals.
Conclusion
Motor skills profoundly influence a child's capacity to engage effectively with their environment and peers. Teaching these skills using evidence-based practices that address visual, gross, fine, and oral motor skills ensures that children with ASD gain essential abilities for interpersonal interaction and everyday activities. By employing structured, enjoyable, and personalized teaching methods, educators can significantly enhance the motor development and overall quality of life for these learners.