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By a certain age, most children are able to sit up, stand, walk, run, and use other parts of their body such as their hands, lips, tongue, feet, and wrists to make small movements. Seeing your child accomplish these things and develop their fine motor skills is such an exciting feeling!
However, if you have noticed your child has not yet met these milestones for their age, it can be very worrisome and confusing to know the next steps to take to help them as they grow.
Here at Southern Pediatric Therapy Clinic in our pediatric therapists are trained to recognize and treat symptoms of delayed fine motor development in children. If you suspect your child could be having difficulty doing certain things at their age, contact our clinic today to set up an evaluation.
What are fine motor skills?
Fine motor skills are what allow children to use the small muscles in their hands and wrists. If a child is struggling with fine motor skills, it may show in the way they try to write or pick small items up. Fine motor skills develop over time, and the rates at which they develop can differ from person to person.
For some children, the development of their fine motor skills can be delayed, which will require extra work and attention from a parent and medical professional so that they can keep up with the abilities of their peers.
Your child may be experiencing a delay in the development of their fine motor skills if they exhibit any of the following:
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Trouble picking up and holding onto objects
- Unexplained clumsiness
- Avoidance of quiet, independent activities that require them to hold a pencil, crayons, or eating utensil
- Trouble with drawing on paper, playing with toys
- Difficulty using buttons, zippers, and tying shoes
- Trouble opening containers
If you notice any of this occurring, contact Southern Pediatric Therapy Clinic’s therapists to help improve your child’s fine motor skills.
How can a pediatric therapist at Southern Pediatric Therapy Clinic help?
Pediatric occupational therapy offers a variety of treatment options to meet each child's specific needs when it comes to addressing delays in fine motor development.
Oftentimes, a child’s inability to develop the proper skills does not always point to an issue in their hands. They need proper core and shoulder strength as well. When children come to our clinic for a delay in fine motor skill development, our therapists will make sure to do a full assessment to find out if there is an underlying cause to their problem.
After a thorough evaluation, our therapists will create a customized treatment plan tailored to accomplish your child’s unique therapeutic goals. It will include the right combination of strategies, including exercises, games, equipment, tools and modalities, and home activities the whole family can participate in. We may also be able to make other types of recommendations for their school and adaptive equipment or devices as necessary.
The key to developmental therapy, as with therapy in general, is to challenge your child while fostering a warm and welcoming environment. Your child will develop skills while having fun at the same time!
When these two aspects of therapy remain in balance with each other, your child is able to make sustained progress toward goals and ultimately your child will maximize his/her potential.
Do Not Wait Any Longer
Our developmental occupational therapists at Southern Pediatric Therapy Clinic will develop play activities designed to help your child overcome their challenges and improve the quality of their interactions in order to help them gain confidence in their own ability to learn and to acquire typical skills.
If you think your child has a delay in their fine motor development, call Southern Pediatric Therapy Clinic today to learn more about our pediatric occupational therapy services and how they can help your child gain the necessary skills to keep up with their peers.
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