Motorselfhelp

Intervention and TransitionMotor DevelopmentAdaptive Behavior

Self-Help Skills

Based on Lerner, Lowenthal, and Egan (2003)

Preschool Children with Special Needs:

Children at Risk and Children with DisabilitiesPrepared by Dr. Carla Piper and

Professor Libby Holmes

Motor Development and Intervention

Lerner, Lowenthal, Egan (2003)

Chapter 7

Theories of Motor Development• Developmental Motor Theory

– Gesell found children’s development follows normal progression.

– Growth is slow but study.• Importance of Sensory-Motor Learning

(Piaget)– Emphasized that the child’s progression

from stage to stage depends on four variables

• Maturation• Experiences with the physical environment• Influence of social environment• The child’s fluctuating state of equilibrium

Milestones in Motor Development

• Developmental milestones– Reflexes

• Primitive reflexes– First year of life – Eventually disappear

• Postural reflexes– Head control or lifting head while lying face down.

– Gross motor skills and fine motor skills• Gross motor – crawling, walking• Fine motor – spoon, cutting

Characteristics and Types of Motor and Physical Disabilities

• Static central nervous system anomalies or insults – Cerebral Palsy

• Progressive diseases– Muscular dystrophy

• Spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries– Spina Bifida

• Structural defects– “Brittle Bones”

• Other types of physical impairment– Trauma – head or spinal cord injury

Medically Related Disabilities• These can also affect motor functioning

– AIDS– Prenatal exposure to crack/cocaine– Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effect– Asthma

Intervention Strategies• Hands-on therapy

– Occupational and physical therapy– Speech and language therapy– Recreational therapy

• Assistive devices– Braces, splints and adaptive

equipment• Medication

– Used to relax muscles, antibiotics for infections and anticonvulsants for seizures

• Surgery– To correct orthopedic abnormalities

Adaptive Behavior and Self-Help Skills

Lerner, Lowenthal, Egan (2003)

Chapter 8

Defining Adaptive Behaviors

• Consists of changes in a child’s behavior as a consequence of – Maturation– Development– learning to meet increasing demands of multiple

environments

• Includes self-care skills– eating – self-feeding – toileting– dressing

Adaptive Behaviors Need to be Taught

• Needed for social acceptance• Related to other developmental

abilities• Acquired in early childhood and

needed for other developmental milestones

• Offers special needs children opportunities for accomplishments

• Independence contributes to child’s quality of life.

Principles of Adaptive Behaviors

• Adaptive skills – are acquired gradually

throughout the preschool years– consist of sequences called

“chained responses”– are most effectively taught in

natural situations when and where they are needed

– should be performed fluently and should generalize to many other settings

• Adaptive behaviors are often needed during daily routines and activities.

Teaching your Special Needs Child Self-Help Skills

Picture Icons

Toileting Skills• Urination and bowel movements are regular with

infrequent dribbling• Child has the ability to release urine in large

amounts• Can sit on toilet• Should have one or two hours of dryness daily• No interfering medical conditions• Daytime control is normally achieved before

nighttime.

See TEACCH Visual Systemshttp://www.teacch.com/toilet.html

Methods of Toilet Training

• Timed toileting – Child is put on the toilet for a few minutes at a time.– Positive reinforcement is given if child eliminates

• Distributed practice – Similar to timed toileting but used for children with

mild disabilities.

• Rapid method – Used for children with moderate to severe disabilities– Lots of fluid = more opportunity for success and

reinforcement.

Eating Skills

• Behavioral Techniques– Therapeutic feeding – involves rubbing around the

mouth to desensitize the area around the mouth.– Systematic instruction – specific teaching of skills. – Positioning Techniques – Positioning child and the

materials used (cup, spoon, etc.)– Adaptive Equipment – modified equipment to aide in

independent feeding.

• Gavage Feedings – Feeding tube inserted through the nostrils, mouth or

stomach to provide the child with nutrition.

Sequence for Dressing Skills

• 7 to 12 months – hold out arms/legs• Age 1 – pull off loose shirts and push down

pants• Age 1 ½ - take off shoes and socks• Age 2 – pull arms out of sleeves and pull on

their pants• Age 3 – put on shoes, socks and clothes with

front openings.• Age 3 to 4 – fastening and buttoning

Teaching Dressing Skills• Teaching at home or in preschool• Teach whole task sequence• Proceed from easy tasks to most difficult (ex.

undressing before dressing)• Choose loose-fitting, large-sized clothes• Goal of partial participation• Use peer demonstration and learning by

observation.