Motor Planning suggestions?

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I am trying to work out some activities I can present to my son this summer, that would be fun, that would help him with motor planning.

It is not practical for us to get a therapist, so I am on my own. He has a lot of trouble imitating just about any kind of action. He has been diagnosed with apraxia which has a negative effect on a lot of what he needs to do.

I have a book with those silly finger and hand games, (Like Thumbkin) that I was planning to work on him with if he is interested. I can probably make up some silly hand gestures of my own to songs he likes. Also I was going to teach him that cup stacking game (with the 3 cups that make you cross the mid-line to stack and unstack the cups. I also have an exercise DVD I could help him follow, but I really think he won't enjoy that for long.

Has anyone had any success with working on this at home, and/or know any therapist tricks I could steal from you?

My son is 3 so this might not work for you, but I got a tablet and we take turns having our hands and feet traced out. He does all the tracing, but sometimes the model is me and sometimes it is him. He thinks it's funny and we get a change to work on so many things. We also like to play shadow games with our hands. We are both horrible at it, but he thinks it's fun and I love watching him fall over laughing.

Just for fine motor or for gross as well?


Fine motor - Even playing with playdough can help strengthen the hand muscles. Use toothpicks or little sticks to draw in the playdough.

Fine motor activities:

Legos
Tearing up newspapers, magazines- kids love this because it is fun. Crinkle them up and play!
Tweezer games likes this: http://www.amazon.com/University-Games- ... 724&sr=8-1

Lacing/stringing - use cheerios, macaroni, etc.

Playing with stickers - pulling them off the sheet, putting them on paper

Tracing stencils

Window markers!

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Yes, he has gross motor skill issues, too. My husband is going to help him with catch and running, and I am going to help him learn to cycle his legs in preparation for getting him a bike, if he is willing to learn that.

He has apraxia, so any physical action that involves imitation is a major problem. For example, in terms of gross motor skills, aside from issues he has with strength, etc. he also has trouble imitating exercises that he should be able to do, like jumping jacks, because his brain can't process what actions are involved and mimic them. There are signs at gym class that show how to do various exercises (that he should have enough balance strength, etc to do) but he cannot because his brain can't make out what to do and translate it into the right motions. He can't imitate people either. He just flails about, and thinks he did it.

I think I am going to have to show him how to do that (jumping jacks) by working on his upper body motions first, which will be the easiest thing to guide, and then move to the lower body motion. He has apraxia with fine motor stuff, too (like thumbkin games) so I am going to have to have him work on that, as well.

KARATE!

My son has thrived thru karate. When he first started, I saw what the higher belt ranks had to do, and I though, My kid will NEVER have that motor planning and coordination to do those things. Well, 2 years later and he is there! Dont get me wrong, he struggled to get here! He practices at home, gets extra lessons at karate, and isnt the smoothest kid in the program, but he is able to do some complex moves. It has helped with his overall core strength, coordination, fine motor, self control, etc...

If you can find a good karate school that deals well with special needs kids, it might prove to benefit your child! My son isnt good at imitating moves either, but they ahve a way to get thru to the kids. The school he goes to has mostly typical kids but also a good number of kids on the spectrum, and they all get it! Its amazing to see...some schools have free trial programs, especially over the summer months. Might be a good idea to look into it

good luck

How old is your son?

I helped my son learn to ride a bike using this method, worked like a charm and I highly recommend it. I think one lesson I learned from it was that my son learns better when he feels he is in complete control and can think it through in his head and then do the actions at his own pace. This lesson applies to him pretty globally. http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp2953418.html#2953418

My son loved our local circus arts classes - first of all, lots of "quirky" kids wind up in circus arts, second, it's a great way to combine play and proprioperceptive skills. I've heard yoga is a good way to do that, too. If karate doesn't work (DS couldn't get past the first belt in Tae Kwan Do because of sequencing difficulty and perfectionism) maybe Tai Chi will work better, as it's not competitive (as long as he doesn't mind hanging out with grandparents.)

Yo-yo, juggling, etc. I find reading about what to do in one of those how-to books, and watching how-to videos that break the action down into very small steps really help with the motor planning. Essentially, providing a script, right?

More good ideas! Thank you!

My son is seven. I have a Tai Chi video, that I will be honest, I have trouble with motor planning on it because of the 360 degree nature of some of the moves. I have adapted it somewhat, so it is simpler for me and I do not worry about a lot of the rotation. I work more on the practice forms and when the rotation gets complicated I kind of wing it.

My husband is much better at motor planning, so maybe I will get him to figure it out so he can teach me.

The bike thing looks interesting. To show you where we are, we could not get him to ride a trike b/c he could not pay joint attention to steering and cycling. Actually he never even got the hang of cycling (I would hold the steering wheel for him) and he got super frustrated. So that was why I think to break it down to where he can get his legs to cycle first.

You're right in that the issue with cycling is breaking down each thing separately as much as possible. Maybe try a scooter to help him master steering? I don't know how much you can spend on this stuff, but there's a great three-stage trike without pedals http://hopefulshop.com/products/3%252di ... -bike.html that I wish we'd had access to: you can break it down into steering (trike) and once he has steering down, go down to two wheels (balancing.)

You can also try buying a small stationary pedal exerciser; you can find them cheap online, and see if he can practice pedaling while sitting in a chair. http://www.amazon.com/Sunny-No-052-Exer ... B0030IYFOQ

It also helped my son for us to verbally talk it through: "first one foot, then the other foot, first bend this knee, then this knee."

What I finally realized with my son (well before his diagnosis) was that he processes EVERYTHING cognitively. Breaking things down into steps he can think through, visualize, and imagine was important to him - a key part of the technique working with the bike was literally him understanding the physics of it.

Obstacle courses are a fun way for gross motor planning. Just use stuff around the house!

Jumping jacks are tricky. Do just feet first. Then hands. Then combine.

Linking really helps in general. Because sequencing is such a vital part in gross motor planning, teaching it piece by piece is really helpful.

The imitation is tricky...I see the same thing when photographers at school try to give directions by modeling and the kiddo has no clue what they are supposed to do.

To help build imitation skills you can do the Follow the Leader game with him copying your movements and then you copying his. This is a more fun way to practice, but practicing a little every day really does help build those skills. He may not "master" it but it will make a difference in the long run.

I also like those velcro ball/mitt sets to practice throwing and catching because you just have to throw or catch in a certain area...much easier and fun.

If you don't already have a scooter board those are awesome for all sorts of activities and exercises. Like one of these:http://www.amazon.com/Gamecraft-Safety-Guard-Scooters-Green/dp/B0000AOEMY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336954279&sr=8-2


A therapy Ball (basically an exercise ball, but smaller) is awesome for balancing, strength exercises, core, vestibular. This deck from superduper publications has a ton of awesome games/exercises that explain the activity, and how to teach it. http://www.superduperinc.com/products/v ... ?pid=FD115

My son also has apraxia and struggles with both fine and gross motor. I've actually found a lot of really cool ideas on Montessori sites. There are tons of mom blogs and other sites devoted to Montessori that provide literally hundreds of neat motor skills/sensory types of activities, particularly activities that require the hands and eyes to work together or the hands to do different jobs at the same time. Here are some examples:

-"tonging" pom poms or other items (we use kitchen tongs to pick up those little puffy pom poms you buy at the craft store); later, when a child gets really good at this, you can "tong" smaller items or use modified chop sticks to pick stuff up.

-squeezing out wet sponges (great for hand strength and also very sensory)

-opening and closing containers (we have a box full of all kinds of different containers--boxes, zippered pouches, containers that snap close or are hinged, etc). Each container contains a coin. My son opens each container, retrieves the coin, and puts it in the piggy bank. You can work up to some pretty challenging containers.

We have shelves of activities like this; let me know if you'd like more ideas. For gross motor, I've found the following tools invaluable:
a scooter (preferably two scooters so you can scooter together), a tunnel (can be home made), a few bean bag chairs, a wagon, a bag full of those little colored chiffon scarves, and lots of balls. My parents live next door and sometimes we walk over by taking turns kicking a ball across the lawn. It's hard to stand on one foot, to figure out how to move just one foot, to orient your body so that you are kicking the ball in the desired direction, etc. A simple and great way to work some motor skills. Later, you can change it up by carrying bats and hitting the ball across the yard. Make sure you start off with a very big ball so your child doesn't get frustrated.

Just one more thing I'd like to mention: my son is almost six and has a history of really severe motor planning problems (still not talking). We've worked on this alot. One thing that I started about a year ago is a reflex integration program and that has helped TREMENDOUSLY. I had him tested about a year ago and every one of his primary infant reflexes was pathological. Since reflexes are really the foundational building blocks of all of our motor patterns, it's pretty important that they develop properly and integrate. He's made alot of progress since we started doing this. Two examples--he now runs with a normal gait (where as before he kind of galloped . . .); he finally has a grip and can pull himself up onto his swing.

Wow, those are really great ideas, I wish we'd known about them when DS was younger. I can see where they would definitely help (except no way is DS going to touch a wet sponge )

Wow, those are really great ideas, I wish we'd known about them when DS was younger. I can see where they would definitely help (except no way is DS going to touch a wet sponge )

Haha. Yes, squeezing sponges was a sensory challenge (we eased into it!). Great way to de-sensitize a troublesome area and improve flexibility though. If the texture of sponges is to "icky", you can also use those smooth splash balls made for pool play. And, one more message for the parent who first posted on this issue, I have an 18 year old with classic autism (in addition to my 6 year old also with classic autism). These issues do improve alot with age and practice, practice, practice . . .

Fine Motor
-lacing cards (you can buy or make your own)-they're just big pictures of something lamenated and there are holes around the edge, you just lace a shoe lace through all of the holes
-playing with playdough (you can buy or make your own)
Play Dough Recipe:

1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoon cream of tartar (find it in the spice section)
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food coloring

Mix first 4 ingredients in a pan. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 – 5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a “clump”. Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes–add food coloring during kneading process. Play dough will keep for a long time stored in a covered plastic container or plastic sandwich bag.
-you can also make scented playdough with juice crystals
-having your child help make the playdough is a good fine motor process as well
-sand table or sand box with sand toys
-make goop

You’ll Need
Water
Cornstarch

Directions:
Mix the water and cornstarch in a small shallow dish. The new product behaves both like the liquid water and like the solid cornstarch.
-sort out different colored beans, stones, marbles, pom poms or beads in a sensory bin (you can add scoops, small shovels, tweezers, etc. to pick them up)
-use stress balls for your child to strengthen their hand muscles, just get them to squeeze it while they're watching tv or a movie
-get them to glue decorations on a piece of paper (foam shapes, pasta, beans, etc.)
-puzzles
-different kinds of blocks
-those squishy creature balls that you can get from the dollar store, you can squeeze them and it looks like a bubble blowing out, some of them light up when you hit them on the floor
-beading necklaces and bracelets
-make paper chains
-stencils and stickers and pipecleaners
-use different kinds of paintbrushes (size, texture, etc.) you can also use sponges, spatulas, large spoons, rolling pins, paint rollers
-feltboards with felt pieces (can make own or buy them)
-magnet boards with magnets and magnetic letters and numbers
-foam letters and numbers
-water table with water toys (good for hot days outdoors)

Gross Motor
-make an obstacle course in your backyard
-play Simon Says and use a lot of gross motor movements
-play ball (whatever your child's favourite ball game is)
-jump rope
-play on a playground climber
-have different kinds of balls handy to play with (kind and texture)
-enroll him in an extracurricular activity that he'd be interested in that uses gross motor skills
-make a little man out of tin foil and bend his body in different ways and get your child to copy it
-if he has trouble copying people maybe consider buying a Wii and buying games where you have to imitate the person like Wii Fit or one of those exercise games