Written by
Angela Grace Varghese MPT (Paediatrics)
Physiotherapist
Motor skills – Without it, one just cannot get around!
Motor skills or motor skills milestones primarily deal with movement skills that a baby achieves as he/she develops, and milestones refer to the stages of development. Together this term is frequently used to give information about the movement development of a baby.
It might seem interesting to many of you that speaking too is a motor skill that requires you to move your mouth and lips accordingly. This skill is called the Oromotor skill. But in this blog, we shall focus more on gross and fine motor skills.
What are Fine Motor & Gross Motor Skills?
Our body movements can be large or small. Based on this, motor skills milestones are divided into gross motor and fine motor skills. Gross motor means the large movement skills like rolling, sitting, walking, etc. which require large body muscles, and fine motor skills refer to the small movements of the hand and wrist like grasping and manipulation.
Stages of Motor Skills Development: Track Your Child’s Progress
A baby begins moving even while in the womb, and these early movements are often referred to as quickening. Motor development begins at birth and continues throughout early childhood, with children gradually developing gross motor and fine motor skills at the same time. It is important to remember that every child develops at a different pace, and some children may reach certain motor milestones earlier or later than others. Minor variations can be normal, provided the child continues to make steady progress and achieves the major developmental milestones without significant delay.
The developmental age chart below outlines the expected gross motor and fine motor milestones for different age groups. A variation of approximately three months before or after the suggested age may still fall within the normal developmental range. However, when a child shows persistent difficulty with balance, coordination, posture, hand skills, self-care or age-appropriate play activities, an occupational therapy assessment may help identify the child’s needs and provide suitable support to improve functional independence and participation in daily activities.
What Happens if a Child Doesn’t Develop Motor Skills?
Children who fail to develop motor skills will be unable to perform independent motor skills, and they may also have
- Inability to move around
- Inability to manipulate objects
- Inability to participate in family and social events
- Inability to play with peers
A child who fails to develop age-appropriate motor skills is called a motor-delayed child. The reasons for this are multiple – brain injuries, inadequate exposure, and poor muscle tone are a few of them.
Is Poor Fine Motor Skills a Disability?
A disability is caused by underlying structural or anatomical issues of the body called impairment. Poor fine motor skill is a disability if there is an underlying cause for it, like abnormal muscle tone, hand deformities, paralysis of the hand, etc. Sensory processing disorders can also lead to poor motor skills like difficulty holding a pen or pencil, and trouble ascending and descending the stairs.
How Do You Improve Poor Motor Skills?
If a child exhibits motor developmental delay/ poor motor skills, do not wait for improvement to happen but visit a paediatrician to rule out any underlying conditions. Physiotherapy or occupational therapy can help the child. Therapy will mainly involve strengthening of weak muscles and include a variety of techniques to improve core stability and achieve milestonesostinger
A disability is caused by underlying structural or anatomical issues of the body called impairment. Poor fine motor skill is a disability if there is an underlying cause for it, like abnormal muscle tone, hand deformities, paralysis of the hand, etc. Sensory processing disorders can also lead to poor motor skills like difficulty holding a pen or pencil, and trouble ascending and descending the stairs.
How Do You Improve Poor Motor Skills?
If a child exhibits motor developmental delay/ poor motor skills, do not wait for improvement to happen but visit a paediatrician to rule out any underlying conditions. Physiotherapy or occupational therapy can help the child. Therapy will mainly involve strengthening of weak muscles and include a variety of techniques to improve core stability and achieve milestonesostinger.
| Developmental Area | Milestones |
|---|---|
| Physical (Gross Motor) | – Holds head up (2-4 months) Crawls (6-9 months) Walks independently (12-15 months) Jumps with both feet (2-3 years) |
| Fine Motor | – Grasps objects (3-6 months) Uses pincer grasp (9-12 months) Draws basic shapes (2-3 years) Ties shoelaces (4-6 years) |
| Cognitive | – Recognizes caregivers (2-4 months) Solves simple puzzles (18-24 months) Understands cause and effect (2-3 years) Counts and sorts objects (4-5 years) |
| Language | Coos and babbles (4-6 months) Says simple words (12-18 months) Uses sentences (2-3 years) Holds a conversation (4-5 years) |
| Social/Emotional | Smiles at familiar faces (2-3 months) Imitates others (12-18 months) Plays cooperatively (2-3 years) Shows empathy (4-5 years) |
| Age Range | Physical Milestones | Cognitive Milestones | Social & Emotional Milestones | Communication Milestones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 years | Walking independently | Simple problem-solving | Expresses emotions more clearly | Uses 2-3 word phrases |
| Climbing stairs | Recognizes familiar objects | Shows affection and empathy | Understands simple commands | |
| Scribbles and draws | Begins to sort shapes | Displays attachment to caregivers | Points to body parts | |
| Throws and kicks a ball | Imitates actions and play | Engages in parallel play | Names common objects | |
| Stacks 2-3 blocks | Explores cause and effect | Experiences separation anxiety | Asks simple questions | |
| Runs with more control | Follows simple instructions | Shows assertiveness | Identifies body parts | |
| Feeds self with fingers | Points to body parts | Begins to share toys | Uses pronouns (I, you, he/she) | |
| Enjoys simple pretend play | Develops self-awareness |
FAQ
There are age-appropriate toys that you can use to improve fine motor skills. Play dough, threading beads, lego, wooden puzzles, and sliceable cut fruits and vegetables are some that you can think of for your child.
Motor skills include fine and gross motor skills. Examples of fine motor are transferring objects from one hand to the other, grasping objects, scribbling and the like. Examples of gross motor are head holding, sitting, standing and the like.
Babies start developing motor skills as young as a newborn. But almost all motor skills should be fully developed by the time your child is in elementary school.
Standardized development scales are used to check if a child is experiencing any delay in their gross motor skills. Apart from this, a child’s muscle strength, muscle tone, and movement quality can all give us an idea about the child’s motor skills.
