Elementary School Kids
My 5 yr old daughter is book smart but her fine motor skills are kind of low. What could be causing this? What can I do to help her? Should I find a doctor who works in that area?
Replies
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Is she in school yet? For doctors you need to have her evaluated and then referred to an occupational therapist or physical therapist. DD has OT in school for her fine motor skills. She is 6 and in 1st grade. Which skills are low in particular? I can help you brain storm for at home fun activities.
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Fine motor skills typically means the coordination of the small muscles in the body(typically the fingers/hands) with the eyes. There are many activities to help improve a child that is behind on fine motor skills, such as threading. We bought my 5 year old a bead set to make her own necklaces and bracelets. You can also get a piece of paper and cut out holes to make a pattern and let her thread some yarn through it. You should also encourage her to pick things up with her thumb and forefinger and encourage her to use them when threading and writing. Using scissors is another great activity to improve FMS.
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Let her cut out coupons out of the flyers, it helped my son!
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Play Doh is good for exercising hands. The game Operation can be good, too, since you have pinch the tweezers. Jenga requires keeping your hand steady. Squeezing a stress ball can strengthen the whole hand.
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You can have her evaluated to see if she needs OT (occupational therapy). Lots of kids struggle with fine motor skills. The earlier you get help, the easier it will be for her and the less frustration she will feel.
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Who would I go see about taking her to see a OT? Her reg dr or just call the OT n make an appt?
Quoting DrDoofenshmirtz:
You can have her evaluated to see if she needs OT (occupational therapy). Lots of kids struggle with fine motor skills. The earlier you get help, the easier it will be for her and the less frustration she will feel.
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IF you think she is very defiecent you can have her evaluated by her peditrician and then take her to an occupational therapist. However, this is extreamly expensive. Her school really should be providing services for this for free. (Unless you private school or homeschool)
Otherwise just google occupation therapy or fine motor skills and search for the things you can do at home. I don't know specefics for OT but I gave both my kids speech therapy this way without an issue.
Good luck!
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My son's insurance covers his ot. He is too smart to qualify for it through his charter homeschool. But his is for sensory processing disorder.
They tested his fine motor skills too. Can she hold a pencil correctly? Write her name? Cut a line with scissors? That's all they wanted to see him do.
Quoting ScarletRose4488:
IF you think she is very defiecent you can have her evaluated by her peditrician and then take her to an occupational therapist. However, this is extreamly expensive. Her school really should be providing services for this for free. (Unless you private school or homeschool)
Otherwise just google occupation therapy or fine motor skills and search for the things you can do at home. I don't know specefics for OT but I gave both my kids speech therapy this way without an issue.
Good luck!