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"My kid is the star soccer player, how can he have motor problems?"
Answer: Soccer is a gross motor activity that requires, on the elementary levels, minimal to moderate precision. In addition, because it is a large motor, constant movement activity, children with some signs of attention issues find this continuous movement sport in agreement with their need to be in constant motion. |
"Why didn't my doctor find developmental problems during routine examinations?"
Answer: Physicians are trained to look for systemic and developmental milestone attainment. If the child is well physically, and is walking, running, etc. within normal limits, they may appear "fine." Doctors are not trained to look at the "style" in which a child is accomplishing specific tasks (which is often one of the primary indicators of motor issues). |
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"Why didn't the pre-school teacher alert me?"
Answer: Children attend pre-school earlier and earlier in their young lives. Day care situations are concerned with the well being of your child and if they are "happy." Pre-first and kindergarten teachers often see that a child is performing differently from others, but may be hesitant to approach the parent for several reasons. Some of the most common reasons are:
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They are not diagnosticians.
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They have probably not done any formal testing.
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Often parents become defensive. This is not news parents understand or want to hear. They often prefer to believe the child will "outgrow" the problem.
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"What is the academic relevance?"
Answer: Academic relevance is the situation that requires that one be able to fixate, organize, integrate, and feedback specific information in a sequential logical order. If a child is having difficulty staying in a chair, is poorly organized, cannot cross the midline of his body and has muscle tone that sends inappropriate signals (to hold a pencil too tight or too loose for example), then performing even the most simple of classroom tasks can become overwhelming. As an overwhelmed child becomes a defeated child, and a defeated child fails, even those with superior intelligence fail. |
"How is occupational therapy compatible and of assistance to classroom situations, tutoring, speech, etc.? Why won't just tutoring help?"
Answer: Tutoring is a one-on-one education; that is, more of the same only individualized. It does not fix neuromuscular issues. Speech, which has its foundation in the neuromotor arena, is a small muscle skill. Often it is important to get the larger muscles to do first what you want the smaller ones to eventually attain. Occupational therapy helps in the classroom by giving the child the internal abilities to recieve, organize and utilize required information. Occupational therapy works on these internal abilities. If a child is not constantly moving, is able to write and read what is written, finish work on time, then success in the classroom is enhanced. Tutoring is important because it reinforces hard-to-grasp concepts and procedures in a private safe environment. The classroom is important because, in addition to facts, the child learns invaluable social skills. Speech is important because, in addition to articulation, it teaches receptive and expressive language skills. Occupational therapy is important because it teaches the underlying skills, and the neuromotor organizational abilities which are the foundation of all learning. |
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