Two Influencers of Motor Skills
Sometimes, my background in developmental theory as an occupational therapist stresses my other role as the homeschool mom. I know the developmental “ages and stages” but also want to let my children slowly develop their skills at their pace. This pulls together both a little unschool and Charlotte Mason theory yet often contrasts the checklists of skills that I would use in assessments when I worked outside the home as an OT.
As a result, I’ve found focusing on the progression and quality of skills rather than the timeline to be most helpful within our homeschool. The following are 2 influencers of motor skills that you may not have thought about as a homeschool parent.
Primitive Reflexes-
Remember how sweet little babies turn into monsters and flail their arms in the air when you lean them back or how their chubby, tiny fingers grab yours when you press into their palms? These are 2 of the primitive reflexes. All are supposed to integrate or go away when they are no longer needed for survival. However, in some kids, they persist.
This can result in distractibility, poor balance and coordination, emotional outbursts, food sensitivities, or even car sickness. The good thing is we can work to integrate these at any age. We are working through these with our 9 year old son, now.
The Vestibular- auditory- visual triad-
This triad is most easily understood when thinking of driving. You turn your head to check your blind spot and are alerted to a horn so you quickly change direction. You needed all three systems working together to save your life.
When these systems aren’t balanced or working together, it is often difficult to focus. Think about a kid, ahem my son, needing a lot of vestibular input to focus. Maybe it’s because his visual system (convergence disorder) and auditory system (multiple ear infections and 2 surgeries) were underperforming for so long.
I don’t know the cause, but I do know that because we homeschool, he has the freedom to move as necessary, get the input he needs. He is often found spinning on a swing or our indoor scooter. Sometimes, he even stands on his head for spelling.
If this distractibility, poor balance, and poor coordination are present in your homeschool, Homeschool OT can provide resources and recommendations to help your children succeed on the path towards their specific purpose in life.
References
- American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework (4th ed.). American Occupational Therapy. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
- Chandradasa M, Rathnayake L (2019) Retained primitive reflexes in children, clinical implications and targeted home-based interventions. Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2019.e1132
- Frick S, Kawar M. Vestibular habituation from the core: Clinical reasoning, assessment, and intervention skills through enhanced understanding of the interaction within the vestibularauditory-visual triad. Vital Links. www.VitalLinks.net.
