In my role as a school-based occupational therapist, my primary objective revolves around empowering my students to attain a level of functionality that promotes optimal independence within the school environment. Recognizing the interconnectedness between their school and home lives, I strive to ensure that their progress in one setting echoes positively in the other. My approach involves the integration of goals and strategies that enhance their school experience and contribute to their overall functional improvement at home.
Fine motor challenges can range from difficulty buttoning down a shirt, tying shoelaces, holding a brush to comb hair, or brushing teeth. Fine motor challenges are limitations and difficulties experienced when performing activities requiring manual strength, precision, and dexterity. In this post, I am delighted to delve into some of the prevalent fine motor challenges children encounter in the home environment and provide simple but effective suggestions and strategies to help your child succeed.
Difficulty Getting Dressed
Many children with fine motor challenges find it difficult to dress independently. As a result, they become frustrated and upset. Daily activities such as zipping up a jacket, buttoning down a shirt, lacing shoelaces, and tying them become grueling reminders of their limitations. This can eventually affect their behavior and self-esteem. Thankfully, we can modify these activities to help children feel successful and independent.
For instance, if buttoning down a shirt is difficult for your child, you can opt for pullover shirts instead. But suppose a button-down shirt is a must. In that case, you can choose a shirt with slightly larger buttons and slightly larger button slits so that it is easier to manipulate, facilitating donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off).
Shirts, coats, and jackets can be adapted using cool adaptations customizable to your children’s likes and interests. Add a nice magnetic zipper or stylish zipper pull for extra assistance. When it comes to footwear, gone are the days when there was only one option! If children had trouble tying their shoelaces, they just had to learn. However, nowadays, the possibilities are endless. Children can wear slip-on sneakers, sneakers with velcro straps, or shoes with elastic shoelaces.
Difficulty with Self-Feeding
Self-feeding, although often overlooked, is an important skill to learn. After all, we eat about 3- 5 times a day on average. If you see your child struggling to hold utensils properly, starting with the basics might be a good idea. If your child attempts to handle a fork unsuccessfully, kindly replace it with a spoon. Observe whether or not the child displays difficulty holding the spoon, which can be a sign of muscle weakness.
One possible suggestion to address muscle weakness while eating is to teach the child to rest the elbow over the table to support bringing the spoon from the dish to the mouth. Consequently, we can provide the child with a utensil with a built-up handle to reduce the strength demands and facilitate the grasping of the utensil. For instance, you can check out these build-up utensils for toddlers and these other ones for older children.
In cases where the child may have a limited active range of motion (AROM) at the wrist, one suggestion is to provide the child with an adapted utensil, such as an offset feeding utensil. Other alternatives or modifications include adding a strap or building up a utensil handle to facilitate the activity. Working on foundational skills such as grasp and dexterity will facilitate handling utensils and promote independence while eating.
Difficulty with Bathing and Brushing Teeth
Bathtime routines have changed considerably over the years. Nowadays, there are many options to use for soaps. You can use a bar of soap or liquid soap in a bottle. Both use a fine motor component. A bar of soap requires a higher level of dexterity and coordination since it can feel slippery. On the other hand, bottled soap can be harder to open when they have a small rigid cap. One adaptation to make opening the cap easier is to add a larger topper to the bottle.
This soap pump topper eliminates the need to struggle with the cap and allows the child to be independent. The child has to press down on the topper to dispense the soap. An added feature of this particular topper is its built-in timer for handwashing. It’s a win-win! You get to build independence and wash off all of those pesky germs. If your child has more limited fine motor skills, you can opt for a more high-tech alternative, such as an automatic or wall soap dispenser.
If your child is experiencing difficulty holding or handling a toothbrush in a way that does not allow for a good oral hygiene routine, you may want to opt for one of the following toothbrushes. A few popular options are using a toothbrush with a build-up handle (wider/ bigger handle), a toothbrush with a silicone strap, a U-shaped toothbrush, or a three-sided toothbrush. In addition, you can choose to go with a power toothbrush; however, they tend to be heavier than manual toothbrushes. In this case, I recommend adapting it to include a silicone strap to make it easier for the child to hold onto.
Limited Home Accessibility
When considering the topic of home accessibility, we’re addressing the essential capability of independently reaching all areas within your home. This encompasses a wide range of tasks, from effortlessly opening room doors and kitchen cabinets to accessing closet spaces. Notably, certain aspects of home hardware, like door knobs and similar fixtures, can pose challenges, particularly for children dealing with fine motor delays. Fortunately, thanks to modern building trends, most knobs have been replaced by handles or similar door fixtures. Door handles and lever-type fixtures make spaces more user-friendly and accessible for our little ones with fine motor delays. Replacing door and cabinet fixtures in your home can improve your child’s sense of independence and make it look more trendy and cool. So, consider replacing existing door knobs with handles and lever-style fixtures instead.
In conclusion, children with fine motor challenges display difficulty engaging in routine tasks as well as preferred activities daily. Please check out our post about the functional areas most commonly affected by fine motor delays. These challenges are also evident in different settings such as in school, in the park, and so forth… Their homes should not be an addition to the list. Instead, it should be a place where children feel independent and at ease to move, explore and play. .
In summary, children encountering fine motor challenges often face obstacles while participating in everyday tasks and activities they enjoy. Be sure to explore our article detailing the functional areas most frequently influenced by fine motor delays by clicking HERE. These difficulties manifest across various environments, including school and recreational spaces. Naturally, their homes should not contribute to these challenges but rather serve as a haven where children can experience autonomy, comfort, and the freedom to move, discover, and play. Often times the smallest and simplest of changes are the ones that can make a world of difference to a child. I hope these simple and effective OT tips for successfully overcoming potential fine motor challenges at home were helpful.
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