Typical and Atypical

Motor Development

Michelle, Kylie, Melinda

Introduction to motor development
Basic motor development experiences are essential in childhood and are the
foundation for all higher-level learning and skill acquisition.

Teachers plan activities that involve movement and interaction in the classroom
environment to promote wellness, growth and development.

When children are provided with these opportunities in everyday physical activities,
they gain foundation skills that lead to success in task-specific skills. It can improve
their self-esteem, social skills, and a childs self-concept.

(McEntire, 2010)
Developmental Sequence- Birth to Age 1
Gross Motor Skills

Newborns are unable to support weight of head, but they have reflexive movement in head,
fingers, arms, legs, and toes

By 2-3 months, ability to hold weight of head and turn head from side to side

By 4-5 months, trunk control appears, rolling over from front to back

By 10-12 months, infants have the ability to stand and take first steps

Fine Motor Skills

Newborns will use eye contact when watching their mothers

*Motor skills will emerge at different times depending on the child
By 2 months, infants display ability to reach for objects
Developmental Sequence- Age 1 to Age 2
Gross Motor Skills

Refinement cycle begins after children begin to walk (includes walking up/down stairs, running,
standing on one leg, skipping, jumping, and developing recreation skills (Howard et al., 2014)

Example: throwing or kicking a ball

Fine Motor Skills

Refinement cycle begins around preschool age with increased speed, strength, and coordination
of small muscle groups (Howard et al., 2014)

Example: Imitates vertical and circular stroke

Examples of Atypical Motor
Development Birth-2
Not reaching developmental milestones
Years
Using the palmar grasp and not the pincer grasp

Child walks on his/her toes

Extremely clumsy

Skills are declining

How do the skills look different from the
typical developmental milestones?
In the preschool years children are using manipulation and hand eye coordination skills.

crayons

unscrewing lids

snipping with scissors

stringing beads

Research has found that children with ASD who walks independently within the normal age range will not
necessarily acquire preschool motor skills within the typical time period (McEntire, 2010).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0697717ZdU
Typical Motor development 2-4
years

(Parenting Counts, 2016)

How do the skills look different?
Atypical Fine motor dev.
2-4 years
Movement is shaky or stiff
Cannot imitate you drawing a vertical line
Arms hands weak
Putting lots of toys in mouth
Still holding crayon with full fist
Not able to put a simple, large puzzle piece
into a wooden puzzle Is not able to hold scissors and snip on paper

Not able to put a shape into a shape sorter Not able to draw a straight line or circles

Cannot feed herself with a spoon Cannot stack several blocks

Cannot stack 2-3 blocks on top of one (Childrens Therapy & Family Resource Centre, 2011)
another
Examples of atypical motor
development 2-4 years
Children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder),
DD (Developmental Delays),and CP (cerebral
Palsy) are neurodevelopmental disorders that
result in motor development difficulties.
An increasing number of studies have also
highlighted motor difficulties and atypicalities in
individuals with ASD, which affects around 1%
of the population
(Palisano et al., 2000)
Continued..
A child with cerebral palsy may have difficulty with balance when both hands are free to manipulate
objects. Movements in and out of sitting are performed without adult assistance. Children pull to stand on
a stable surface. Children crawl on hands and knees with a reciprocal pattern, cruise holding onto furniture
and walk using an assistive mobility device as preferred methods of mobility(Palisano et al., 2000, p.984).

Infants and toddlers with CP often have difficulty creating these types of experiences on their own and are
therefore unable to continuously practice and refine their motor control and develop typically (Prosser et
al., 2012).
What assistance is required to
demonstrate motor dev.
mobility training

specialized equipment(weight support)

physical therapy

pediatric physical therapist

occupational therapist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6mbS1EFkdA

https://youtu.be/zI9sm7QC2sY
4 years Typical development
Motor development: gross motor skills
running is more controlled; can start, stop, and turn
turns somersaults; hops on one foot; gallops
can easily catch, throw, and bounce a ball
can brush teeth, comb hair, wash, and dress with little assistance
Motor development: fine motor skills
copies crosses and squares
prints some letters
uses table utensils skillfully
cuts on a line
(Developmental milestones)
Red Flags for Fine Motor Development (4 years)

His movements seem shaky or stiff

Her arms and hands seem very weak

She is not able to cut across a piece of paper with scissors

He cannot copy a cross (+)

She is not able to draw a circle and straight lines by herself

She cannot string inch beads onto a lace

He cannot use a fork and spoon well

5 years Typical development
Motor development: gross motor skills
runs in an adult manner
walks on tiptoe, broad jumps
walks on a balance beam
skates and jumps rope
Motor development: fine motor skills
hand preference is established
laces (but cannot tie) shoes
grasps pencil like an adult
colors within lines
cuts and pastes simple shapes
(Developmental milestones)
Red Flags for Fine Motor Development (5 years)

His movements seem shaky or stiff

Her arms and hands seem very weak

He is not able to cut along a straight line

She is not holding her crayons or pencils with her thumb and fingers

He is not able to draw a circle, square and cross (+)

She is not able to put on her own shirts, pants, socks, and shoes (with some help with fasteners)

He is not able to feed himself well with a spoon and fork

6 years Typical development
Motor development: gross motor skills

Throw and catch a small ball well

Riding a two-wheeler bike (without trainer wheels by seven)
Move in time to the beat or rhythm of music Becoming skilled with hopscotch and rope skipping

Skip, gallop, dance, Swim well Getting skilled with a small-sized ball (and can catch it in one hand)

Ride a two-wheel bicycle Running up and down stairs

Enjoying participation in team games

(Physical Development Milestones)
Gradually becoming aware of own body and movement, and comparing
to friends
Atypical development at age 6
*Not able to jump, skip, hop, run in a coordinated way

*Bumping into objects (such as furniture and people), tripping and falling over

*Uncoordinated with ball skills

*Not able to ride a bike without trainer wheels after the age of eight years

*Gets tired easily with every activity

(Physical Development Milestones)

 References
Chadwick, F. (2014). Typical and atypical motor development clinics in developmental medicine. New Zealand Journal Of Physiotherapy, 42(3), 179.

Childrens Therapy & Family Resource Centre. (2011). Toddler Developmental Milestones. Retrieved from http://www.kamloopschildrenstherapy.org/fine-motor-
skills-toddler-milestones

Child Development Milestones 6 to 8 years. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from https://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/documents/childhealth/28134.pdf

Developmental milestones: Ages 3 through 5. (2016, March 16). Retrieved September 9, 2016, from http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/developmental-
milestones-ages-3-through-5/

Howard, V. F., Williams, B. F., Miller, D., & Aiken, E. (2014). Very young children with special needs: A foundation for educators, families, and service
providers (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Http://www.kamloopschildrenstherapy.org/fine-motor-skills-preschool-milestones. (2011). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from

http://www.kamloopschildrenstherapy.org/fine-motor-skills-preschool-milestones

McEntire, N. (2010). Typical and Atypical Motor Development in Young Children. Childhood Education, 86:3, 200-202, DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2010.10523149
References Continued
Palisano, R. J., Hanna, S. E., Rosenbaum, P. L., Russell, D. J., Walter, S. D., Wood, E. P., Raina, P. S., & Galuppi, B. E. (2000). Validation of a Model of Gross
Motor Function for Children With Cerebral Palsy. Physical Therapy, 80(10),974-985. Retrieved from http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/80/10/974.

Parenting Counts. A Product of Talaris Institute. (2016). Developmental Timeline. Retrieved from http:// www.talaris.org/5wayslindex.htm.

Prosser, L., Ohlrich, L., Curatalo, L., Alter, K., Damiamo, D. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. (2012, August). Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a
novel mobility training intervention in infants and toddlers with cerebral palsy. 15(4): 259266

Physical Development Milestones/Gross Motor Skills (ages 5 to 8). (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2016, from
http://www.babycenter.com/0_physical-development-milestones-gross-motor-skills-ages-5-to_3659044.bc

Van Oss, L. (2012, January 3). Retrieved September 9, 2016, from http://nspt4kids.com/parenting/gross-motor-preschool-milestones-3-years-to-5-years/