Fine motor skills development
Being able to use and control your fingers is necessary for academic skills like writing and cutting; play skills like Lego construction and manipulation of small toy pieces and self care skills such as using zips and buttons, opening lunch boxes, tying shoelaces and cleaning teeth.
You may notice a child struggles with fiddly finger skills if they have difficulties with:
- Pencil skills (writing, drawing, colouring) - either pressing too hard or too softly
- Scissor skills (cutting)
- Dressing – tying shoelaces, doing up sandals, zips, buttons, belts
- Eating – using cutlery, opening lunch boxes and zip lock bags
- Hygiene – cleaning teeth, brushing hair, toileting
- Construction skills using Lego, duplo, puzzles, train tracks
- Doll dressing and manipulation
- IT use (e.g. mouse and stylus manipulation)
How RISE can help:
Our Occupational Therapists can help children develop the fundamental fingers skills that are crucial for academic, play and self care skill development.
Through strength development and repetition of movement children can learn to control their hands allowing them to gain confidence and independence in their abilities.
