Gross Motor.
Occupational Therapists assess how a child’s muscles are developing; what the muscle tone is like; and how strong various muscle groups are. This has a huge impact on how children perform in the classroom, as they need to be able to sit upright at a desk in order to work effectively. Ball skills, star jumps, hopping, skipping and jumping are some of the various gross motor skills that are assessed.

Fine Motor.
This relates to dexterity and in-hand manipulation of objects. The intrinsic muscles of the hand need to be well developed to manipulate pencils, scissors, etc. children who have difficulty with fine motor skills, find it difficult to complete their work in time, which results in them having to constantly play catch up in the school environment.

Midline Crossing and bilateral Integration
This relates to how well the two hemispheres of the brain communicate with each other with regards to how the two halves of the body are working together. This communication ensures that movements are smooth and coordinated. Children with midline crossing difficulty find it difficult to sit straight (and keep their page straight), when sitting at a desk. It is also essential for the development of perceptual skills.

Visual perception
These skills are learnt at a pre-school level, but learning continues throughout primary school level. These are the basic skills necessary for reading and writing; for example being able to distinguish the difference between a “b” and a “d”, or to copy something off the board. Visual perceptual skills can be stimulated in a variety of ways including educational games and books.

Memory and Concentration
Children who have difficulty with these skills can practice them in a structured manner with games and activities.

Sensory Integration
Integrating all the sensory information that we receive from our environment is a big part of the developmental puzzle. Occupational therapists who are further trained to deal with this, play a vital role in helping children to interact fully with their environment and also achieve their full potential.