#  >> K-12 >> Kindergarten

How to Assess the Gross Motor Skills of Preschool Children With Special Needs

A child's gross motor skills refers to activities involving the larger muscles of the body. A child uses gross motor skills while walking, sitting, crawling, jumping and climbing. She uses the fine motor skills when she fastens a button, for instance, or carries out a more intricate task, such as drawing. Quite often both types of motor skills work together. An example of this is that a child may need to be able to sit up before writing. Children with special needs may have problems with gross motor skills, for instance, some children who have Down syndrome have low tone gross motor tone, or hypotonia.

Instructions

    • 1

      Take the child to a physician or therapist who will run specific gross motor tests on him. The therapist may use a recognized scale, such as the Peabody Motor Scale, also known as PDHS-2. This series of tests makes a picture of where the child's gross motor skills are in relation to others of her age. The therapist will check the reflexes in a child of 11 months or younger.

    • 2

      Stand the child up, as directed by the therapist. This is to check her stationary position, and involves a 30-item test. The therapist will check the child's locomotion. Babies start by lifting their heads, and then gradually their upper bodies until they can sit upright. The next step is for the child to crawl, stand and walk. The therapist will check that child's ability to move independently, according to the norm for her age.

    • 3

      Cooperate with the therapist when he is checking the child's object manipulation. The therapist will do this by using a ball and observing how well the child can throw, catch and kick the ball. He will then carry out a visual motor integration test. This is a 72-item test, that checks the child's visual perceptive ability. This involves some eye-hand coordination, as the child's fine and gross motor skills are closely related.

Learnify Hub © www.0685.com All Rights Reserved