Fine motor skills

Disclaimer: This information sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skills refer to using our hands for activities such as grasping/releasing(picking up and letting go of objects), using tools such as a pen or cutlery and manipulating objects in our hands. Examples of fine motor activities include drawing, cutting, doing up buttons and laces.

How can fine motor skills be affected following brain injury?

Following brain injury a child's ability to use their muscles may be affected, due to altered brain signals. This may be seen in one or both of the upper limbs and is evident in a number of ways, including:

• Muscles may become stiff and difficult to move (see spasticity)
• Movement may become jerky or clumsy and difficult to coordinate www.wemove.org/kidsmove/
• Muscles may become difficult to turn on (paralysis)
• Planning and execution of movement becomes difficult (motor planning problems), see dyspraxia

A child's ability to perform motor skills depends on a number of factors, including muscle strength and coordination. At times a brain injury may also affect sensation and this may then affect the ability to perform fine motor activities. Children who have had a brain injury can have long-term difficulties with fine motor skills.

What is the treatment?

The Occupational Therapist can assess the child's fine motor skills and provide recommendations for intervention. Intervention may include the following:

• Upper limb retraining, including relearning of ability to grasp and release and ability to perform specific fine motor skills.
• Addressing muscle shortening through casts, splints and stretches
• Fabricating and reviewing splints/orthoses
• Teaching compensatory strategies (such as one-handed shoelace tying).
• Providing special equipment to assist in the execution of fine motor skills (such as a weighted ruler or spring-loaded scissors).

Rehabilitation Department The Children's Hospital at Westmead Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St, Westmead Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, 2145 Tel: (02) 9845 2132 - Fax: (02) 9845 0685 http://www.chw.edu.au/rehabilitation/