As a child develops, it reaches a point where they can feed themselves, unbutton their clothes and play with toys; these activities are enabled by effective use of the muscles that control fingers, thumb, and the entire hand. Skills that involve the use of these muscles are referred to as fine motor skills. These skills build a child’s ability to perform bigger tasks in future; they affect a child’s physical and emotional development (Hooper & Umansky, 2013). It is the role of parents and caregivers to give children opportunities to develop their fine motor skills, as well as monitor whether the child is able to use their hands effectively as they grow.
With the right practice, children can develop fine motor skills early on, but since children develop at different rates, some children might delay showing the skills. For example, while many children start opening up fingers and bringing them to the mouth after around four months, some kids may take up to seven months (Intermountain Healthcare, n.d.) . Fine motor delay is caused by different factors; the factors include lack of exposure to objects as well as medical conditions. Medical causes of fine motor delay include weak and overly strong hand muscles (Hooper & Umansky, 2013). Fine motor delays can also be caused by coordination problems between the brain and the hand muscles.
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Fine motor delay affects the child socially and academically. When the child starts formal learning, academic activities such as holding a pencil, writing, and coloring require applications of fine motor skills (Feder & Majnemer, 2007) . That means a child with fine motor delay is likely to register low academic performance. Also, fine motor delay affects the child’s esteem, and it might lead to social withdrawal. When a child is unable to do task that their peers are doing, they are likely to start looking down upon themselves (Feder & Majnemer, 2007). When such kids are given tasks that involve fine motor skills, they will prefer asking for help before even trying. Finally, kids with fine motor delay might avoid participating in group skills to avoid showing their weaknesses.
References
Feder, K. P., & Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology , 49 (4), 312-317
Hooper, S., & Umansky, W. (2013). Young children with special needs . Pearson Higher Ed
Intermountain Healthcare. (n.d.). What is Fine Motor Delay? Retrieved September 14, 2019, from Intermountain Healthcare: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/pediatrics/services/rehabilitation/services/fine-motor-delay/
