What is Motor planning?
Motor planning is the first step to learning. It requires attention so the brain can plan what kind of messages to send to the muscles and in what sequence. Our physical and occupational therapists in Carbondale and Du Quoin, IL at Synergy Therapeutic Group can help!
Skills must be motor planned initially in order to learn. For example, an infant must motor plan by putting a spoon into their mouth or crawling through a doorway until these activities become skills. Motor planning is the highest and most complex functioning in children as it involves conscious attention and is closely linked to mental and intellectual functions. The brain sends the message to muscles what to do, but the sensory input from the body allows the brain to do the telling.
How does motor planning work?
Imagine a child playing a new game for the first time. They must pay full attention to every movement and cannot pay attention to anything else. For example, you might have noticed a child asking everyone to be quiet because they must concentrate so hard on motor planning the newly learned task that they cannot cope with the sounds of conversations. However, once the brain is well organized, they do not need to pay close attention to each movement and now can talk to friends while performing the task.
Another example of poor motor planning is if a child is told to lie down, they may put their shoulders down and then ask what to do with their legs. The problem is that the sensation from their legs did not trigger a response in their brain to indicate what to do.
Top Exercises to Help Improve Motor Planning
What can be done to improve motor planning?
The best approach is to let the child grow at their own pace with proper guidance. Our Occupational therapy services at Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale and Du Quoin, IL, offer personalized and effective treatment to support the growth of each individual child.
To schedule an appointment, please call us in the southern Illinois area at one of our offices located in Carbondale or Du Quoin, IL or click here.