There’s a lot going on! Add on that they need a certain amount of sustained attention for success! They must understand how much force to use when brushing as well as be able to orally manage their saliva and toothpaste as it bubbles. Additionally, your child must be able to grasp and squeeze, and pinch the toothpaste bottle and lid, as well as manage their toothbrush. The sensory components associated with brushing teeth are vast: tactile processing, olfactory and gustatory processing (smell and taste), auditory processing, and proprioception. That’s often what it feels like for a child who struggles with fine motor skills and coordination abilities. Feel how difficult that is, how awkward it feels. It requires a significant amount of sensory processing and coordination to master! Try this: brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Brushing teethīrushing teeth is a common struggle for many children. It’s important to identify the WHY behind your child’s struggle, and knowing which skill(s) they find difficult is the first step. If any of these skills are challenging for your child, getting dressed and undressed will be a struggle. Sequencing and attention in order to understand how to put clothes on / take clothing off and maintain attention for the entire process.Fine motor skills to grasp and manipulate different clothing items.Tactile processing to tolerate different types of clothing textures.Bilateral integration and coordination to coordinate both arms and legs together.Vestibular and proprioception - understanding body in space, balance, and body awareness.The actual process of getting dressed requires many different skills, ranging from bilateral integration to sensory processing. Sometimes, making the initial decision of what to wear is the hardest part! First is knowing which clothes to wear! This requires some executive functioning - understanding the weather, visually looking through options, and making a decision. Getting dressed and undressed requires many skills. Getting dressed/undressed (clothing management) If any of these skills are challenging for your child, using the bathroom will be difficult. These skills require the use of fine motor skills, core stability, and sequencing. This includes wiping afterward as well as washing hands. This includes the olfactory sense (sense of smell), the auditory sense (think of the sound of the toilet flushing), the visual sense, and the proprioceptive and vestibular senses (in order to move through the bathroom and maintain balance).įinally, the last step is hygiene. Next, your child will need to be able to process the different sensory components of using the bathroom. This requires bilateral integration (using both hands simultaneously) as well as fine motor skills. Your child will need to be able to grasp and hold their clothing as well as understand how to pull and push. This might include managing buttons or snaps, zippers, or strings/ties. You can learn more about interoception here. This refers to the ability of interoception, which is the body and brain’s ability to understand and process internal information. The first step to using the bathroom (or using the toilet, going potty, whichever verbiage you choose to use) is knowing WHEN to use the bathroom. Let’s look at each one a little bit closer. Personal hygiene (wiping after using the bathroom, washing hands, washing face, etc.)Īll of these daily routine tasks require a variety of skill sets, as well as a step-by-step process.What are some of the main daily routines (or activities of daily living, ADLs) that your child completes (or that you WANT them to complete)? Sometimes these daily routine tasks are extremely challenging and can cause daily meltdowns, refusals, and overall extra stress in the home. But sometimes, these skills don’t come easily. These activities of daily living (or ADLs as they’re known in the therapy world) are essential for teaching our children independence. If you have a child, you know the struggle that can come with teaching your child how to complete daily tasks - things like getting dressed, brushing teeth, and combing hair.
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