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Developmentally Appropriate Gross Motor Skills
Developmentally Appropriate Gross Motor Skills
Postural Stability and Alternative Seating
Postural Stability and Alternative Seating
Postural Stability- how strong and stable a student's core, back, chest, and shoulder girdle (aka our Trunk) is as a unit. This enables students to sit up without leaning on things, as well as have precision with fine motor movements.
Just because a student is fidgeting or moving around in their seat, does not mean that we should give them a wiggle cushion or exercise ball to sit on
Signs of Postural Instability
Signs of Postural Instability
Resting head in hand while seated
Leaning on desk
Fidgets with desk
Leans on arms when seated on the floor
Feet up on the chair with legs resting against their chest to support their trunk while seated
Difficulty sitting criss-cross applesauce while on floor
Lays down during floortime
Might lean on other students when sitting close to them
Writing using whole arm instead of wrist/hand
Poor fine motor skills
W-sits (legs forward then bent back at knees)
May appear floppy, weak, or uncoordinated
From The Well Balanced OT
A Child with Postural Instability may benefit from:
A high backed chair
A chair during floor times
A chair with arm rests
Feet grounded and flat on the floor
A wedge seat
Sitting against a wall or other object when on the floor
Proper desk and chair alignment- 90 degrees at hips, knees, and ankles while seated
A foot rest if feet don't naturally rest on the floor at their desk
From The Well Balanced OT
Brain Breaks
Brain Breaks
For every 30 minutes of sitting at their desks, students should have the opportunity to move for at least 1-3 minutes
This can include whole class movement activities or independent choice activities
Below are some links to different movement ideas for your class
Brain Break Ideas
Brain Break Ideas
Play Simon Says
Do jumping jacks, chair push ups, dance to a song for 1 minute
Stretches while seated at desk (arms forward, arms behind, chair push ups, finger push ups, etc.)
Have student "run errands" for you carrying a weighted bag (3-5 lbs) or bin of books or even just a "note" for the office to give a specific student a productive break time if needed
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