ADHD, ADD, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Dypraxia, Sensory Integration      

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Terminology

Body Image                                                                                                                                           The awareness of where the limbs are in relation to the body, without looking at them. 

Cognitive                                                                                                                                     Knowledge acquired through learning

Dyspraxia                                                                                                                                               An immaturity or impairment in the organisation and planning of controlled movements, with associated problems of visual perception and occasionally communication.

Figure-ground                                                                                                                                        The ability to focus on one area or object despite the mass of visual.

Discrimination stimuli in the background.                                                                                                 The ‘figure’ focuses the observer’s attention while other visual stimuli fade into the background.

Orientation                                                                                                                                           The direction of pencil control, be this clockwise, anti-clockwise, horizontal or vertical.

Position in Space                                                                                                                                   The understanding of the position of objects in relation to self.

Proprioception                                                                                                                                      The awareness of where the limbs are in relation to the body, without looking at them.

Spatial Relationships                                                                                                                            The ability to perceive the position of two or more objects in relation to self and to one another.

Visual Closure                                                                                                                                       The identification of an object where only part can be seen or where the outline is fragmented.

Co-Contraction                                                                                                                                      The ability to stabilise a muscle, muscle group or joint to allow for efficient and effective movement from another

Abduction                                                                                                                                               To move away from the midline.

Bilateral                                                                                                                                Incorporating both sides of the body ie:- two handed play.

Eye Fixation                                                                                                                                      Ability to fix your eyes on one object.

Eye-hand   Coordination                                                                                                                    Ability to coordinate eye and hand movements to complete a task.

Eye Tracking                                                                                                                                    Ability to track an object with your eyes from side to side or up and down. 

Fine Motor Skills                                                                                                                                   Are the more precise and fine movements of the body. The main example being hand function and its coordination with the eyes.

Finger Isolation                                                                                                                                Ability to move fingers independently of other fingers.

Fixation                                                                                                                                           Ability to fix part of the body whilst concentrating on an activity with another part of the body.

Grasp Reflex                                                                                                                                           When the palm is stimulated the fingers flex and grasp the object and the grasp is maintained. This reflex should disappear at 2-3 months, but often persists in a child with Cerebral Palsy.

Gross Motor Skills                                                                                                                               The larger movements of the body.

Hand Dominance                                                                                                                                        A definite use of one hand for more complex  tasks e.g.:- pencil skills. Dominance should have developed by 3 years of age.   Often an individual with cerebral palsy is prevented from using their hand due to increased tone.

Hand Preference                                                                                                                               Within general play shows a preference for using one hand. Starts to develop around 10-12 months.

Hand Regard                                                                                                                                       Begins with the child watching his own hands developing  into being aware of his hands and what they can do.

Opposition  of the thumb                                                                                                                           A movement which consists partly in bringing the thumb opposite to the other fingers and partly in rotation it on its own axis.

Pronation of the Forearm                                                                                                                         To turn the palm of the hand downwards (opposite to supination)

Perceptual Skills                                                                                                                                   The child’s ability to process, analyse and interpret the information that they get through different sensory channels. We also look at the level of awareness of their own body in terms of knowing the body parts, the relative positions of body parts and the ability to orientate oneself within the spatial environment.

Release – Crude                                                                                                                               Ability to let go of an object voluntarily.

Accurate                                                                                                                                         Ability to let go of an object precisely  i.e:- to place one block on top of another.

Supination of  the Forearm                                                                                                                     To turn the palm of the hand upwards (opposite of pronation).

Sensory Stimuli                                                                                                                                    The stimulation of any of the senses i.e: vision, smell (olfactory), taste (gustatory), auditory, tactile or vestibular.

Stability                                                                                                                                               The ability to hold a joint in the correct position for an activity. If a child has unstable joints they will fix them abnormally so the task in hand can be completed.

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