Fine Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome

Written for parents, health professionals, and teachers, this is a practical and accessible guide to understanding and developing fine motor skills in children with Down syndrome. The author draws on her experience as an occupational therapist and parent to show readers how to help children develop the hand skills required for such tasks as holding a pencil, cutting with scissors, or using the computer.

The popular book, Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome is now available in an expanded new edition. Written by an occupational therapist who has worked extensively with children with Down syndrome, and is also the mother a teenager with Down syndrome, this book explains the best practices and procedures for helping children master daily living skills for home, school, and an independent future. The author presents a thorough overview of the building blocks of fine motor development and how the characteristics of Down syndrome can impact the acquisition and progression of fine motor skills. She also explains the building blocks of fine motor development:• Stability • Bilateral coordination • Sensation • Dexterity • Early arm and hand control And important daily living skills for home and school:• Dressing & grooming • Eating & drinking • Cutting • Grasping a pencil • Preprinting skills • Drawing • Printing • Cursive handwriting There are instructions for dozens of easy home- and school-based activities, which help children gradually overcome delays and learn the fine motor skills mentioned above. The author suggests ways for parents to incorporate these exercises into as many day-to-day activities as possible, recognizing how impractical it is to constantly be in 'therapy' mode with a child. New material includes a chapter on problems with sensory processing for those who are over- or under-responsive to touch, or have unexpected reactions to sound, pain, or other sensations. Being aware of these sensitivities can open pathways to better behavior and responsiveness to therapy. Also new is information about a critical developmental step--determining when a child is ready for preprinting activities. These and many other additions make this the most up-to-date, comprehensive resource on fine motor development for children with Down syndrome.Maryanne Bruni graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy. She has worked in a variety of pediatric settings. For the past ten years, she has been the occupational therapist at an integrated preschool. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Toronto, Canada. The first edition of Fine Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome won a Parent's Choice Award in 1999.