Is finger dexterity an OT thing?

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Is finger dexterity an OT thing?
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Mon, 12-11-2006 - 11:39pm

Just lately, Henry has been interested in learning to tie shoes, so we've been working on it a little. He just seems unable to make and hold a loop which is part of shoe-tying. He almost never eats with a fork. He just picks up everything with his fingers. He is getting better at using a spoon but he still needs to use his other hand to place the food on the spoon and then to block the food from falling off the spoon.


Tonight, at Scouts, the leaders taught the boys how to play marbles. Henry was the only one who could not hold the marble in the crook of his pointer finger and thump it with his thumb. Actually, now that I'm making that motion with my hand, it is a little awkward.


Henry had trouble cutting with scissors in preschool, but my mom and I worked with him on that quite a bit, and he got pretty good. His handwriting is fine.


So--are there some sort of "exercises" we could do to work on getting Henry's hands and fingers more coordinated? Would that be part of Occupational Therapy? If he could get OT, what would they do that would help him with these kind of issues? (So that I can do them with him at home.)


He also has trouble with zippers, buttons, belt buckles.


Thanks!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Mon, 12-11-2006 - 11:49pm

Well, as a person that saw my son having problems with dysgraphia (a form of dyslexia, but with writing, not reading) for the last 3 years, I do see some similarities here...

My ds, well he has big problems with fine motor skills, he has problems writing, food utensils, he is 10 and cannot tie his shoes....

He can tho button things, use scissors and zippers, but that took time.

From what I understand from the Dysgraphia group I belong too, is an OT is imperative for fine motor skills.

I think your son would benefit from a OT.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 12-11-2006 - 11:55pm

RIGHT up my alley, lol. Yes this is stuff OT's work on though in our state they are funny. Typically they will only work on school related OT stuff (handwriting etc) but we do sneak this stuff in too in general hand strenght and dexterity. Most districts and states will work on things like shoetying though.

Some kids it is really hard for. Mike has the steps down but still can't do it so they stay tied so I am buying him some adaptive shoe laces. Usually he gets zip shoes or I tie them in such as way as he can get them on and off without dealing with it. Cait finally got it in 3rd grade.

exercises,

-Theraputty-(or even lots of silly putty) for handstrength. Bury coins or small things in the putty and have him find it. My kids at work LOVE when I hide rubber bugs in the putty.

-Peg boards, geoboards and lacing shapes. Lauriate (sp?) has lots of good toys for this.

-Dressing boards with snaps, ties, etc. There are even some stuffed dolls with these on them.

-Links- they have some plastic chain link toys or you can even have him link paper clips. Make a fun craft out of it. If you get colored ones you can make necklaces, ornaments for your tree, etc.

-Squiggle pens - This is great fun for the kids and is more for writing but it give great sensory feed back while making them hold the pen tightly enough but they can't do to tight or push down to hard or it doesn't work.

-Connect 4 game - I even play this with a great Kindie kid with severe CP. It is great fun and great for dexterity, visual processing.

-Light bright

-battleship

-Oh those little squeeze puppets thingies when you push on the bottom it goes kind of floppy. I got one at target for $1. They often have animals, etc. you push it in and out fast and the animal dances.

-tangle toys.

-puzzles

-lacing beads - somewhere I saw some GREAT small ones with ships and animals.

K brain dead now. If I think of more I will post them.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 12-11-2006 - 11:57pm

See that, thought of more.

-Pencil olympics! - if you take your pencil in one hand like you are going to write and walk your fingers to the end and back. Another is to turn it over and over in one hand without using the other.

- have him practice touching his various fingers to his thumb in sequence and see how quick he can do it. So thumb to index, then thumb to middle, then thumb to ring and thumb to pinky and then reverse the order so you start with repeating the pinky and go back.

ok, now that is it.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 12-12-2006 - 12:04am

Thank you so much, Renee!!


All of those things sound do-able, and I think Henry won't even notice that it's "work".


We have Connect 4, but we haven't played it in a while.


Your post about touching his fingers with his thumb made me smile. I taught him some sign language--especially letters and numbers--when he was really young, and he has adapted his own counting system using both hand in the way you described both forward and backward.


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 12-12-2006 - 12:13am

HEHEHE

Why do you think I like my job so much? I get to play with kids and they hardly ever know they are working.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Tue, 12-12-2006 - 12:21am

Those are great ideas Renee! Better than what I have learned in my Dysgraphia group! If it's okay, I think I will share them with everyone else over there :)

Lainie

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 12-12-2006 - 12:37am

Naturally it is!

That is just some of my fine motor ideas, lol. You should see me go on sensory!

I have had a great teacher! My boss/OT is a dear friend. She was Cait's OT in Kindie and then we ended up at the same church. I taught her kids sunday school in preschool. Last year when I decided to go back to work she offered me a job that was perfect. I always knew some OT/sensory stuff from my own kids and teaching but it has been a learning experience. AND she knows my kids and is SOOOO flexible about my schedule.

I am considering continuing to work with her after I have my teaching credential as a ed consultant but then I would miss the fun part. Teaching!

Renee

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Tue, 12-12-2006 - 1:04pm

Robin,


Definitely an OT thing.


The only addition I have to add to Renee's excellent list:


If he can do the thumb-to-each-finger thing easily: try to make it a bit more challenging by giving him some (very soft) putty or dough to squish with each pass. This will strengthen up his fingers.


You need to ensure he maintains form through the motion, and does not allow any of his finger joints to bend backwards (if they are prone to do so).


-Paula


-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
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Registered: 03-28-2003
Tue, 12-12-2006 - 4:10pm

Stephanie - age 8, has these troubles as well. She was going to OT until insurance refused to pay for it, but I did learn some things of what to do, but not awhole lot so I appreciate the other posts about what to do.

She can do the first part of tying, but not the loop parts. She does get frustrated with it and gives up. She can zip up her coat and jeans and button them finally. She has a lot of trouble eating with holding a fork. She picks up most food with her fingers and makes a ton of mess. It is embarrassing, but I told DH that I repeat to her over and over again of what to do when eating, but she can't seem to do it so I figure it must be associated with Asperger's.

She can't cut very well either.

It sounds like you got some great answers to your post and they helped me out as well. You aren't alone. I wish I could get some more OT for her and she also needs speecch therapy. Does your insurance cover OT? We are now going to fill out forms to get help from the state.

Debbie

Debbie, Mom to my "only" Stephanie
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Registered: 04-07-2003
Tue, 12-12-2006 - 5:10pm

Hmmm. These are all things I had fun with as a kid but have avoided like the plague with my kids because they lose all small parts and make a mess with putty, etc. I occasionally get things that can ONLY be used when I do it with them, but when I'm not home and they ask dad (who of course ALWAYS says "yes"), it ends up scattered, lost, rubbed into the carpet, etc. I'll have to look for the squeeze puppety things or squiggle pens or things like that where I won't end up regretting their OT!

DD 12yo could probably benefit the most from doing these exercises, but 8yo ds probably could use a bit of OT, too.

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