You can measure developmental skills based on a child's performance of certain tasks by a specific age. Fine motor skills are important for success in accomplishing many articulate tasks. A delay in developing fine motor skills can affect activities needed for school and other pursuits. However, there are things that children with delays in fine motor skills can do to catch up.
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are those that use the smaller muscles of the hand and wrist to do specific activities such as drawing, stacking and picking up items. Fine motor skills often develop after gross motor skills, but they are important as a foundation for many other activities. They also affect a child's daily tasks and can shape how she feels about herself.
Development
Fine motor skills develop beginning at an early age and continue to progress as a child gets older. The muscles of the hand, wrist and arm develop, giving a child more dexterity as he grows. Some children show a delay in fine motor skills, as evidenced by a lack of abilities that are basic to a child of the same age. This can be due to a less stimulation, such as limited opportunities for creative exercises at home. It also can be related to a medical condition that limits some neurological functioning, such as cerebral palsy.
Milestones
By the age of 1, a baby should be using a pincer grasp, in which the thumb and index finger pinch together to pick up objects. She also should be able to put things in her mouth and transfer items between hands. By age 2, she should be able to scribble on paper, stack blocks three high and turn knobs on a door. By 3, a preschooler should cut with safety scissors and imitate some shapes with drawing, and she might show a preference for right- or left-handedness. By the age of 5, she should be able to draw specific shapes and may print capital letters.
Help at Home
Parents can work with their child to help him develop some fine motor skills, even at an early age. By allowing him to try some tasks for himself, parents encourage their child to build on his skills. Some tasks, such as getting dressed, can help a toddler use his fingers and hands to work zippers and button clothing. Scribbling and drawing are ways of teaching a child to hold a pencil. Stacking toys and having a child pick up items can develop hand-eye coordination that will build on fine motor skills.
Testing
Early detection of a delay in fine motor skills provides assessment and a plan for treatment. There are several factors to consider when assessing a child with a fine motor skill delay. There should be a physical exam to test a child's neurological status, and an assessment of what fine motor skills she has achieved. After the assessments, intervention specialists may come up with a plan of treatment that focuses on achieving specific goals in the development of skills.
