Gross Motor Problems
People who have difficulty with
Gross Motor Problems; are
Poorly Coordinated,
Clumsy or Awkward; have
Poor Motor Control, or
Poor Balance (Especially With Eyes Closed);
have Motor Problems;
Can't Hop;
Can't Skip;
Can't Jump Rope, and/or are
Klutzy.
What are Gross Motor Problems?People with gross motor problems have difficulty moving through space using the large muscles, especially when balance is important (walking, running, etc.). There may have been a problem for this individual as an infant with learning to roll over, sit up, walk, skip, ride a bike, etc. There may now be an atypical gait, stance or posture.
Some failures to move through space efficiently relate to basic motor function. Some relate to motor planning (initiating and implementing movements). It would be important to know the difference if you are trying to improve basic efficiency, but testing to ascertain whether motor planning or basic motoric inefficiency is causing poor performance is not easily found. Most of the suggestions in this section are designed to avoid frustration and improve self image rather than improve efficiency. An occupational therapist might be sought for evaluation of motor skills or intervention to improve motor skills.
The Learning Disabled student is frequently awkward, clumsy and ill coordinated, thus creating another area in which failure occurs, one in which the failure is terribly public. As mentioned above some Learning Disabled individuals have trouble with motor planning, making the appropriate, efficient movement one wants to make. Sometimes this problem with motor planning exists in the student who is not clumsy or ill coordinated. These students are smooth and efficient with activities using the large muscles after they've had time to "get into the groove." Some Learning Disabled students have motor planning problems and they are awkward and clumsy.
Some gross motor problems occur because the learning disabled student can't use the motor channel simultaneously with any other channel (i.e., can't move through space and compute directions or watch others to learn).
Physical education or gym can be very frustrating, but the problems caused by either or both varieties of gross motor inefficiencies are not limited to stress in physical education.
Gross motor problems can coexist with fine motor problems, but fine motor skills may not be an issue. Problems with one does not mean you will have problems with the other.
Gross motor problems are important for boys; our culture puts stress on boys to be competent with athletics. This stress is greater in some parts of the country than in others (for instance, the New York Metropolitan area puts less stress on a male child to be an athlete than the same child would have in Texas). It would be important to know how much stress is being placed on a boy with gross motor problems by peers, teachers, etc.
Gross motor problems are less obvious for girls, but they are real for girls, too. Our culture demands grace from girls as they mature. A teenage girl who is klutzy or graceless will be made aware of her lack of motor skill, but it will be discussed as a lack of femininity (not a lack of motor skill). The relationship to gross motor will be undiscussed in most instances, but her integrity as a woman will be attacked subtly.
For these reasons, both boys and girls might benefit from intervention with a occupational therapist.
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