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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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