Seasonal Activities for Sensorimotor Development

Book excerpt: This book contains easy-to-use activities for therapists, educators and carers to provide fun and engaging sensorimotor groups for students with movement and sensory dysfunction. The activities span an entire year with a different main activity for each week. Themed by season, the activities can be linked to the school year and incorporated into the classroom. The activities promote socialisation, postural strengthening, improvement of gross and fine motor skills, and self-regulation of the body. Comprehensive instructions on how to run a group are included, as well as benefits and adaptations for severely affected individuals and wheelchair users. There are sensory-regulating warm-up appetizers to increase body awareness and prepare the students for movement; main course activities to strengthen fine and gross motor skills; and cool-down desserts to regulate the body and assimilate benefits gained during group activities. The activities are suitable for use with any school-age students, including those without movement difficulties, but are especially beneficial for students with mild to moderate motor disabilities, who exhibit increased difficulty functioning in a group setting.