In this section
Fine motor skills help us
pick up, use and let go of objects such as a pen or cutlery, and they help us manipulate objects in our
Fine motor activities
include drawing, cutting, doing up buttons and shoe laces. After a
brain injury, a child may have difficulty using their muscles
(including those in their hands) because of changes to
the signals that come from the brain to the muscles.
Either one or
both hands can be affected in a number of ways, including:
A child's ability to
perform fine motor skills depends on a number of things, including
muscle strength and coordination. A brain injury may also
affect sensation which could then affect the ability to
perform fine motor activities. Children who have had a brain injury
can have long-term difficulties with fine motor skills.
An occupational therapist
can assess children's fine motor skills and provide:
Developed by The Royal Children's
Hospital Paediatric Rehabilitation Service based on information from the Brain
Injury Service at Westmead Children’s Hospital. We acknowledge the input of RCH
consumers and carers.
Reviewed September 2020.
Kids Health Info is supported by
The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation. To donate, visit www.rchfoundation.org.au.
This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. The authors of these consumer health information handouts have made a considerable effort to ensure the information is accurate, up to date and easy to understand. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading, or the success of any treatment regimen detailed in these handouts. Information contained in the handouts is updated regularly and therefore you should always check you are referring to the most recent version of the handout. The onus is on you, the user, to ensure that you have downloaded the most up-to-date version of a consumer health information handout.