Delay motor skills is an interesting topic and there is a lot of debate on social networks and also among early childhood health professionals and staff working with infants.
Motor development and its reasons
Studies were already carried out in the 1970s by, among others, occupational therapist Jean Ayres, who highlighted the importance of the links between motor skills and the learning of balance and coordination. The link between the two allows the child to feel good in his body and to quietly make acquisitions to build himself up.
Skipping steps or falling too far behind jeopardizes self-construction.
Opinion of the Physiotherapist specialised in pediatrics
A step-by-step progression
Free motor skills are for children who do not have delays motor skills or physical difficulties due to medical reasons.
Today, more than ever, we are talking about free motor skills. In order to develop free motor skills, it is imperative to give the child the opportunity to do so. There is only one way to support free motor skills, and that is to put the child on the floor.
- 0 - 3 months = prefer wrapping in a sling
- 3 - 4 months = the baby begins to discover his hands
- 4 - 5 months = he is getting better at grabbing toys, he is lifting his legs more and more and touching his knees, he is following the toy until his head is completely turned
- 5 - 6 months = he tries to turn from his back to his stomach
- 6 - 7 months = press his hands and turn around him to look for the toys placed on the side
- 7 - 8 months = he pushes on his hands and moves backwards and then he discovers that he can move by crawling
- 8 - 9 months = he gets into a 4-legged position and learns to sit on his own
- À partir de 9 mois = déplacement en 4 pattes
The child decides for himself when he is ready for bipedal movement
