To improve upper extremity control needed for writing, the practitioner gives the child a large piece of paper taped to the wall and finger paints.What has the practitioner altered?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All of these movements refer to the degrees of freedom in which the shoulder can move.All of this mobility may impede a child's ability to control the joint.For fine motor tasks, for example, the child must be able to control the very mobile shoulder joint, as well as the elbow, wrist, and hand joints.In order to increase control, the degrees of freedom can be limited by holding or stabilizing the joint.For example, to improve upper extremity control needed for writing, the degrees of freedom of the upper extremity can be limited by giving the child a large piece of paper taped to the wall and providing finger paints.The child can hold the distal joints of the hand, wrist, and elbow, while performing a "prewriting" task utilizing primarily the shoulder joint.This activity can be made more challenging by providing a large paintbrush and then smaller paintbrushes and a smaller piece of paper.

To Improve Upper Extremity Control Needed for Writing, the Practitioner