Please complete this brief checklist if you have concerns in regards to your school age child’s development.

Fine Motor Skills

  • Has an awkward grip when using cutlery, pencils, scissors etc
  • Has “shaky” hands or fingers
  • Avoids drawing, cutting, fiddly tasks.
  • Appears to be weak in their hands and complains of pain during colouring or handwriting
  • Still needs help to open packages etc
  • Finds handwriting is difficult to produce and difficult to read
  • Is slow/reluctant to complete written work
  • Produce work significantly below the standard of the rest of their class /age group

Gross Motor Skills

  • Is clumsy in moving their body e.g. trips over frequently, bumps into obstacles
  • Runs or walks awkwardly
  • Is fearful to walk in the dark, e.g. must have night light
  • Tires easily and lacks stamina of other children the same age
  • Afraid to use playground equipment
  • Slow to learn new movement tasks e.g. hopping, skipping, and swimming
  • Difficulty with simple ball catching
  • Has trouble walking up and down stairs with alternate feet

Visual Perceptual Skills

  • Has difficulty completing puzzles
  • Has difficulty locating things against a cluttered background
  • Has difficulty copying shapes and letters
  • Has difficulty identifying visual symbols e.g. letters, numbers, shapes
  • Has difficulty remembering visual information
  • Makes persistent reversals in reading, letter formation and numerals past yr 2.

Self Care/Organisational Skills

  • Struggles with dressing tasks e.g. buttons, shoelaces, zips, socks.
  • Lacks independence in tasks easily done by others their age e.g. cutlery, pouring drinks/struggles with hygiene tasks e.g. bathing, brushing teeth, grooming etc
  • Has difficulty learning and following daily routines e.g. getting ready for school
  • Has difficulty starting and completing tasks
  • Has difficulty organising themselves and their materials/possessions

If you ticked some of the boxes above an Occupational Therapy Assessment is recommended as Occupational Therapy can assist development of these skills.