The motor development of children varies. One will develop faster than the other. What is the maximum age at which a child must master certain motor tasks or movements? This article provides signals regarding motor skills associated with the age phases -5 months to 6 years- to check whether there is an abnormal development course in the motor area, possible developmental delay or perhaps a motor development disorder.
Motor Development Checklist – Signs of Motor Development Problems
Signals Developmental problems Motor skills
Motor skills here mean the set of movements and movement patterns that enable you to move, use and propel your body. Below in the overview, both gross motor and fine motor characteristics and tasks are mentioned, followed by (a guideline for) the ultimate age at which this is age appropriate or at age level for a child. This overview is intended to enable early detection of any problems, developmental abnormalities or a motor development disorder and to call for help.
Motor Development Delay – Motor Development Disorder
Developmental delay – Developmental disability
Although every child develops at their own pace, there comes a certain point, a certain age, when a child should be able to master a certain task or skill. This is related to the normal, average development course of average (early) childhood motor development.
Developmental delay
We speak of a disadvantage if a child deviates only slightly from the average.
Developmental disorder
A disorder is when a child deviates significantly from the average, is very behind or is different from his or her peers.
Identifying motor problems
It should be expressly noted that this is not a diagnostic criteria or a causal model, but only a checklist for global screening and identifying characteristics in order to (early) identify any developmental problems.
Motor Development Overview – Motor Development Course
Overviews of Motor Development
The overviews below regarding the course of motor development – both gross motor and fine motor – are suitable for parents, caregivers, group leaders, general practitioners, child health clinics, teachers, school doctors, etc. to identify any motor problems and sound the alarm for help and guidance. to be called in if there are motor problems. There is a division into 5 signals, overviews with the associated behaviors (characteristics/skills), indicating when/at what age the behavior should no longer occur. Or if certain behavior still occurs, it can be considered deviant.
Not Age Appropriate Motor Skills – Impaired Motor Development
Impeded Development
As far as motor skills are concerned, the following signals are a sign that the child’s development is not progressing undisturbed or at age level:
- Inadequate Postural Control – Too low or too high muscle tension
- Uncontrolled movements – Poor coordination
- No or poor spatial orientation
- Deficit in exercise patterns – Too low or too high activity level
- Poor awareness of one’s own physical capabilities
The above signals are discussed in more detail in the overviews below, with maximum age limits.
Motor Development – What does a child master in terms of motor skills? Age limits
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Inadequate Postural Control – Too low or too high muscle tension |
Ultimate age |
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Cannot hold head in a stable upright position when sitting |
5 months |
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Cannot raise head to 90° when lying prone and look around |
6 months |
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Cannot let go of an object or transfer it to the other hand |
8 months |
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Changing muscle tension; pulls through the entire body, making the child appear to be electrified |
12 months |
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Weak reverse tension, causing the child to sit like a salt bag wherever it is placed |
15 months |
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Such high muscle tension that constant movements occur and the child cannot relax. Can hardly relax |
15 months |
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Problems with fine motor skills. Child has difficulty with fiddly things, such as playing with small Lego blocks |
4 years |
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Child still walks on his/her toes |
4 years |
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Falls over during balance exercises such as standing on one leg, walking across a line |
5 years |
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Cannot stop on command when running |
5 years |
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Uncontrolled Movements – Poor Coordination |
Ultimate Age |
|
Violent uncontrolled movements, especially with the arms |
4 months |
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Child does not grab or misgrasps |
8 months |
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The child is not yet running free |
20 months |
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Child falls a lot |
2 years |
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Can’t kick a big ball without falling over |
2.5 years |
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Cannot run fluently or smoothly |
3 years |
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Can’t catch a big ball |
3.5 years |
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Cannot climb stairs alternately (alternating left/right). |
4 years |
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Messes with food a lot; cannot use spoon, knife and fork properly; can’t cut |
4.5 years |
|
Has difficulty buttoning and tying laces |
5 years |
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No or Inadequate Spatial Coordination |
Ultimate Age |
|
Frequently bumps into objects and doors |
2.5 years |
|
Cannot change direction while running |
3.5 years |
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Doesn’t understand the difference between left and right |
4.5 years |
|
Poor understanding of length, width, height and distance |
5 years |
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No or poor sense of time |
5.5 years |
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Can’t find the way home, gets lost easily |
6 years |
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Deficiency in Movement Patterns – Too low or too high Activity level |
Ultimate Age |
|
Does not participate in exercise play in a group |
3 years |
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Is afraid of gross motor games with ball or climbing frame |
4 years |
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Is constantly busy, but doesn’t finish anything; flies from one to the other |
4 years |
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Can’t squat, can’t hop |
5.5 years |
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Has difficulty jumping rope, cycling, roller skating |
6 years |
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Avoids gym class by bouncing around the back |
6 years |
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Poor Awareness of Own Physical Capabilities |
Ultimate Age |
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Does not know his/her own body parts |
3 years |
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Has a lot of accidents, spills and spills a lot |
3 years |
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Cannot copy or imitate movements |
3.5 years |
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Does not know the difference between left and right |
4 years |
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Don’t know how big he/she is (can’t indicate this, but also bumps head often) |
4 years |
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Overestimates own physical capabilities, e.g. accidents when walking over a wall or climbing a tree |
5 years |
|
Cannot yet draw dolls (human figures) with recognizable parts (body parts) |
6 years |
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