T
o your child, the paper
magazine you’re reading
right now may be
classified as an iPad that
doesn’t work. As screens take over our
children’s lives and we tell ourselves
that this will help prepare them for
a life that continues to be dominated
by ubiquitous online connectivity, is
this the right path or are we missing
something?
An emerging result of too much
touch-screen time is a deterioration of
motor skill coordination, which many
teachers and healthcare professionals
attribute to more time spent swiping
and tapping technological toys
and gadgets and less time spent on
traditional play and physical activity.
Seeing the signs
As parents, we all hear about the
importance of helping our children
develop fine motor skills so they
can perform well academically and
complete daily tasks by themselves,
but the subtle signs of success or
trouble are often difficult for parents
to assess.
Claire, mother of eight-year-old
Jess, says she noticed at an early stage
that if her daughter was allowed too
much time on the iPad, she would
avoid activities that required her fine
motor dexterity and would struggle
with independent tasks such as getting
dressed or packing her school bag.
“Jess started to have difficulty
opening doors and containers and
would avoid creative projects to the
extent that she needed intervention
from an occupational therapist,”
Claire says. “Now she can do
practical things without having to ask
for help and feels more confident and
independent.”
Fine motor skills require the
small muscles of the hand to work
together to perform precise and
refined movements. Using the hands
proficiently requires a complex
interaction of controlled mobility,
strength and control of small intrinsic
hand muscles and large supporting
joints, body awareness and hand-
eye coordination. Children start to
activate fine motor development at
birth as they explore their own bodies
and the world around them, and
continue to develop these skills until
they master their ability to feed and
dress themselves independently and
control tools such as pencils, scissors
and eating utensils.
When using electronic, hand-held
devices, the palm of the hand assumes
a “flat” position and minimises the
use of a rounded arch, which is a
precursor to good hand strength and
control for all fine motor activities.
Sharon Haarsma is a registered
occupational therapist and director
of Integrate Hong Kong. She says the
rate and quality of each child’s fine
motor skill development depends on
exposure to different activities and
practice opportunities.
“If not addressed, an early lag
in fine motor skill development for
any child can cause problems in the
teenage and adult years,” she says.
“As children move into adolescence,
Is technology disrupting your child’s fine motor
skill development? asks
Jill Mortensen.
there is evidence that those with fine
motor difficulties are at a higher risk
of anxiety, low self-esteem and even
depression.”
Sharon says that fine motor
challenges are usually identified
when children begin their formal
handwriting instruction. Symptoms
are shaky or weak hands, hands not
working together correctly, poor
pencil grip, inability to copy simple
shapes or lines or use scissors, as well
as signs of frustration or defeat from
the child.
What can you do?
“Visit the playground frequently,
especially the monkey bars for grip
strength and climbing frames that
build shoulder strength,” Sharon
advises. “Encourage your children to
do things for themselves, and coach
domestic helpers and other family
members to resist the temptation to
jump in and instead allow children
to persevere with learning how to
complete tasks without assistance.”
Michael Dempsey is a
kindergarten teacher at Hong
Kong International School and says
he notices that more boys in his
class struggle with fine motor skill
coordination than girls. Indeed,
international research shows that
approximately 70 per cent of boys
struggle with fine motor development.
“A five-year-old child may be a
fantastic storyteller, but without the
ability to get it down on paper, he’s left
feeling dumb and incapable,” Michael
says. “Add that to the comments that
gr p
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