Praxis/Motor Planning

Planning and sequencing involves planning and ordering new muscle (motor) actions (known as praxis). It involves first generating an idea of what you want to do (ideation), figuring out how you are going to do it (motor planning) and then doing or carrying out what you wanted to do (execution). People with poor planning and sequencing may have to think harder to complete new physical tasks due to poorly integrated information from the sensory systems.

If a child has difficulties with planning and sequencing they might:

-- Have difficulty learning new motor tasks (requiring more practice or assistance than their peers).

-- Appear clumsy or uncoordinated.

-- Be unable to perform the same skills as their peers (e.g. catch, kick, hop and jump, etc).

-- Be less skillful than their peers in sports.

-- Be unable to follow multi-step instructions to complete a physical task (e.g. obstacle course).

-- Appear lazy and does not complete work (when in fact they may not know how to start the task).

-- Have difficulty getting thoughts down on paper.

-- Be unable to plan and correctly sequence events or steps in a process (e.g. step forward before throwing).

-- Fail to perform movement safely (e.g. climbing).

-- Have difficulty knowing where their body is in relation to objects and people and frequently falls, trips, and/or bumps into obstacles.

Call us today if you believe your child has any of these issues.