Add these evidence-based and OT-recommended occupational therapy interventions for motor skill development to your toolkit! 

<h2>How School OTs Can Help Students Improve Motor Skills</h2>
<p>As highly trained specialized providers, occupational therapists know it’s important to 
  <strong>implement OT interventions that are backed by evidence. </strong>
</p>
</br>
<p>The challenge is…the <strong>research is not always abundant or clear.</strong> </p>
</br>
<p>This is the case regarding <strong>motor skills interventions within school settings</strong>. 
  Some studies point to positive results of particular approaches, while others 
  contradict those results. Reasons for discrepancies in the research may include 
  small sample sizes, variances in diagnoses, root causes of motor issues, varied 
  age groups and settings, and the 
  human factor involved in this type of research. Kids aren’t numbers, after all.
</p>
</br>
<p>The inconsistency in the studies on school-based motor skills OT interventions points 
  to the need for more research, of course, but also affirms <strong>how critical it is for OTs 
  to individualize therapy</strong>. Each child is different, each setting, each motor challenge, 
  each diagnosis – there are seemingly infinite variables. 
  <strong>However, successful school OTs 
  know how to search for solutions, get creative, rely on resources, 
  ask colleagues and try a range of approaches until they find what works.</strong> 
</p>
</br>
<p>Here, we’ll help you do just that! We’ll cover some <strong>recent research on motor 
  skills interventions for children</strong>, keeping in mind that the existing knowledge 
  base continues to unfold. We’ll also include some <strong>anecdotal resources</strong>, 
  OT practices 
  recommended by others in the field that you can try out as part of your toolkit to 
  find what helps individual children. As you embark on your own research to discover 
  what helps the children you serve, 
  remember that you’ve got the training, expertise, and resources to find answers!</p>

  <h2>Importance of Building Motor Skills</h2>
  <p>According to studies, strong motor skills benefit children in various ways: </p>
  <ul>
    <li> <strong>Cognitive strength:</strong> “Long-term motor skill learning practice 
    is accompanied by increased cognitive benefits as skill proficiency increases” 
    (<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017825/full" target="_blank">
    Frontiers of Psychology</a>
    ).
    </li>
    <li><strong>Behavioral development:</strong> 
    “Motor skills can instigate a cascade of developments in … perception and cognition, 
    language and communication, emotional expression and regulation, physical growth and 
    health, and so on” (
      <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33166961/" target="_blank">Nestlé Nutrition Institute Workshop Series</a>
      ).
    </li>
    <li> <strong>Physical activity:</strong> 
    “Children with poorer motor skill performance were less active than children with 
    better-developed motor skills” (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2008.214" target="_blank">Obesity Research Journal</a>
    ).
    </li>
  </ul>

  <h2>Evidence-Based OT Interventions for Motor Skill Development</h2>
  <p>While OTs can find a range of motor skills activities online, many are not 
    evidence-based (granted, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ineffective; 
    only that they may not have been studied formally). Research does show 
    promise in the following types of interventions for motor skill development:
  </p>

  <h5>Metronome training</h5>
  <p>In a study on metronome training, “As a group, the children made significant 
    improvements in complex visual choice reaction time and visuomotor control after 
    the training…These results suggest Interactive Metronome training may address 
    deficits in visuomotor control and speed…” (
      <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19202457/" target="_blank">International Journal of Rehabilitation 
    Research</a>). 
    See <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/pediatrics/departments/interactive-metronome" target="_blank"> Cleveland Clinic</a> 
    and <a href="https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2012/11/08/using-metronome-apps-to-teach-gross-motor-skills/" target="_blank">Your Therapy Source</a> 
    for information on metronome training.
  </p>

  <h5>Task-oriented intervention</h5>
  <p>In another study, “A comparison between classes of intervention showed 
    strong effects for task-oriented intervention…and physical and occupational 
    therapies…” (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dmcn.12008" target="_blank">
    Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology</a>). According to the 
    researchers, “task-oriented approaches work on teaching essential activities 
    of daily living and, thereby, stimulate participation 
    at home, school, in leisure, and sports.” Task-oriented interventions include:
    </p>
    <ul>
      <li><strong> Neuromotor Task Training</strong> (NTT) (see <a href="http://neuromotortasktraining.org/node/35" target="_blank">Neuromotor Task Training</a>)
       and </li>
      <li> Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) 
        (see <a href="https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2015/11/18/cognitive-orientation-to-daily-occupational-performance-approach/" target="_blank">Your Therapy Source</a>) 
      </li>
    </ul>

<h5>Goal-oriented play activities</h5>
<p> Goal-oriented play activities have also been effective in targeting motor skill 
  development. In one study, to pass a goal, children had to “run, walk on a balance beam, 
  move sticks, throw and catch the ball, and arrange blocks…All six training activities 
  conducted for 12 weeks provided significant improvements in the motor skills areas in 
  children aged 4.5–6 years old” (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8625902/" target="_blank">Children Journal</a>)
</p>

<h2>OT-Recommended Interventions for Motor Skill Development</h2>
<p>Although they may have only anecdotal evidence, some of the best ideas 
  come from the field. Consider exploring these 
  resources with motor skill interventions provided by other occupational therapists:</p>

  <h5>Gross Motor Coordination Activities from OT Toolbox</h5>
  <p><a href="https://www.theottoolbox.com/gross-motor-coordination-activities/" target="_blank">This resource</a> 
  from OT Toolbox includes gross motor interventions like:</p>

  <ul>
    <li> Core strengtheners: sit-ups, planks, wall kicks, donkey kicks, etc. </li>
    <li> Follow the leader </li>
    <li> Obstacle course </li>
    <li> Dance moves </li>
    <li> Ball dribbling </li>
    <li> Target toss </li>
    <li> 	Twister </li>
    <li> Climbing </li>
    <li> Pillow jumping </li>
    <li> 	Big shoe walking </li>
    <li> Hand games </li>
    <li> Mirror image </li>
    <li> Hokey pokey </li>
    <li> Animal walks  </li>
    <li> Rhythm games </li>
    <li> Therapy ball </li>
    <li> Shark run and more  </li>
  </ul>

  <h5>35 Fine Motor Activities: Our Therapist’s Ultimate List</h5>
  <p><a href="https://napacenter.org/fine-motor-activities/" target="_blank">This resource</a>, 
  from the pediatric OTs and Neurological and 
    Physical Abilitation (NAPA) Center, includes fine-motor interventions like:</p>

    <ul>
      <li> Peeling and placing stickers </li>
      <li>	Threading and lacing </li>
      <li>Using sidewalk chalk </li>
      <li>	Picking up cheerios </li>
      <li>	Popping bubbles </li>
      <li>	Sorting coins </li>
      <li>Putting pegs in a pegboard </li>
      <li>	Using tweezers </li>
      <li>	Playing with clay </li>
      <li>	Playing Connect 4, Jenga, Operation, Legos, Mancala and more </li>
    </ul>

    <h2>Frequency Matters</h2>
    <p>Above all, remember that <strong>frequency matters</strong>. Researchers from the University of 
      Texas at Arlington determined 
      <strong>frequency is critical when implementing motor skills 
      intervention with children</strong> (<a href="https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1567&&context=ijahsp" target="_blank">Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice</a>). 
      The UT Arlington team compared two group programs focused on strengthening gross-motor 
      skills, motor proficiency, and visual-motor integration in youth with developmental 
      coordination disorder (DCD). The group activities in the program targeted upper-body 
      coordination, fine-motor abilities, and balance. The first program was 10 one-hour 
      sessions held once/week for 10 weeks. The second program was 24 one-hour 
      sessions held twice/week for 12 weeks. The more frequent 24-session program 
      showed significant improvements in manual coordination. However, no significant 
      changes were observed after the 10-session once/week intervention program. 
      <strong>This research confirms why school-based OTs 
      should provide motor skills interventions for students as frequently as possible.
      </strong>
    </p>
</br>
    <p>Thanks for reading our resource on evidence-based and anecdotal interventions for 
      motor skill development in school settings! Don’t forget to 
      <strong>bookmark this resource</strong> so you can return to it when you’ve got a 
      child on your caseload who needs help strengthening motor skills. 
    </p>
</br>
    <p> 
      While you’re here, check out our other resources for school OTs on topics like 
      <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/advocates-and-attorneys-guidance-for-school-ots?" target="_blank">
      collaborating with advocates and attorneys</a>, 
      <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/time-management-tips-for-busy-school-based-occupational-therapists?" target="_blank">
      managing your time when you’re a busy school OT</a>, 
      and <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/how-to-engage-students-with-behavior-issues?" target="_blank">
      engaging students with behavior issues</a>.

    </p>
    </br>
    <p> Find your next career adventure as <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/education" target="_blank">a school OT</a> 
    today.
    </p>

Evidence-based Interventions for Motor Skills Development in School Settings