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Developmental Delay
Concerned about atypical development of a toddler or
preschool child?
Therapy Options
Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with delays in child
development and behaviors.
These include in-home services, outpatient (you take your child
to a clinic), inpatient (following injury or surgery) and school
based services. Which type of therapy should you choose?
Visit our Therapy
Options area to learn more.
Ask a Therapist
We understand developmental milestones and the challenges of
Special Needs children. We spend a great deal of time with
families understanding the inner workings of childhood routines
and interactions. Ask us about your child today!
Ask a Therapist
Fine Motor Skills for Preschool Children
48-54 Months
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with your child's developmental milestones. Suggested play
to help developing fine motor skills in a child 48 to 54 months of age:
- Play with pudding. Make a batch of pudding (your child will be good
at stirring the ingredients). Place a few spoonfuls on a cookie sheet or
a large plate. (You may want to cover the table with newspaper first.)
Have your child wash its hands and then finger-paint in the pudding.
Your child can practice letters and shapes or draw pictures. The best
part is cleaning up!
- When the mail comes, let your child open the junk mail. He or she
can exercise his or her fingers opening the mail, and may find some
little surprises inside. Help your child write and mail letters to
family members or to a favorite performer or athlete.
- Make paper chains. Paper chains can be made by cutting any type of
paper into strips about 1 inch by 5 inches. Show your child how to make
a loop by gluing or taping the ends together. Create a chain by
inserting the next length through the first loop and so forth. See how
long you can make the chain.
- Homemade books are fun! Staple, tape, glue or sew together a few
pieces of paper. On the pages, your child can draw pictures or paste in
cut-out pictures from magazines to illustrate a story. Encourage your
child to tell you its story. Help your child by writing down its words
on each page.
- Artists always sign their masterpieces. After your child makes you a
picture with paint or crayons, ask him or her to sign their name. Show
your child how to do it, and watch them make the marks on the paper. It
won't look just right, but letting your child do things on his or her
own is a powerful way to help them learn.
Fine Motor Skills by Age Group
'Fine motor' refers to the development of small muscle movements of the
hands. Fine motor skills develop as your child's whole body gains mobility,
stability, cognitive, and emotional/social development. Fine motor skills
that come to mind are shoe tying, writing, and cutting paper with scissors.
Contact Information
Find Early Intervention
Support contacts in your State. If you have a question or comment for
us, please visit our Contact page.
Early Intervention Helps with Developmental Delay
For children with Special Needs, intervention in early childhood
development means finding specific ways to help a child become as functional
as possible.
Learn more on our Parenting
Tips
page.
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