Early Childhood Intervention
This website is a place for families who are facing
challenges pertaining to their child's development and
growth.
It is a place to find answers and practical
suggestions. That's what Early Intervention Support is all
about.
Whether a family has a child with a challenging behavior,
a disability or developmental issue, childhood is short - it
should be savored and enjoyed.
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 Infants
Under 3 Months
At this level, your infant is learning to lift his or her head
and neck.
He or she is moving arms together and apart. Your infant will stare
at bright objects and follow them with his or her eyes.
High-contrast patterns capture your baby's interest.
He or she will turn their head toward sounds and voices. By 3 months, your
baby smiles at faces and at objects that resemble faces.
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with infant developmental milestones.
Suggested play to help a child under three months of age develop fine motor
skills:
- To attract attention, use toys with bright colors with bold strips
and/or patterns, shiny objects (shiny party beads and bangles), or a bright
scarf around your neck. All should be presented within 8-12 inches from
your baby's chest.
- For holding eye contact, show your face (make expressions), hold your
baby to a mirror, and squeak toys with faces. You can also draw or paste
large faces onto paper plates to show your baby.
- To promote active arms, before a offering a toy, hold or suspend it
about 8 inches from your baby's chest to create excitement at seeing you and
the toy.
- To encourage visual tracking, use toys, a bottle, or a mobile with
sounds and bright colors moving in all directions slowly. Visual tracking is
hard work. Play for only 1-2 minutes.
- To bring hands to chest or midline, carry your baby cradled with arms
forward, encourage exploring and touching your face (kiss or nibble fingers
for more feedback). After a bath, massage your baby's hand with lotion and
rub hands together, place a textured toy on your baby's chest to feel.
- To promote grasping, use rattles with slender handles, teethers, or your
finger. Help your baby hold object in one hand at a time because it is
difficult to hold an object in both hands at this age. Offer rattles during
diaper change or small cut sponge during bath.
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.
Return to Top
|