Are delayed milestones and weak motor skills causing gaps in my child’s learning?

This article provides information delayed milestones and weak motor skills. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider. None of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

When I hear the statements, “Oh, don’t worry, your child will catch-up” or “Don’t worry, they’ll grow out of it,” I often sigh in frustration.

Does every child have their own unique timeline of growth and learning? Yes. Do some learn faster than others? Yes. Are there differences in how and when each child develops? Yes.

But what if they don’t “grow out of it?”

What if there are truly red flags and gaps in a child’s developmental progress parents and teachers can see early on?

Keep in mind it is important to support and help a child’s developmental progress while they are young. If we wait until the child is older, it can be much harder to fill those gaps and the child may fall further and further behind.

How can I see the Red Flags of delayed milestones and learning?

Many times, you have a gut feeling something is not right. But you can also look at the child’s overall development for signs as well. What most people don’t know is there is a mind and body connection. When this connection breaks down, other issues may begin to show.

For example, does the child have delayed milestones or did they skip any important milestones? Do they have weak motor skills?

You can also ask yourself, “does my child…”

Have poor balance?

Have poor posture?

Have weak neck and head control?

Have low muscle tone?

Have weak hands, fingers and arm strength?

Have any challenges like w-sitting, toe walking, sensory issues, etc.?

If your child has motor delays, it could be one of the reasons you also see gaps in their learning. Did you know delayed milestones could prevent the child from:

Concentrating (attention and focus)

Organizing their work and their thoughts

Sitting still in their chair

Socializing with other peers

Tracking words on a page

Copying notes from the chalkboard

Purposeful Movement for Closing the Gaps

Movement-based activities can help kids regulate their emotions, attend and focus in the classroom, establish impulse control and support good behavior.

If you feel your child may have gaps in their learning or their development, don’t wait to work on the necessary skills they may need to help them succeed at home and in the classroom.

Like a rocket ship, the body provides fuel for the brain and “awakens” it for higher learning. If the body is ready, it can “boost” the rocket higher into the sky. Without the right fuel and the adequate amount of “boost” to propel the rocket in the sky, the rocket would fail to take off.

If the body isn’t developmentally ready, the brain may not be in the right mind frame for learning.

Starting with a few warm-up activities each day can build a stronger foundation for your child’s learning ability. To better understand a child’s growth and to use movement-based activities to help, you can download these FREE packets:

• 4 Foundational Cornerstones for learning readiness
• Integrated Movement Warm-up Activities

Integrated Movement Activity Center

If you still feel your child has not developed the necessary skills for learning readiness, there is more you can do to help.

The Integrated Movement Activity Center provides parents and therapists with step-by-step videos to strengthen all areas of the body and the brain. Parents and professionals can use the activity center to help their kids and students “awaken” the brain for higher learning development.

For more information or to enroll, click here.

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Integrated Learning Strategies is a Utah-based center dedicated to helping mainstream children and children with learning challenges achieve academic success. Our services provide kids with non-traditional tutoring programs within the Davis County, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse, Farmington, and Centerville areas. Areas to find Integrated Learning Strategies include: Reading tutors in Kaysville, Math tutors in Kaysville, Common Core Tutors in Kaysville, Tutors in Utah, Utah Tutoring Programs