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Motor progression
As children grow and develop, they show signs of change in their behaviors and physical skills in what is summed up as developmental milestones. Part of the change that occurs relates to motor skills which are the physical skills that require the movement of the entire body that is facilitated by the muscles of the entire body, which are responsible for performing various functions such as sitting upright, walking, standing, and running among others. In young children, motor milestones occur in a predictable development progression. The following paper which is prepared at take my exams will cover the motor progression of walking in a child, the reasons why a child could be delayed in walking, the age a child is considered as delayed for walking and require intervention, and the interventions available to the children that have difficulty walking.Motor progression of walking in a child
This section examines the motor progression of a child, starting with the integration of primitive reflexes to the basic motor skills needed for a child to walk independently. Motor progression is one of the major changes in the life of a young child. Although there is no specific schedule that is followed by all children, most of the children usually depict similar changes at a certain age. By six weeks, most of the children can lift their heads when they lie on their stomachs. By four to five months, most children can roll-over from the front to the back (Tidy, 2016). Around the same age, precisely six months, most of the children can sit on their own without any support. The next stage of development is between 6 and twelve months. Between this period, most children exhibit significant changes in their motor skills. By eight months, most children can crawl on their belly and also with the help of the hands and legs. The children are also able to transit from one position to another where a child can sit, craw, or lie on the tummy without any help.
When the child is about ten months old, they can pull themselves in order to stand. The child can now take 2-3 steps even without help and also walk while holding on things such as furniture. When the child is at twelve months, they can now walk comfortably without any assistance. However, a few babies usually reach this milestone at the age of nine months and others until they are four and a half months old. When the children are eighteen months old, they can now walk, crawl, and stand comfortably. However, the children are a bit clumsy when running and can perform simple tasks such as pushing a ball with their foot. However, it is not until two years old that a child is able to walk smoothly and to make corners. At this age, a child can also run freely and perform simple tasks such as climbing on the furniture. Therefore, the various motor milestones that can be used to assess the development of a child include Sitting with support, standing with assistance, hands and knees crawling, walking with assistance, standing alone, and lastly, walking (Dewar, 2019).
Reasons why a child could be delayed in walking
One of the reasons why a child could be delayed in walking is the deviation from the normal schedule which is common in some children. For instance, is a child is supposed to walk by 12 months old, the motor skills may be delayed up when a child is fourteen and a half months old. This condition is described as delayed motor maturation where a child has no other conditions that may be affecting movement. However, the other factor that is a major cause of delayed movement in children is poor muscle development. This condition may affect the child at any point in their childhood life. However, the poor development in the muscles causing the delayed movement may be caused by several factors relating to abnormality in muscle tone and power. Children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and hypotonia usually experience a delay in movement due to lack of muscle power and tone.
Various environmental factors can also result in delayed in movement. For instance, if children do not get the nutrients that are essential in their body for born formation and development, there is a high likelihood that such a child will experience delayed movement. For instance, children with rickets have reported delayed walking. On the other hand, is a child has a head injury, there is a high likelihood that this child may experience a delay in walking along with other motor skills that are involved. Various red flags signal the need for interventions. For instance, if a child is not able to bear the weight using their legs at 12 months old, necessary actions should be taken such as consulting a specialist. On the other hand, with regard to walking, if a child is not able to walk by the time they are 18 months old, such a child has a walking problem and there is a need to take necessary measures. These measures will be discussed in the next section where interventions that are available to children with difficulty walking will be covered.
Interventions available to the children that have difficulty walking.
If observes that their child has a problem in walking or in developing other motor skills that are necessary such as sitting and crawling, they should consult a pediatric physiotherapist who will make recommendation on the practice that is most appropriate for the child. If the delay was caused by poor parenting or by neglecting a child, normalcy could be attained by simply adhering to the right practices. However, there is a need to seek the help of a health specialist since they will be useful in offering support and in monitoring the progress of the child. In the cases where the motor problems are caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy, one of the methods that can be useful is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is very useful when dealing with children that experience difficulty in walking since it helps in the rehabilitation as well as the development of the movement skills in the individual (Pountney, 2007).
Physiotherapists usually specialize in areas that relate to walking, standing, flexibility, and sitting, among others which is the reason why this type of therapy is the best remedy for children that experience difficulty in walking. The parent and the child usually meet frequently with the therapist where stretching and positioning exercises are performed. A child that has a problem with walking is engaged in various exercises that increase their ability to stand also to acquire the skills that are required for walking. However, the various practices that are used are developed based on the condition that an individual has. During such kinds of interventions, parents usually play critical roles in the treatment process where the specialist even design additional home programs that parents use at home. Therefore, by combining various intervention practices, children that experience difficulty in walking can resume or get to normalcy. However, the main cause for the condition at hand must be identified in order to determine the therapeutic practice that is most appropriate. If you need help with an essay, you can easily reach out. We have a lot of resources dedicated to educating students including a why I want to be a nurse essay.
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