It’s easy to tell when a child has major problems with muscle tone or coordination. Yet it’s possible for children to have problems with muscle tone which are more subtle. When we’re focused on cognitive abilities, we might miss motor problems in our child which need attention.
Observe your child in these scenarios, and ask yourself these questions:
Gross Motor Ability
1. When my child hugs me, he feels:
a) like he’s using upper body strength to squeeze me back.
b) somewhat flaccid without much grasp.
c) rigid and stiff, with his muscles seeming a little tight.
2. If I sit my child in my lap and move his arms and legs:
a) they move easily, with some resistance.
b) they move very easily, dangling and flopping, with little to no resistance.
c) they move somewhat stiffly, with the muscles resisting my motions.
3. If I face my child, holding her hands, and have her imitate me doing knee bends:
a) She is able to easily keep up with me, lowering to a squat and pushing her body up with her legs.
b) She has difficulty pushing herself up to a stand from a squatting position.
c) Her muscles seem jerky and it’s hard for her bend her knees completely to squat.
4. When my child plays alone in a room with toys and books:
a) He moves easily from toy to toy, kneeling to reach smaller toys, stretching to reach toys off a higher shelf, squatting to roll cars, etc.
b) he lays on the floor frequently, sometimes propping his head or arms.
c) He displays some awkwardness in maneuvering himself to play.
Fine Motor Ability
5. When my child (four or older) holds a crayon and colors, she:
a) is able to draw circles, straight lines, imitate shapes, and can stay in the lines when instructed.
b) has difficulty imitating shapes, and her coloring is sloppy.
c) has an awkward grasp of the crayon and occasionally uses her whole arm to push the crayon.
6. My child (two and half or older) can turn a doorknob, unscrew a cap, and make a tower of eight blocks:
a) easily with no obvious problems.
b) only with great difficulty.
c) only after some struggle and frequently becomes frustrated, asking me to do it.
7. My child (three and older) can pour water back and forth into cups:
a) without spilling, most of the time.
b) with frequent spills.
c) but has trouble tipping the cups with his wrist and occasionally spills.
Results:
- If you answered “a” in most cases, your child probably doesn’t have motor difficulties.
- If you answered “b” to any of the questions above, especially if you answered “b” more than once, your child may have low muscle tone, and could benefit from the help of a physical therapist.
- If you answered “c” to any of the questions above, especially if you answered “c” more than once, your child may have high muscle tone, or muscle rigidity, and could also benefit from physical therapy.
If you’re concerned, discuss your observations with your child’s pediatrician. You may also want to mention the problems you’re seeing to your child’s teacher, and request a referral for the school district’s physical therapist. It’s likely that the school district will offer an evaluation, free of charge.