Cognition, Perception, and Action

My initial evaluation was completed 6 years ago. I gave Adam the Peabody Developmental Motor Skills Test, used observation, and an interview with Mom. My comments indicate that he did not want to participate in some tasks on the Peabody. He received a score of poor for visual-motor and below average for fine motor, and was functioning at the 14-15 month level. It was recorded that he was ambulating, had not established hand dominance, used a palmer grasp for marking. Adam did not creep and used a wide base of support. He was following 1 step directions inconsistently.

His mother's biggest concerns were regarding his particular diet and sensory defensiveness. Noah was often in the high arousal mode. His mother's chief complaints now are eating vegetables, drinking from an open cup, and writing.

Perceptual: The treatments that I use to address these issues are writing tasks with concepts from Handwriting Without Tears. I need to break down the task as he copies alphabet letters. He often requires tactile prompts to initiate.

Movement: Adam works on climbing on different surfaces, creeping, and getting into various swings in order to address motor planning, coordination, and body awareness through proprioceptive activities. He enjoys this.

Cognitive: I work on incorporating cognitive skills into tasks. I encourage Noah to communicate his needs, recall previous information, and follow directions. I work on preparing him for the next activity such as drinking or eating. Since this class I have used the token system to complete drinking. Family is also using this system at home. He is now drinking 4 sips from an open cup at home, which is a huge success for him.