Sometimes kids know how they want to move but have a hard time getting their body to execute the movement. This can happen for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons may be a neuromuscular diagnosis such as cerebral palsy. For those kids that have higher level motor skills but want to work on more control and decrease their compensatory movements, here are a few exercises you can try:
- Supine Foot Slides:
- Have them lie on their back with their knees at 90 degrees and their feet on wall
- Goal is to hold one foot still while the other foot slides up and down and then returns to center
- You can use painters tape on the wall for an added visual
- Seated Abduction:
- Have them sit on a chair so one side is up against the wall
- Their hips and knees should be at 90 with their feet on the ground
- Place a small toy or pillow on the outside of the knee so it is being held against the wall with the knee
- Use hip abduction to squish the toy between knee and wall
- Hold this position and then release with control so the toy doesn’t fall
- Seated Hip Flexion:
- Have them sit on a chair so one side is up against the wall
- Their hips and knees should be at 90 with their feet on the ground
- Make sure the outside of the leg is resting against the wall
- Slowly flex hip and slide their leg up the wall while keeping their lower leg against the wall and then slowly slide it back down again
- Sit to Stand:
- Perform Seated Abduction above
- After you have completed that practice sit to stand
- Goal is to keep a neutral hip position while extending the knees to come to standing
- Using a mirror here can help with alignment
- Prone Knee Flexion:
- Have them lie on their belly with the wall against the side of their leg
- Slowly bend the knee while keeping the leg touching the wall and then slowly lower it back to the ground while keeping the leg against the wall
- Standing Heel Raises:
- Have them stand with feet hip width apart next to a support like the bed or couch
- The leg closest to the furniture needs to stay contacting (mostly at knee) the furniture to keep it from potentially diving in
- Have them raise up onto their toes and observe what happens at the feet to see how they shift their weight onto their toes to lift up
- Using a mirror for visual feedback can also be helpful here
Using a mirror or the wall can be a great way to help cue movements. This can reduce how many cues from someone else are needed. It also helps to improve body awareness.
If they get overwhelmed you can have them pause and talk out the “steps” – feet check, knee check, trunk in the middle, etc.
Another tip is to have them verbalize the form desired and keep it in mind while putting in all their effort.
A challenge may be getting them to keep working at it even when it wasn’t “perfect” – I bet you it will get better over time pretty much every time!
What are some of your favorite motor control exercises?