Assessing Motor Milestones Observation

Davis - Fall 2020

We will cover infant observation in class lecture*

Name: ____Tyler McDonald_______________________________ Date of Observation

_______________

Tasks
1. Observe an infant while playing. Complete background information and answer lab questions.
2. Observe a toddler while playing, eating, etc. Complete questionnaire and answer lab questions.

Task 1: Infant
Background and general information

Infant’s DOB: Unknown Infant’s age (mos) 0-12 months

Any special medical problems: Y No If yes, explain:

How does infant react to you (e.g. cries, smiles)?

Hours since last feeding/snack? N/A Next feeding? N/A

Hours since last nap? N/A Next nap? N/A

Clothing that may restrict infant’s movement? Onesie

Infant’s general level of alertness and activity Average

Notes:

Answer the following questions based on the infant you observed.

1. How far has the infant progressed along the sequence of motor milestones? Does the infant’s
chronological age match the average range? What can you conclude about the infant’s motor
development thus far?

In the motor milestones when the infant is under 2 months it can kick, turn head, move same side arm
and leg and keep head up right (pg 50). While at 2 months it was able to lift its head while laying on its
stomach and have slight leg movement (pg 56). At 3 months it could lift the shoulders and turn its head.
At 5 months the infant can roll over and start to crawl while unsupported (pg 56). At 7 months the infant
was able to get on hands and knees and then at 8 months start to creep (pg 56). At 9 months the infant
can pull itself up using furniture (pg 56). Then at 10 months it can stand alone and while at 12 months
walk alone (pg 56). The infant’s chronological age matches the average range (pg 56). I can conclude
that the infant is growing at an average healthy rate.
2. Consider some constraints that might affect the infant’s performance. How might a longer period of
time since last feeding or nap affect the infant’s alertness/activity level? Did the infant’s clothing seem
to restrict the execution of movement? What types of constraints are these factors?

If the infants last feeding or nap was far away from the time of them having to do the activity it could
affect them by either making them more hungry or tired, which then could decrease their alertness and
activity level. The infants clothing does not seem to have any restrictions on their movement. These
factors can be two different types of constraints, individual and environmental. (pg 7) It can be
individual because every infant has their own biological clock on how they develop. Meaning at the
same age some infants will be able to do things that others can’t. It could be environmental because of
who is dealing with the infant. The infant does not have control over where it goes and when it gets
food. The other adults caring for the infant decide when to feed it and how they are clothed.

3. Consider the individual, environmental, and task constraints affecting the infant. How did these
interact? What changes in constraints might allow different behaviors to emerge?

The individual constraints could be how the infant has matured and developed since birth. (pg 7) Since
every infant has a different biological clock it could be different for all infants. The environmental could
be when the baby is fed, how it is dressed and when it is put down for naps or to sleep. Task could be
when the infant is given a walker hoping and pushing the infant to try and use it to walk. Or when the
infant was held in the air trying to get it to hold its head up sturdy. The task in most of these were an
adult doing something to try and get the infant to take the next step in its motor development. All
constraints go hand in hand because if the baby sleeps enough and eats well then, they are more likely to
complete the task when persuaded by the environment to do so. One thing that could have been changed
was the duration of the infants sleep or how long after they woke, they had to complete the task. If the
infant was well rested or not could have impacted how they performed when asked to do so.
Y/N Starting Action Typical Y/N Starting Action Typical
position age range Position age range
(wks) (wks)
Y On belly Makes crawling 1-12 Y Hard surface Sits alone 20-36
motion
Y On back Kicks legs and 1-8 Y Belly Scoots around 20-44
thrusts arms
Y Held upright Holds head erect 3-16 Y Crawls on hands 20-44
and knees
N On side Rolls to back 3-20 Y Moves on hands 20-44
and knees
N On belly Pushes with arms 3-20 N Sitting Scoots 20-44
to elevate chest
Y Hard surface Sits with help 4-20 Y Pulls to stand 20-48
Y Held upright Holds head 4-20 Y standing Stand by 24-48
steady furniture
Y Hard surface Sits with slight 8-24 Y Walks with help 28-48
help
Y On back Rolls to side 8-28 N Cruises 28-56
Y On back Pulls to sit with 16-32 Y Sits down 28-56
help
Y Hard surface Sits alone briefly 16-32 Y Stands alone 36-64
Y Hard surface Sits alone for 30- 16-40 Y Walks alone 36-68
40sec
Y On back Rolls to front 20-32 Y Stands up 36-72

Task 2: Toddler

Child’s name: N/A Gender: male DOB N/A Age 1-3

Any special medical problems: Y No If yes, explain: N/A

How does infant react to you (e.g. cries, smiles)? unknown

Hours since last feeding/snack? N/A Next feeding? N/A

Hours since last nap? N/A Next nap? N/A

Clothing that may restrict infant’s movement? Shirt and shorts/pants

Infant’s general level of alertness and activity Average to high

Notes:
Complete the following checklist as follows: 1 = not demonstrated 2 = emerging 3 = demonstrated
N/A = not available
Gross Motor Development
Score Task
N/A Reaches for toy or person when lying on stomach
N/A Sits unsupported momentarily (30sec)
N/A Assumes quadruped position and rocks on all fours
N/A Assumes quadruped position and crawls
3 Demonstrates large-muscle skills in the prewalking areas as in:
Sitting alone
Pulling to a stand
Lowering self to floor
Cruising by holding onto furniture
Taking steps when supported
3 Stands alone
3 Uses mobility skills to actively explore environment, as in:
Walking alone
Crawling up stairs
Getting around barriers
3 Walks well (stops, starts, turns)
3 Demonstrates some variety of walking skills, as in:
Walking sideways and backward
Walking up and down stairs while holding on
Some beginning “running”
3 Squats in play and resumes standing position
3 Seats self in small chair
3 Demonstrates some coordinated use of large motor skills with a variety of equipment, as in:
Walking with a push-and-pull toy
Pushing a cart
Rocking on a chair
Going down a slide
3 Demonstrates some balance in walking, jumping, and hopping, as in:
Balancing on one foot, with help
Jumping in place with 2 feet
Walking on a balance beam
3 Kicks ball forward
3 Throws ball forward 5-7 feet
3 Uses simple motor skills socially in simple games such as ring around the rosy or London bridge
3 Coordinates series of physical skills in play, as in:
Lifting, carrying, and arranging large blocks
Carrying objects while climbing

Fine Motor Development

N/A Thumb-finger opposition (pincer grasp)
N/A Rakes or scoops up O-shaped cereal piece and attains it
N/A Has complete thumb opposition on cube
N/A Uses inferior pincer grasp with O-shaped cereal piece
N/A Uses neat pincer grasp with O-shaped cereal piece
N/A Releases O-shaped cereal piece into small bottle
N/A Crayon use and scribbling
N/A Attempts to scribble by holding crayon to paper
N/A Holds crayon adaptively
N/A Scribbles spontaneously
N/A Imitates crayon strokes (vertical and circular scribble)
N/A Holds crayon with fingers
N/A Scribbles with circular motion
N/A Copies a circle already drawn
N/A Pegboard/puzzle use
N/A Pulls pegs out of a pegboard
N/A Pokes with isolated finger
N/A Places on or two pegs in pegboard with help
N/A Places 2-6 pegs in pegboard without help
N/A Places round form in form board
N/A Completes three-piece form board or puzzle
N/A Building
N/A Transfers toy from hand to hand
N/A Drops a block with voluntary release
N/A Builds a two-cube tower
N/A Builds tower of 2-6 cubes
N/A Builds tower and other constructions of more than 6 cubes
2 Other
N/A Turns pages of cardboard book
N/A Removes cover from jar
N/A Attempts to fold paper
N/A Cuts with scissors
N/A Strings beads

Answer the following questions based on the toddler you observed.

1. Summarize the gross and fine motor skills that the toddler you observed can demonstrate competently.
Identify the skills that are emerging.

Chasing, walking, holding, standing, throwing, bouncing, catching, lying, tossing, riding, parking, stretching,
jumping, heading, kicking, leaping, pulling, carrying, hitting (pg 77). Gross motor skills are those involving large
muscle group movements. Fine motor skills are those involving smaller muscle groups. Those are some of the
skills that the toddler has demonstrated I the video. The toddler was doing well with most gross motor skills such
as walking but still has some room to get better (pg 68). Now the toddler was still developing most fine motor
skills such as doing the things with his hands while completing gross motor skills. Such as one toddler was having
trouble completing the skill of holding the weighted bears while balancing on the beam. Him not being able to
hold the bears well contributed to him struggling on the beam.

2. What types of activities (task constraints) would help this toddler gain competence in the emerging skills that
you identified? Describe how each activity you suggest would change the interaction between the child’s
individual and task constraints to allow the skill to emerge.

One constraint that could change how these toddlers’ skills is time, because in the individual constraint every
toddler has their own biological clock and that meaning that as they get older and learn and develop, they will
improve at those tasks (pg 7). The activity for that could be just to keep practicing that certain skill. An
environmental constraint that would help the toddler with his skills would be to change the part of the fine motor
skill he is doing. For example, with the balance beam and the weighted bears, change how many bears he is
holding or give him heavier bears while walking the beam. Or change the path of the beam so that the toddler is
always on his toes having to do something different while still practicing the same skills (pg 7). This activity
would help improve the toddler’s skills because it makes them think about what they are doing and by changing
the environment the toddler can’t cheat the system by remembering what to do. They must adapt when you
change the environment. Again, in the beam and bear one the child has to focus on holding heavy bears while
walking on a balance beam, so they already know how to walk but those weighted bears make them have to focus
on two things simultaneously. With the task constraint you can just change what the goal is for the toddler. Going
back to the balance beam and bear one you can challenge the child to not step off the beam once during the trip.
Trying to motivate them, making them improve al the skill. Or maybe tell them to hold the weighted bears out
horizontal making it harder for them to balance on the beam. Or you could even tell them during each try to look
up every few steps and call a number out you are holding up and then continue walking. All of these would add
another thing the toddler has to account for making the task more challenging but that in turn would help them
improve on their skills. (pg 8)