Purpose
The purpose of the gross motor rotation is to assist students to develop a variety of movement-based skills. Children with autism, ADHD and various other neurodiverse backgrounds often present as being clumsy, having an uncoordinated gait (the way they walk), and some have difficulty coordinating the left and right side of their body. These are important skills as it impacts on their ability to pump their legs on a swing, jump, skip, hop or coordinate activities that require hand-eye coordination. Gross motor activities also help to build up muscle tone and helps to maintain posture and balance.
Goals
The goals of the gross motor program are:
- To stimulate and improve the students’ proprioception (movement) and vestibular (balance) senses. Gross motor rotation will also stimulate the sight, sound and touch senses.
- To get the students moving and practicing skills that they may not have the opportunity to practice during their everyday programs in the classroom.
- To provide the students and staff with examples of how and when to apply the skills they have learnt in the gross motor rotation to broader settings across the school environment.
Strategies
- Provide a variety of activities each week to the students that focus on a particular gross motor skill or set of skills.
- Staff to assist students where necessary (i.e. on the balancing beam) and slowly fade out their assistance where appropriate.
- Staff to demonstrate where appropriate how to complete an activity.
- If students disengage, staff to present an alternative activity that better matches the needs of the student.