What is Coordination?
Coordination is the ability to use different parts of the body together in a smooth and efficient manner to be able to perform skills and daily tasks. This includes both gross motor coordination (large movements, like walking or throwing) and fine motor coordination (small, precise movements, like writing or buttoning a shirt).
Types of coordination Occupational Therapy may focus on include:
- Bilateral coordination
Using both sides of the body together (e.g., cutting with scissors, throwing and catching a ball). - Eye-hand coordination
Organizing and synchronizing visual input with hand movement (e.g., catching a ball, drawing). - Motor planning (praxis)
The brain’s ability to conceive, plan, and execute skilled movements.
What Does Difficulty in this area look like?
Difficulty with coordination may present in the following ways:
- Clumsiness: frequent tripping, bumping into things, or falling.
- Difficulty running, jumping, or climbing stairs smoothly.
- Poor balance or trouble riding a bike.
- Awkward or stiff body movements.
- Trouble catching or throwing a ball accurately.
- Messy handwriting or trouble holding a pencil properly.
- Difficulty using utensils or tying shoelaces.
- Problems with buttoning clothes or zipping a jacket.
- Difficulty with drawing, cutting with scissors, or completing puzzles.
How can OT help build these skills?
Occupational therapy improves coordination by using targeted, purposeful activities that help develop the connection between the brain, muscles, and sensory systems. Therapists may use
- Copying, drawing tracing and cutting activities.
- Obstacle courses,
- Jumping sequences
- Balancing activities
- Ball games
- Lacing and threading tasks