Somatodyspraxia: is a more severe form of Sensory-based Motor Disorder that involves:

• Difficulty in formulating action plans; a problem with the motor-planning of new, rather than habitual, movements
• Poor tactile, vestibular & proprioceptive processing

A Checklist for Problems in Praxis

Some characteristics of poor motor planning are listed below. The following characteristics include some of the symptoms of a problem in praxis.

• Clumsiness
• Difficulty planning and organising the sequences of movements in activities such as cutting with scissors or riding a bicycle
• Difficulty with daily activities such as getting dressed, using knife and fork
• Tendency to bump into and/ or trip over things
• Taking longer to learn skills such as tying shoelaces, writing letters or numbers, catching a ball
• Poor gross motor control when running, climbing, jumping, and going up and down stairs
• Doing things in inefficient ways
• Low self-esteem
• Difficulty when transitioning from one activity to another.

Treatment

Sensory diet for somatodyspraxia

Tactile Discrimination:

Have child close their eyes and touch different parts of their arms and legs, then ask them to point to where you touched them. If they are incorrect, have them open their eyes while you touch the same spot again.

 Get a pillowcase and hide 5 familiar objects in the bag. Have child place their hand into the bag and tell you what object they feel without looking.

Bilateral Integration and Sequencing:

 Ride a bike

 Play catch with a large/small ball

 Play soccer outside

 Play “Twister” game

 Play clapping games—“Miss Mary Mack”, etc.

 Jump rope

 Climb stairs

Motor Planning/Praxis:

 Play an instrument

 Help a parent bake cookies

 Wash own body during bath time/shower