Psychomotor Therapy
What is Psychomotor Therapy?
Psychomotor Therapy stands for the therapy, which concentrates on 3 components influence each other.
motor
Cognitive emotional
Following is a description of the aspects of each component:
- Motor:
- body: scheme, awareness, image
- fine motor skills
- gross motor skills
- motor planning
- motor co-ordination
- motor control
- Cognitive:
- thinking skills
- planning skills
- anticipation
- verbalization
- processing information
- attention span
- concentration
- correcting
- memory
- sequencing
- Emotional:
- will to participate
- motivation
- confidence
- self image
- independency
Psychomotor therapy involves being able to move, walk, coordinate well, have a good body awareness etc. Via movement situations, we can practice certain thinking strategies. As movement situations are clear and concrete, children will more easily exceed their limits. The situations require planning of activity, making preparations, following the steps mapped out, correcting afterwards…
Children experience competence of the body, which is improving the positive self-image. Children do learn because they are invited to participate and they get the chance to work out the problem themselves. If they succeed, they have gained confidence.
Processing the information through verbalization or alternative communication systems is a very important aspect. In the psychomotor therapy, the children are given the opportunity to discover and explore. Only when necessary, examples are given and corrections are made.
It is important to learn from experience to evaluate the effect of consequences from one’s actions and movements.
At Acorn, Psychomotor therapy is a group activity. This means that social skills are very important. It helps the children to understand their role in relation to other children and to the activities.
Skills involved are:
- turn taking
- collaboration
- discussion
- communication
- attention span
- sometimes competition
At Acorn, the Psychomotor Therapists works closely together with the teachers and the assistants, the Occupational therapists and the Speech and Language therapist.
Whereas the Occupational Therapist deals with the functionality of movement and cognitive skills, and the Speech and Language therapist with the language and communication aspects, the Psychomotor Therapist creates an environment to stimulate the application of the above aspects.