Gross Motor

Gross motor skills are the abilities required to control the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, crawling, and other activities.

Gross motor skills development occurs in two ways.

The first is head to toe development which refers to the way the upper parts of the body develop, beginning with the head, before the lower ones.

The second is the development of the trunk to extremities. Head control is gained first, followed by the shoulders, upper arms, and hands. Upper body control is developed next, followed by the hips, pelvis, and legs.

Developing body awareness is also a critical component of gross motor skill development. Your sensory systems of touch, seeing, body movement, and awareness of body in space help you motor plan and refine gross motor skills through practice.

Addressing and treating underlying sensorimotor components that are impacting motor coordination is an important factor in facilitating gross motor development.