Mandy and Aditi continue to examine Sam, a 9-year old client with autism with aggressive behavior. As OT's and ABA's have different assessment tools for fine motor development, this episode explores the goals and methodologies they use to improve Sam's fine motor skills.  

ABA tests range from handwriting and the grip and pinch strength test while OT assessments use examples like the Silly Bug, the Superman extension pose, and core strength. These assess behavioral fluency and aims which are reflected in competent performance and higher-level skills.  

HIGHLIGHTS

02:52 Shoutout to Elizabeth Haughton

07:09 Sam's case study: ABA assessment goals and tools

17:10 OT assessment goals and tools for fine motor development

31:58 Importance of Aims and fluency

GLOSSARY

Grip and pinch strength - A baseline assessment tool used for baseline data for intervention 

Dynamometer grip and pinch strengthening tools - Tools that measure how hard a child can squeeze and pinch

Behavioral fluency - The fluid combination of accuracy plus speed that characterizes competent performance 

Adduction - Showing up in novel skills that you have never trained before 

RESA - Retention, Endurance, Stability, and Application 

RESOURCES

Join our The ABA and OT Podcast Facebook Group to get access to the following resources:

Facebook group link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/397478901376425

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

Dr. Aditi the OT website

Handgrip Strength: A Population-Based Study of Norms and Age Trajectories for 3- to 17-Year-Olds

Behavioral fluency: Evolution of a new paradigm

QUOTES

12:35 "The first part of our assessment was putting a pencil down and picking it up because that is a component of fluent handwriting is being able to reach out for a pencil and pick it up very easily without having to think about adjusting."

17:55 "For fine motor, the Bart's really good, but also I would do strengthening. I would look at his strength and range of motion. And most OT's know about strengthening tools but a lot don't use the measurement tool because we typically don't take baseline data."

25:25 "First, I would assess flexion, and this is called, you probably did this with Sam, the Silly Bug. So the child lies on their back, cross their arms over their chest, legs are bent, head lifted off the floor, and they have to keep this sort of crunchy, silly bug position."

35:07 "A count per minute by skill that, over time, we have worked out that when the skill is taught to that rate like a count per minute, you have that skill and you never lose it, or you get it back with just a little bit of practice."

39:46 "We want kids being able to form between 80 and 100 letters per minute so that when they come spell word, they're not thinking about how to form their A or Z, whether they're doing their Z backwards or not. So that's why aims is so important."

43:39 "If you want a child to do something easy and effortlessly, look at what fluent performance is for that skill and measure it."