Most adults who take good care of their body’s physical needs and work out regularly are alert and have good mental health. Although there are always exceptions to general statements like the one just made, for the most part, a healthy body and healthy mind go together. However, this is not true for all children and teenagers.
International research has shown that bright and capable learners who are clumsy, accident prone and uncoordinated start to develop anxiety or depression by the time they reach the upper elementary school years. Over time, some of these uncoordinated and sluggish students also become somewhat pudgy and overweight and develop physical health problems and experience reduced social contact with peers. Specifically, if you have a son or daughter who struggles with some or all of the following issues, you may need to have them assessed for motor learning problems or other conditions.
Watch for:
1. Poor articulation and/or other aspects of oral motor control (e.g. sucking, blowing noise, speaking with a lisp, etc.).
2. Delayed development in fine motor skills (e.g. dressing, eating, penmanship, tying shoelaces, other aspects of self-care).
3. Weak gross motor skills (e.g. running, jumping, throwing, catching and striking skills; very late to learn or still has problems learning to ride a bicycle).
4. Awkward balance and sloppy gait.
5. General problems with posture, muscle tone and physical endurance.
Please note that there are very different reasons that learners may struggle with motor skills. For instance, some may be slow learners and have problems in all aspects of development. Or, a bright and intelligent student may be described as an overly anxious and hyper-sensitive youngster who has significant problems with social interactions and less concerns with motor skill proficiency. In contrast, another capable learner with noticeable motor problems may be very prone to sadness, depression and eventually anger – and to a less degree, experience some social isolation. Their problems may be due to entirely different conditions. However, all such students will need help to deal with their motor, health and emotional needs.
If your son or daughter sounds like one of the children described above:
Determine what is causing their underlying difficulties – because then and only then can you start to work toward dealing with it. Specifically, you must know what is causing the learner’s underlying problems before you can bring about change or improvements in functioning. Such investigations can be done by educational psychologists, medical doctors or other related health care professionals. In addition to an assessment and findings of the testing, the adult who conducted the investigation should also provide specific strategies and support for the learner.
Then, with support of the parents and guidance of the teachers, encourage the sharing of knowledge with others on a need to know basis.
For example:
1. It may be that the student struggles because they have a global delay in many different areas (e.g. motor skills, social skills, speech-language, etc.).
2. The overly anxious and social unaware child may struggle in school because they are teased about their ‘over-the-top’ fascination with space travel, insects, and/or other topics that his or her classmates do not care to hear about. Other classmates do not want to be near them because they seem ‘different.’ Furthermore, because they cannot comprehend social cues properly, they do not seem to understand when they get too close to their classmates when involved in group projects. And, their stubborn and goal-driven focus may make it very difficult for peers to work with them.
3. The other student may explain that they are often tired, have the feeling that they will never be able to ‘catch-up ‘with their classmates, and they may be very embarrassed about the poor quality of their work - so they do not hand in completed assignments. Although this student does understand social cues, they may feel the deep sting that results after they have been teased or bullied by peers. So, they choose to be alone because that will certainly reduce the verbal or physical attacks offered regularly by other school mates.
4. One way or another, once the underlying cause has been identified, parents and school staff can then start to work on addressing specific needs. To initiate that, seek help - at school, in the community, via registered health care practitioners or mental health professionals. Your child deserves and likely needs the support and help of others to attain health and well-being of the body and mind.
In summary, if a child is struggling with health and wellness of mind and body, there may be an underlying issue causing the problems. All domains will need to be assessed and addressed concurrently in treatment programs, in order to maximize gains in minimal time. Of great interest is that once children/teens understand the cause of their difficulties, they almost always want to improve their situation by working toward solutions. Parents, teachers, extended family members, community-based coaches and health care professionals are in a very privileged position to assist them with mind and body-related issues at this point in life. Early diagnosis and treatment will almost always reduce problems later in life.
Dr. Paulene Kamps is a registered psychologist, kinesiologist and educator who works with children/teens who struggle in school. She welcomes your questions and comments at 403-217-5749 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have an employee assistance program that covers psychological services, all or part of the fees may be covered.
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