Motor Planning & Praxis: What You Need to Know

Praxis and motor planning refer to the ability to generate ideas, plan, organize, execute, and adjust activities as needed for success. These concepts are necessary for learning and learning tasks, developing organizational skills, and making the necessary adjustments for safe and effective participation in everyday activities. When kids have a hard time with motor planning, they may appear to take longer to learn skills, have difficulty sequencing their morning routine, or not know how to effectively problem solve. 

Praxis & Motor Planning Steps 

Praxis is the ability to generate an idea and the organization of a plan of action for executing a motor task. Motor planning is one component of praxis. Praxis is comprised of five separate components: the ability to conceptualize or generate ideas, plan, organize, and execute a motor action, and make the necessary adjustments for success. All of these components are important for the overall success of day-to-day activities. Let’s break down each aspect a little bit further:  

Ideation:  

Ideation is the ability to generate ideas, imagine, and visualize. For example, when a child sees a ball, they might think about kicking it. Kids who have difficulty with ideation may always use toys in the same ways, without variation or expansion on play. Oftentimes, children with ideation difficulties appear concrete in their play because they aren’t sure how to expand on their play. This child may make statements like ‘I don’t know what to do.’ They also may have difficulty labeling objects, body actions, or movements, and aren’t sure how to play with new toys.   

Planning:  

Planning is the ability to react appropriately, organize behavior, and sequence ideas. For example, a kid needs to adequately plan how to put their clothes on in the correct order. Kids who have difficulty with planning may create plans that don’t make sense, have difficulty with transitions and changes in plans, and have difficulty knowing how to get started on a task or activity. 

Initiation & Execution:  

Initiation and execution are the ability to coordinate muscle and body movements to start and carry out the plan. Kids who have difficulty with execution may look uncoordinated, have poor force grading, and have difficulty executing multi-step tasks. They may need support to start a task.  

Feedback & Adaptation:  

Feedback is the ability to compare the performance with the initial plan and determine if changes are needed. For example, a kid who kicks a soccer ball to the far right of the net can adjust his performance for next time in order to hit the target. Kids who have difficulty with feedback skills may have poor recognition when an action is not working. They often do not adjust their actions for success and will attempt a task multiple times, but will ultimately be unsuccessful. In addition, kids with feedback difficulties often have difficulty problem-solving without support.  

Bonus: Feed Forward: 

Feedforward is the ability to detect motor errors before an action is completed (anticipation). For example, knowing when it is safe to cross the road by looking both ways. Kids who have difficulty with feed-forward skills may have difficulty anticipating what is going to happen, need cues to get their body ready for an action, and do not get their body in the most efficient position to complete a task. This is a higher-level skill that is required for successful engagement in many daily life and leisure tasks and is imperative for the generalization of successful participation across environments.  

Enhancing Praxis & Motor Planning Skills: 

Motor planning is a complex skill that can be worked on through occupational therapy treatment. Enhancing motor planning with your child involves providing opportunities to practice and refine the steps with purposeful activities. Your occupational therapist can educate you on strategies, including breaking the task down into smaller steps, using visual aids, and demonstrating tasks. Repetition and finding the just right challenge can help build your child’s confidence and ability to plan and execute movements with greater accuracy and fluidity.  

Praxis & Motor Planning with Getting Dressed:  

Ideation:

First, your child’s brain needs to recognize the need to get dressed. They then must decide which clothes they want to wear based on the weather, the occasion, or comfort. Planning your clothes the night before can help alleviate decision-making on busy school mornings. 

Planning:

Second, your child needs to locate the clothes, organize the clothes, and differentiate the clothes. This includes recognizing that socks are for feet and pants are for legs. They also need to sequence the task, such as putting their socks on before their shoes. 

Feed Forward:

Before executing the task, your child needs to think forward for any errors that may occur and adjust their body to be able to don their clothes efficiently. 

Execution:

Third, your child is going to execute the task with motor control and precision. Their brain and body need to work together to thread their body parts through the clothing, pull the clothing up, and tie their shoes. 

Feedback:

The final check includes making sure all the clothing is on correctly and adjusting the clothing for comfort if needed. If they put their shirt on backward, are they able to adjust their plan the next time to get it correct?

What might seem like a simple task can have many components for your child learning how to dress themselves. Remember to be patient with your child, break down the steps, and provide opportunities for your child to actively problem solve. Below are related blogs and handouts to help facilitate motor planning skills with your child.  

Check out our Motor Planning Handout 

We hope you find this post helpful. Click HERE for more resources.

Have a question for us or a topic you want to learn more about? Send us a message HERE or leave a comment!