Normal Development of the Hand and Upper Extremity
Presented by Jill Peck-Murray and Mary Faussett
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Meet your instructors
Jill Peck-Murray
Jill Peck-Murray, MOTR/L, CHT, is a pediatric hand therapist. She worked as an occupational therapist/hand therapist at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, CA from 1982 through 2017. During her 35 years, she gained expertise, with special skills in creative splinting/orthotic intervention, and developed the hand therapy…
Mary Faussett
Mary “Peggy” Faussett is an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist. She graduated with a master’s in occupational therapy in 2001 from Chatham University. She became a certified hand therapist in 2012. Peggy currently works at Children’s Hospital Colorado as the program coordinator for the pediatric hand therapy…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Components of Hand Skills
This chapter will describe the complex components of hand use. It will have the viewer analyze their own hand use to observe that multiple muscles, bones, and soft tissue work together in harmony. The child’s primary occupations of play, education, and activities of daily living are all dependent upon adequate hand skills. The hands are critical for interacting with the environment and influence the development of cognition, language, and sensory integration.
2. Development of the Hand and Upper Extremity in Utero
This chapter will discuss the normal process of embryonic growth for the hand and limb from the first stages of limb bud development through development of the individual parts. It will describe the initial movements of the limb and child’s first in utero hand use.
3. Development of Hand Skills From Birth to 12 months
This chapter will present the development of hand skills chronologically from birth to 12 months. During the first few months, foundation skills are developing, which will allow for progression to weight-bearing, grasp, release, and bimanual skills in later months. It will highlight how a child begins to interact with toys, utensils, and his environment.
4. Development of Hand Skills From 1 Year to 5 Years
This chapter will present the development of hand skills chronologically from 1 to 5 years. The toddler shows improving proximal control, which allows for beginning of controlled arm movements for distal use, including grasping, releasing, and enhanced manipulation of objects. As the child grows, he develops tool use, in-hand manipulation, and refined control.
5. Development of Hand Skills From 5 years and Older
This chapter will present the development of hand skills chronologically from 5 years to teenage years. The child’s in-hand manipulation improves and allows for complex rotation of objects. Mature pencil grasp patterns allow for development of good handwriting speed and legibility. Reaction times, hand-eye coordination, and complexity of bimanual skills increases, which allows the older child and teen to participate in sports, playing musical instruments, and use of computers.
6. Review of Bone Changes and Developmental Progression
This chapter will review the bony ossification of the hand and arm and its ramifications for therapy. Bones are also lengthening in the growing child, but this can be disrupted by acquired or congenital issues. To summarize the hand skills development, there is a review of the developmental progression of grasp, release, in-hand manipulation, and pencil grasp.