Hand Function 7-24 Month Period
Intro[edit | edit source]
Development of Hand Function[edit | edit source]
Development of hand function for infants occurs in two processes; cascades in development and perception-action loops with embedded exploration and selection.
Cascades in Development[edit | edit source]
Hand development in infancy is formed by previous learned skills. New skills are a combination of established development with new skill acquistion. Hand function begins by spontaneous movement transitioning into intentional goal-directed play.
Perception-Action Loops with Embedded Exploration and Selection[edit | edit source]
Infants will use repeated trials to learn new skills. With each opportunity they learn how to vary their movement to attain success. Some patterns of movements will be fruitful than others. Performing an action repetitively allows for different sensory feedback as a consequence of their movement. This process of executing various movement patterns over repetitive trials refers to the perception-action loop.
7-12 Month Period[edit | edit source]
Purposes of the hand during this period:
- As part of the postural and locomotor systems
- including learning to balance in sitting, crawling and buttock shuffling, cruising.
- For communication and in social interactions
- For picking up, moving and manipulating objects
- to explore their different properties and what can be done with them.
