Transforming Gross Motor Skill Delays Through Music and Movement: A Physio-Led Approach

Introduction: The Power of Physio-Led Movement for Gross Motor Skills

As physiotherapists for children, we witness daily the incredible power of music in supporting children’s movement skills development. For children under 5 who benefit from tailored support and an inclusive environment, dance and music offer a unique avenue for growth, therapy, and pure joy. We've seen firsthand how integrating gross motor skills activities can unlock a child's potential.

Why Combine Music and Movement for Gross Motor Skills?

Combining music and movement is a fantastic strategy for developing a range of essential skills. Here’s why it’s so effective, especially for enhancing gross motor skills development:

• Improved Gross Motor Skills: Dance is a fantastic way for children to develop and refine their gross motor skills, including coordination, balance, and strength. Moving to music encourages body awareness and control through purposeful movements.

• Enhanced Flexibility: Dance involves stretching and moving in ways that improve flexibility and range of motion, which is beneficial for daily activities and overall physical health.

• Boosted Confidence and Self-Esteem: As children learn new skills and express themselves through movement, they gain confidence in their abilities and experience a sense of achievement.

• Social Interaction and Friendship: Group dance and music activities provide a supportive environment for children to interact with their peers, develop social skills, and build friendships.

• Emotional Expression: Music and movement offer a creative outlet for children to express their feelings in a safe and supportive environment, which can be particularly beneficial for those who find verbal communication challenging.

• Cognitive Development: Learning dance routines and sequences helps stimulate cognitive development, improving memory, focus, and problem-solving skills.

• Sensory Integration: The sensory input from music, movement, and physical contact can help children integrate sensory information more effectively.

• Communication: Music encourages both verbal and nonverbal communication, fostering overall developmental growth.

Our Gross Motor Skills Music and Dance Class at Walky Talky Hub: Tailored for Physiotherapy Goals

At the Walky Talky Hub, a multidisciplinary centre for babies and children here in Myaree, Perth, Western Australia, our specialised Movement and Music class is run by a qualified physiotherapist. It's designed to harness the benefits of music for children under 5 who thrive best in an inclusive setting. This class is not just about fun; it's specifically designed to integrate and achieve a child's individual physiotherapy and gross motor goals in a dynamic and engaging environment. Our focus on gross motor skills activities ensures a therapeutic and enjoyable experience.

We achieve this by:

• Inspiring Movement: Using music to encourage children to move in new and interesting ways, exploring the space and props with freedom.

• Integrating Speech and Music: Combining speech and music techniques to develop vocal play, singing, speech and language skills, and beat competency.

• Socialisation: Creating opportunities for social interaction and awareness of others.

• Targeted Gross Motor Skills: Using music as a motivation to work on specific gross motor skills in response to action songs. This means we are directly addressing core physiotherapy targets through playful activities. We focus on consistent actions and slower-paced songs to help children adapt to the movements and reinforce specific motor patterns crucial for their development.

Key Adaptations in Our Gross Motor Skills Music and Movement Class

Our physiotherapist-led approach means every element of the class is carefully considered to support therapeutic outcomes for gross motor skills development:

• Slower Pace: We use slower-paced songs with modifications at half speed and increased repetition. This allows children more time to process instructions and execute movements, which is vital for motor learning and skill acquisition, directly contributing to their physiotherapy goals of motor control and endurance.

• Consistent Actions: We use consistent actions across many songs to allow children more time to adapt. For example, focusing on a "jumping" song rather than switching between jumping, hopping, and stomping. This consistency builds motor memory and strength in specific muscle groups, directly supporting targeted gross motor development.

• Flexible Prop Use: We provide opportunities for children to freely explore movement with props to instrumental music as well as action songs without props. We've found that sometimes the combination of props and actions can overwhelm children, leading to less engagement. By separating these, we ensure children can focus on the movement, facilitating better motor planning and execution related to their physical goals.

• Carefully Selected Songs: We carefully select songs that align with the children's developmental and specific physiotherapy goals, such as standing on one leg for balance work, squatting for lower limb strengthening, or going up on tiptoes for calf raises. Every song choice has a therapeutic purpose in enhancing gross motor skill interactions.

Examples of Gross Motor Goals We Target with Music and Dance

Through our engaging musical activities, we actively work on gross motor goals such as:

• Getting up and down hills and stairs: Helping them manage uneven ground and steps safely.

• Walking on tiptoes or strengthening their calf muscles: Building strength in their ankles for different movements.

• Bending their knees to squat down: Making it easier to pick up toys, sit down, and play.

• Keeping their balance when moving and stopping: Helping them stay steady on different surfaces and react quickly.

• Stepping up and down from small heights: Practicing getting on and off low steps or play equipment.

• Strengthening their tummy and back muscles (core strength): Building a strong center for better overall movement and stability.

• Standing on one leg: Improving their balance and control.

Introducing: Physiotherapy to Music - Community Gross Motor Skills Music and Dance Classes

For families seeking a unique blend of therapeutic support and engaging fun, we're thrilled to offer our Physiotherapy to Music community-style classes. These sessions are designed to complement and enhance a child's physiotherapy journey, focusing on developing gross motor skills, and are NDIS claimable.

• Community Support with Professional Guidance: You'll experience the camaraderie of community classes with the invaluable support and expertise of a professional physiotherapist guiding every session.

• Intensive Therapy Options: For children who could benefit from more intensive support, these dance sessions can be combined with individual physiotherapy sessions, creating a comprehensive and highly effective approach to their development.

• A Fun Break from Routine: Sometimes, a fresh approach is exactly what's needed. Our Physiotherapy to Music classes offer a wonderful opportunity to take a break from traditional physiotherapy sessions and explore movement in a joyous, different way.

• Inclusive and Welcoming: These classes are perfect for children who love music and dance but might struggle to keep up with the pace of typical community classes or find busy environments overwhelming. We create a low-pressure, sensitive setting where every child can thrive.

• Holistic Development: Beyond gross motor development, the classes challenge and support children's social, communication, and play skills, fostering well-rounded growth.

• Consistent Physiotherapy Access: Participating in these classes provides frequent access to physiotherapy-informed movement, helping children stay on track with their developmental milestones.

Physio with a Difference! Unique Gross Motor Skills Music and Dance Therapy in Perth

Our "Physio with a Difference" class is truly unique, offering a refreshing approach to therapy for gross motor skill development:

• Led by a Physiotherapist: You can rest assured that every session is guided by a qualified physiotherapist, ensuring that all activities are therapeutically beneficial and safe for your child.

• Perfect for Music Lovers: This class is specifically designed for children who thrive on music and are motivated to move when tunes are playing. If your child finds traditional physio sessions boring, cries, or resists, this fun, music-filled environment can be a game-changer.

• Exclusive Equipment: We provide access to fantastic equipment you might not find elsewhere in the community, like our engaging obstacle course, which makes working on those important gross motor skills exciting.

• Flexible and Supportive Structure: Our classes are semi-structured, which means there's enough routine to provide comfort, but also plenty of flexibility. This approach is ideal for children who might struggle with strict instructions or prefer a more adaptable learning environment.

We invite you to learn more about our specific "Physiotherapy to Music" classes and how they can benefit your child by visiting our dedicated page: https://www.walkytalkybaby.com/physio-dance-class

By creating a fun, engaging, and supportive environment that is deeply rooted in paediatric physiotherapy principles, our Movement and Music class at the Walky Talky Hub helps children with diverse movement needs develop essential motor and gross motor skills music and movement, improve their social and emotional well-being, and experience the joy of movement and music, all while progressing towards their unique physical therapy milestones.