Melissa Petcu shares:

Ever wonder why Occupational Therapists have your child crawl, or complete animal walks? Was your child one that skipped crawling and went straight to walking? I can imagine your surprise when your child’s occupational therapist got your child down on all fours after hearing that they did not crawl.

Crawling does great things for one’s development. It strengthens hand and arm muscles used for handwriting, develops trunk flexibility and rotation, and promotes bilateral integration. Bilateral integration is important for one’s development as it requires the two sides of the brain to work together to process information and produce responses. By completing tasks that require both sides of the body, such as crawling and animal walks, the brain gets more chances to integrate information from both sides of the body.

Try incorporating some animal walks into your older child’s play time, and crawling into your younger child’s play time. The extra practice at home will enhance all the hard work your child does at the clinic!