Bilateral Coordination
What is it? Using two or more body parts together (i.e. both hands) to manipulate, hold, and/or stabilize task objects without fumbling task objects or letting them slip from one’s grasp (AOTA, 2014, p. S25).
Why is it important? Bilateral coordination is a skill necessary for occupations across the lifetime such as:
- Bathing/showering/grooming (washing hair; squeezing soap/shampoo out of a container)
- Dressing (fastening buttons, zippers, snaps, laces; putting on and adjusting clothing/shoes)
- Feeding (cutting up food)
- Academic tasks and performance (writing, cutting, etc.)
- Play activities
- Driving (steering with the steering wheel, shifting gears, etc.)
- Housekeeping/cleaning
- Cooking (cutting food, placing pans into the oven, etc.)
- Job performance
- Leisure activities
5 activities to try at home:
1. Rolling out dough or play-doh with a rolling pin.
Tip: Have the child attempt to open the play-doh container by themselves and take it out!
2. Ripping tissue paper/newspaper and crumpling ripped pieces into small balls.
Tip: You can either turn the activity into a craft and glue the crumpled paper onto the craft or throw crumpled balls into containers/at targets.
3. Cutting activity.
Tip: Choose from free printables online or create your own craft!
4. Threading beads onto string.
Tip: You can use uncooked pasta noodles that have a hole in the center if you do not have beads!
5. Clapping bubbles.
Tip: Blow bubbles and have the child clap both hands together to pop the bubbles.
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (3rd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(Suppl. 1), S1-S48.
