{"id":1412,"date":"2025-07-22T08:07:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T08:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/?p=1412"},"modified":"2025-07-22T11:55:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T11:55:15","slug":"elementor-1412","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/?p=1412","title":{"rendered":"What it\u00a0REALLY\u00a0feels like: Helping parents understand apraxia and how to motor coach"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What it REALLY<\/i> feels like: Helping parents understand apraxia and how to motor coach<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A hands-on look at why your nonspeaking child or a nonspeaking adult may struggle to move their body the way they want, and what you can do to help.<\/span><\/p>

Written by: Stefanie Louw, Marquerette M\u00fcller, and Vicky Oettl\u00e9<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Did you know that at least 80% of the autistic population has motor difficulties? This means that autistic people might struggle to move in the same way as nonautistic people. Some autistic people, and particularly nonspeakers, minimal speakers or unreliable speakers, struggle to plan and coordinate their movements. Not because they don’t understand, but because of the disconnect between mind and body. Read on to find out more about this and to learn how to coach a nonspeaker.<\/p>

If they know the answer, why aren\u2019t they able to point to it? <\/span>
<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As parents of nonspeaking, minimally or unreliably speaking individuals, we often wonder:<\/span><\/p>

  • Why can\u2019t they just point to the letter or pick up an object when we ask them to?<\/span><\/li>
  • They know the answer, so why can\u2019t they write it, or type it independently?<\/li><\/ul>

    One possible answer is <\/span>apraxia<\/span>, a neurological condition that affects <\/span>motor planning<\/span>. It\u2019s not about intelligence or willingness. It\u2019s about the frustrating disconnect between the brain and the body. This means the brain knows and understands, but it\u2019s almost as though the brain and the body are not talking to each other. So what will help, you might ask?\u00a0 Coaching the motor.<\/span><\/p>

    What is motor coaching?<\/span><\/p>

    \u00a0<\/p>

    Motor coaching is all about guiding someone through physical movements by breaking them down into simple, clear steps. It\u2019s especially helpful for people with motor planning challenges, where the brain has trouble telling the body how to do certain actions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    \u00a0<\/p>

    Instead of expecting someone to nail a whole movement at once, motor coaching focuses on teaching each tiny piece slowly and patiently, almost like turning a big, tricky dance routine into small, easy-to-learn moves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    \u00a0<\/b><\/p>

    This way, the individual builds confidence and builds muscle memory step-by-step, making complex actions feel a lot more manageable and less overwhelming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    \u00a0<\/b><\/p>

    Motor coaching example: Standing up from a chair:<\/span><\/p>

    1. \u00a0<\/b>Scoot your bum forward to the edge of the chair<\/span><\/span><\/li>
    2. Place your feet flat on the floor<\/span><\/li>
    3. Put your hands on the armrests or side of the chair<\/span><\/li>
    4. Lean forward a little<\/span><\/li>
    5. Push down with your hands and feet<\/span><\/li>
    6. Straighten legs to stand up<\/span><\/li><\/ol>

      If you\u2019ve never experienced what apraxia and the mind-body disconnect feel like, here\u2019s a simple, eye-opening experiment to try to give yourself a taste of how our spellers experience the world.<\/span><\/p>

      Try This at Home: A Simple Motor Challenge<\/span><\/p>

      Pick an everyday task: writing your name, stacking blocks, or cutting a shape. Now try it with one or more of these constraints:<\/span><\/p>

      • Use your non-dominant hand<\/span><\/p><\/li>

      • Wear gloves<\/span><\/p><\/li>

      • Close your eyes<\/span><\/p><\/li>

      • Wait until someone gives you <\/span>3\u20135 steps all at once<\/span> before you begin<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul>

        How did you feel? You might have suddenly felt like you were clumsy, you might have felt frustrated or even mentally overloaded; you might have even felt as though your body wasn\u2019t listening to your brain. That\u2019s just a <\/span>glimpse<\/span> of what your speller might experience every day.<\/span><\/p>

        What not to do? Be careful of the hand-over-hand pitfall<\/span><\/p>

        In our parent workshops, participants are placed into pairs, and we take things one step further. Sometimes, we will give participants a delayed instruction. After this, we ask the participants to use what is known as hand over hand; one partner is asked to complete the task for the other person <\/span>by moving the participant\u2019s hand for them<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>

        Guess what happens?<\/span><\/p>

        • The \u201cstudent\u201d resists or freezes<\/span><\/p><\/li>

        • They feel out of control or disrespected<\/span><\/p><\/li>

        • They may finish the task, but feel confused or helpless<\/span><\/p><\/li>

        • This takes away their autonomy<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul>

          This is how many nonspeaking children and adults feel when well-meaning adults move their hands without consent. It may look helpful, but it disconnects them from their own body\u2019s learning process.<\/span><\/p>

          So What <\/span>Does<\/span> Help?<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705 Use calm, rhythmic verbal cues: \u201cReach your hand forward\u2026 now open your fingers\u2026 close the fingers\u2026 and lift it up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705 We call this <\/span>motor coaching<\/span>: verb\/action word + a body part<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705 Celebrate effort, not just accuracy. It\u2019s the small things that count.<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705 Focus on <\/span>regulation first<\/span>, a calm body learns better. There is no connection without regulation.<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705 Practice co-regulation: deep breathing, soft voice, grounding presence<\/span>
          <\/span><\/p>

          \u2705 Trust their competence, even when their body doesn\u2019t cooperate<\/span><\/p>

          Remember: Your speller isn\u2019t being lazy, difficult, or noncompliant. Their nervous system is doing its best, and they need your calm, consistent support to get through the motor fog.<\/span><\/p>

          More pitfalls to be mindful of<\/span><\/p>

          \u00a0\u274c <\/span>Overpraising with \u2018good jobs\u2019 and \u2018high-fives\u2019.<\/span> You should be your child\u2019s cheerleader, but constant meaningless praise every time they get something right can be condescending and annoying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705Shift your approach to: \u2018Nice job lifting your arm!\u201d; \u201cLove how you got your eyes on the target!\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

          \u274c Mind your language! <\/span>Don\u2019t baby it down and avoid pitching your voice as if you are talking to a baby or a pet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705Use age-appropriate language and tone. Give clear, concise instructions for each step with supportive motor coaching.<\/span><\/p>

          \u274c Saying the \u2018N\u2019 word – NO! <\/span>Imagine you’re driving to my office and you get lost. You have the address, but somehow you take a wrong turn and call me for help. You tell me where you are, and I respond with, \u201cNope!\u201d or \u201cNo\u201d or \u201cNot that one!\u201d \u2014 how frustrating would that be? <\/span>You already know you\u2019re lost. What you need is helpful, supportive directions to get back on track. That\u2019s exactly how it works with motor coaching. Instead of just saying \u201cno,\u201d respond with a <\/span>clear, supportive prompt<\/span> to guide them toward success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

          \u2705Instead, say \u201cAlmost, let\u2019s try again\u201d \u201cOops, get the one next door\u201d \u201cReach further\u201d and prompt the eyes: \u201cLook for it\u201d \u201cScan with your eyes\u201d.<\/span><\/p>

          Final Thoughts<\/span><\/p>

          Motor coaching isn\u2019t about doing it <\/span>for<\/span> your child. It\u2019s about guiding them to do it themselves, even if that journey is slow, clumsy, or full of resets.<\/span><\/p>

          They don\u2019t need you to control their body.<\/span>
          <\/span>They need you to believe in their mind.<\/span><\/p>

          They need you to support and coach their motor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

          \u00a0<\/p>

          Here\u2019s a challenge for you:<\/strong> Play some Jenga or any other board game with your speller!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

          Remember that you want to coach the motor; not do it for them, but help them to be a part of the fun. <\/span><\/p>

          And lastly, here’s a video to help wrap up all of this information that you have just taken in.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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          What it REALLY feels like: Helping parents understand apraxia and how to motor coach A hands-on look at why your nonspeaking child or a nonspeaking adult may struggle to move their body the way they want, and what you can do to help. Written by: Stefanie Louw, Marquerette M\u00fcller, and Vicky Oettl\u00e9 Did you know […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":"","full":""},"categories_names":{"1":{"name":"Uncategorized","link":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/?cat=1"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1412"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1422,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412\/revisions\/1422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesisuhub.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}