How Does a Strong Core Affect Learning Differences?

 

Many children with learning differences or disability diagnosis have low muscle tone. Their muscles appear floppy. I wrote about this a few weeks ago. http://connectingonepieceatatime.blogspot.com/2015/01/gross-motor-it-more-complicated-than-i.html

You can look at that post for more information. Children who have low muscle usually have a weak core. Does that affect things other than gross motor skills? You bet it does! Let's take a look at the areas it affects.

• Strength and posture – This low muscle tone can cause a child to fatigue quickly. The core muscles affect a child's posture which affects his ability to pay attention. Both of these make learning new tasks more difficult. Improved posture from stronger core muscles will enable the student to try out new skills, play longer with peers at recess because of increased stamina. As the child has better posture and greater muscular strength, there are lots of added benefits. He will participate in lots of activities for a longer duration which will allow him to grow in fine motor, social ability, play skills and language. The stronger muscles help him have experience more which enables him to grow in lots of areas.
  
• Coordination –muscle strength is only one aspect. Let's turn to coordination. With low muscle strength, it is hard to do one part of an activity like jumping jacks. A child needs more than strong core muscles. He has to use those muscles and organize all the steps it takes to do a jumping jack. Jumping jacks involve jumping, arm movements, leg movements and timing/rhythm. Just one of these components may be difficult. But together it seems impossible for a child without a strong core. He needs to practice each element of the task before putting the pieces together.
  
• Social skills – A strong core translate in good gross motor skills. This enables a student to learn new play skills quickly. She masters them without much effort thus allowing her to keep up with the other children. This affords the student a lot more social opportunities.
  

• Sensory - Many children with a weak core and low muscle tone also have sensory integration difficulties. Concentrating on gross motor skills build core strength but also allows your child the opportunity to get some proprioceptive feedback to the joints (which can also help to keep low tone muscles ‘awake’). He will get vestibular input to the inner ear from moving up, down and around. There will be other sensory input but I concentrate on vestibular and proprioceptive because they are so critical to gross motor skills.

A strong core is an important area for development. You will have to try various activities to develop the core. It will take time and diligence to figure out what are workable activities for your child. We did wheelbarrow walking, activities on a large exercise ball and lots of trampolining. Isometric exercises to were done several times a day. Resistance band exercises were another core strengthening activity. Try some core strengthening exercises. Maybe a little Twister! I would love to know what works in your family.

 

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