Graphomotor Skills
Coordination between eyes and hand to perform pencil/paper tasks
Gravitational Insecurity
Extreme fear and anxiety that one will fall when one’s head position changes
Gross Motor
Movements of the large muscles of the body
Gross Motor Skills
Coordinated body movements involving the large muscle groups; for example, running, walking, hopping, climbing, throwing and jumping
Habituation
The neurological process of tuning out familiar sensation
Hand Preference
Right or left-handedness, which becomes established in a child as lateralization of the cerebral hemispheres develops
Hypersensitivity
Oversensitivity to sensory stimuli, characterized by a tendency to be either fearful and cautious, or negative and defiant
Hypersensitivity to Movement
A sense of disorientation and/or avoidance of movement that is linear and/or rotary
Hyposensitivity
Under-sensitivity to sensory stimuli, characterized by a tendency either to crave intense sensations or to withdraw and be difficult to engage
Inner Drive
Self-motivation to participate actively in experiences that promote sensory integration and mastery of an activity
Integration
The ability to combine and pull together various aspects, sensations, or experiences to form meaningful and successful responses and adaptations
Joint Attention
This is an early-developing social-communicative skill. Joint attention occurs when two people share interest in an object or event and there is an understanding between the two people that they are both interested in the same object or event.
Joint Compression
Proprioceptive input is a technique that involves pushing between 2 joints for deep pressure. It promotes self-regulation and can be very calming, regulating, and organizing for the brain and nervous system
Kinesthesia
The sense of conscious awareness of joint position and body movement in space, such as knowing where to place one’s feet when climbing stairs, without visual cues. An awareness of the direction, strength, and speed of body movements
Laterality
Ability to determine left from right on self
Lateralization
The process of establishing preference of one side of
the brain for directing skilled motor function on the opposite side of the body, while the opposing side is used for stabilization. Lateralization is necessary for crossing midline and establishing hand preference
Linear Movement
Motion in a line, from front to back, side to side, or up and down
Low Tone
The lack of adequate supportive muscle tone, usually with increased mobility at the joints tending to a looseness or floppy posture or movement
