Therapists

Movement, Performance, and Cognition

“Movement cannot be separated from perception and cognition; these processes are continually and dynamically interacting. The acts of perceiving and planning are always in reference to eventual movement, and the movement is part of what is being remembered. Over a lifetime, I believe, these interactions with the world construct our cognition and maintain it.” [emphasis mine] (Thelen, 2004). The energy spent constructing a world of objects, sights, sounds, colors, shapes, dimensions, and directions is enormous. Without the incredible and finely tuned machine called our body, our brain would be at a loss to describe the world. Our ability to see, touch, feel, hear, move, and control ourselves in relationship to the environment is the slate that academic learning is etched on (Oden, 2006). For a child to communicate his desires, his thoughts, or his knowledge, motor skills are necessary, for example, in the form of writing, speaking, or keyboarding. These motor skills which accomplish a task are born of multiple system interactions, according to the Dynamic Systems Theory. This theory, which is the current guide for our understanding of development and movement, states that movement emerges not through a single cause and effect of sensory stimulus-motor response, but through the interaction of various systems: brain, spinal, and peripheral structures along with biomechanical, environmental and social structures available at the moment, including the particular task at hand (Bundy & Murray, 2002; VanSant, 2003). Movement is the end result of all the possibilities and constraints(limitations or restrictions) offered by all the contributing systems. Possibilities and constraints can even include growth issues such as the arm length of a six year old. The Dynamic Systems Theory views the brain’s function in the movement as a whole; the actual output of the brain to the external world is manifested as movement (Bertoti, 2004). The development and organization of postural control is built on prior experiences, as is the ability to plan any successful action (VanSant, 2005). Because the many systems self-organize with experience, preferred patterns of motor behavior will emerge. They will reflect the most efficient pattern available to the child at a certain time, in a defined environment, dealing with a particular task. Whether that task is jumping, writing, or remaining still in a classroom chair, all sensory and motor system abilities form the foundation for the performance of that task. Therefore, the Ready Bodies Motor Lab addresses the needs of all students in task-oriented circuit training, supported by consistent, foundational exercises, offering developmental support for each system.