Fine Motor
Small, precise hand and finger movements such as pinching, gripping, and turning.
Everyday example: Fastening a button or holding a spoon.
Skills Supporting Daily Activities
The building blocks behind every daily task. Choose a skill to see what it means in plain language, how it shows up in everyday life, and three starter activities to try at home.
Pick a Skill
Each page has a plain-language explanation, everyday examples, three starter activities with an easier and a harder version, and ideas for noticing how your child participates.
Gross Motor
Large movements of the arms, legs, and trunk, like walking, climbing, and jumping.
Everyday example: Climbing stairs or getting in and out of a chair.
Bilateral Coordination
Using both sides of the body together, sometimes doing the same thing and sometimes doing different jobs.
Everyday example: Holding paper with one hand while cutting with the other.
Crossing Midline
Reaching across the middle of the body with a hand or foot.
Everyday example: Reaching across the table to pick up a cup.
Motor Planning
Thinking up, organizing, and carrying out the steps of a movement.
Everyday example: Climbing onto a stool to reach the sink.
Body Awareness
Knowing where the body is, how big it is, and how its parts move.
Everyday example: Finding the sleeve when putting on a jacket.
Proprioceptive Input
Feedback from muscles and joints when pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying.
Everyday example: Carrying a bag of groceries or pushing a laundry basket.
Tactile Tolerance
Comfort with different textures and touch, like clothing, food, soap, and water.
Everyday example: Washing hands with soap or wearing a new shirt.
Visual Motor
Matching what the eyes see with what the hands and body do.
Everyday example: Copying a shape or pouring water into a cup.
Visual Perception
Making sense of what the eyes see, like shapes, sizes, positions, and details.
Everyday example: Finding a matching sock or spotting a favorite food on a crowded shelf.
Attention
Focusing on a task, staying with it, and shifting to something new when needed.
Everyday example: Staying with a short task like washing hands.
Following Directions
Understanding and carrying out spoken, shown, or pictured instructions.
Everyday example: Putting shoes on and then picking up a backpack.
Sequencing
Putting the steps of a task in order, from first to last.
Everyday example: Washing hands in the right order.
Self-Regulation
Noticing and managing energy, feelings, and sensory needs so a child can take part.
Everyday example: Taking a break when sounds feel too loud.
Social Participation
Taking part in shared activities with others, at the child's own pace.
Everyday example: Playing side by side or taking a turn in a game.
Skills Work Together
Real routines rarely use just one skill. Several skills usually work at the same time, so a challenge in one task can come from more than one place.
- Dressing: bilateral coordination, body awareness, motor planning, sequencing, and tactile tolerance all work together to get a shirt on.
- Eating: fine motor skills, visual motor skills, and proprioceptive input help with holding a spoon and getting food to the mouth.
- Grooming: sequencing, tactile tolerance, and self-regulation come into play during brushing teeth, washing, and hair care.
- Play: gross motor skills, attention, following directions, and social participation shape how a child joins in.
- Household routines: attention, following directions, and sequencing help with chores like setting the table or putting things away.
Written by Chinaedu Okwumabua, an occupational therapy assistant with more than 20 years of experience supporting children with autism and developmental delays.
See It in Action
Every AutismWhispers challenge page lists the specific skills involved, so you can see how a daily task and a skill connect.
See the Short-Sleeve T-Shirt GuideThis information is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for an individualized occupational therapy evaluation, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child is different, so choose activities that suit your child, and adjust or stop whenever needed.