Psychomotor activities for children

Since October 2017, the UJEP Faculty of Health Studies (FZS) has been organising regular Wednesday group psychomotor activities  for children during the academic year, under the guidance of Mgr. Petra Pecharová. The activities are suited to children showing delayed speech development or specifically impaired speech development (developmental dysphasia, developmental dysarthria), developmental dyspraxia, impaired social skills, reduced ability to concentrate and hyperactivity.

The exercises use occupational therapy, physiotherapy and special pedagogical procedures. The sessions are held at a gym, sensory gym and an occupational therapy workshop.

In January 2018  sessions focused on individual neuro-developmental stimulation featuring elements of occupational therapy and sensory integration were started for children with uneven psychomotor development, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, and for „clumsy“ or „awkward” children and those who fail to achieve performance levels normally attainable for their peers in the area of motor skills, cognitive functions or self-sufficiency.

The sessions are organised as agreed on a case-by-case basis, approximately once every 14 days under the guidance of Mgr. Petra Pecharová.

Since 2019 face-to-face psychomotor activity events for children have been organised using the BalanceTutor device. We are currently the only workplace in the Czech Republic that uses the BalanceTutor device for child clients. The exercises are suited to children showing developmental dyspraxia, impaired movement coordination, or children who are awkward and timid. The exercises are focused on the development of proprioception (position perception and movement perception), development of the vestibular (balance) system, improving bodily responses to unexpected stimuli and improving the cooperation of the cerebral hemispheres.

The exercises involve using balance pads and the BalanceTutor device (a device used in training smooth walk and running, managing the risks of falling and automating work with the body’s centre of gravity).

The exercise sessions are held as agreed on a case-by-case basis, and about once every 1-2 weeks under the guidance of Mgr. Petra Pecharová.