Course:KIN355/2020 Projects/Ulnar Grasp
Defining the Concept and Its Importance
The ulnar grasp, also known as the crude palmar grasp, is a type of power grip that involves the flexion of the ring and pinky fingers around an object (Dosman et al., 2012). A power grip is a type of grasp that involves the thumb and other fingers (Garcia Alvarez, 2017) such as the palmar grasp and radial grasp. Although the flexion of the thumb is not involved in the ulnar grasp, the thenar eminence or the palm is used to apply counter pressure and stabilize the object (Napier, 1956). The ulnar grasp is the first type of voluntary grasp that emerges after the integration of the palmar grasp reflex and typically occurs around the fifth or sixth month of development (Dosman et al., 2012; Gerbert et al., 2010). Despite the ulnar grasp being ineffective for holding objects and developing precision (Butterworth et al., 1998), it is important since it acts as a precursor to future grasps such as the palmar grasp, the radial palmar grasp and the pincer grasp, which are needed for the proper development of fine motor skills. The ulnar grasp is difficult to observe since it is only present until the 8th month of development (Butterworth et al., 2011) and it typically appears around the same time as the integration of the palmar grasp reflex (Beuret et al., 2017) which can make it difficult to differentiate the two types of grasp.
Grasping is especially important for children in the sensorimotor stage of Piaget’s cognitive development theory (Berninger, 1988). In this stage, children are learning about their environment through their senses; touch, smell, taste, vision, hearing, proprioception and vestibular (Raypole & Gill, 2019; Siegler et al., 2018). Since children lack the language ability to ask about their environment, grasping and manipulating objects is particularly important since it allows them to learn about how objects work while engaging in exploratory and constructive play (Siegler et al., 2018). It is common to see infants grab objects and place them in their mouths since this allows them to learn about the object through a sense other than touch. As they are discovering new objects and experiences, they are also learning about basic movement principles such as force production and direction, force absorption, gravity, as well as their relationships to objects (Bredin, 2020b). By the age of 3, children will also develop the concept of laterality and lateral preference which will lead to faster development of manipulative skills and muscular strength in their preferred hand (Bredin, 2020c; Bryden, 2000). Developing these fine motor skills not only allows them to grasp objects but will also lead to a variety of other movements needed in everyday life such as writing, drawing, and eating.
Role in Childhood Development and Contemporary Considerations
In a motor and physical domain, grasping is a sub-skill of many gross motor skills such as reaching, throwing and catching and therefore must be developed before the acquisition of the gross motor skill. For example, children who want to play on an apparatus in a playground must have developed the fine motor and grasping skills to hold onto ropes and monkey bars to be able to perform the gross motor skill effectively. Fine motor skills are also required for the completion of many daily tasks children learn in infancy such as eating, both with hands and with cutlery, getting dressed, tying shoes and brushing teeth. When developing independence in children, it is important for children to have acquired these fine motor skills and to be able to complete these tasks on their own to build confidence in themselves and their movement skills (Farmer et al., 2017).
As children develop manipulative skills, which refers to the “basic motor skills that involve the control of objects to receive, exert a force or maintain control over an object while moving” (Bredin, 2020c) they will be learning about their environment and developing their sense of exploration and curiosity (Adolph & Franchak, 2017). As mentioned in the previous section, manipulative skills are particularly important in infancy since they allow for the acquisition of knowledge through our senses and play a key role in the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. Sensory integration refers to the “process of receiving information from our various senses, organizing it, and using it together to participate in our various activities” (Bredin, 2020c). By grasping objects, infants can make noise by rattling or dropping an object, can discover visual stimuli by moving it around and seeing new colours, and can discover different textures and shapes by feeling the objects. These various sensory inputs provide them with information about each of their senses and contribute to the sensory integration the child is experiencing in their environment. For example, a child grasping and shaking a rattle is not only learning about the control they can have over objects in their environment but also about the sounds and movement they can create by grasping this object. In this process, children are also learning from their proprioceptive senses by moving their body and becoming aware of their relationship to the environment. They will learn about their effort awareness by picking up objects of various masses and develop underlying concepts about gravity, force production and Newton’s law of action-reaction (Bredin, 2020b).
Grasping and fine motor skills are very closely associated with further development in cognition. Many toys used to develop fine motor skills also focus on early cognitive concepts such as matching shapes and colours (Bredin, 2020a). These types of toys allow children to engage in a variety of play types such as constructive, exploration and functional play that will in turn enhance their acquisition of fine motor skills and early cognitive abilities. These fine motor skills need to be established at a young age since they are required for the acquisition of more precise and refined fine motor skills. For example, in a school setting, activities such as writing, drawing, colouring and cutting all require a foundation of fine motor skills. In addition, the early acquisition and proficiency of fine motor skills have been associated with better academic achievement and higher cognitive ability (Cadoret et al., 2017). The development and acquisition of fine motor skills such as grasping have also been associated with earlier language development in infancy and toddlerhood (Gonzalez et al., 2019). Many non-verbal and gestural cues of language require the prior development of grasping and control over small musculature (Iverson, 2010).
Parents and early childcare educators need to be aware of the development of fine motor skills to promote activities that could help these skills develop. Teachers and parents can provide their children with objects that are easier to grab since a large or oddly shaped object can be difficult for a child to wrap their fingers and children have not yet developed the muscles needed to grasp that object (Flatt, 2000).
It is important to be aware of the fact that delays in grasp development could indicate the presence of a developmental problem or disability. For example, the lack of integration of the reflexive palmar grasp after 6 months could indicate problems with the cortical myelination and lead to poorly developed fine motor skills and a hypersensitive palm to tactile stimuli (Beuret et al., 2017). Additionally, failure to grasp objects in early childhood could also indicate dyspraxia, which is a neurological disorder that impacts motor development and could inhibit the development of certain fine motor skills (Polatajko & Cantlin, 2005).
Practical Applications
To avoid the misfortunes of children lacking in fine motor skills, it is imperative that early childhood educators are equipped with adequate tools to initiate and advance the learning of the various grasps available to children. With respect to the ulnar grasp, it has already been stated that it acts more as a precursor to future and more powerful grasps such as the palmar grasp, radial palmar grasp, and the pincer grasp. This indicates its importance, because its function as a precursor determines the strength and proficiency of the grasps that follow as the child develops. Resultantly, its acquisition surely holds value and must be taught in a way that is accessible to all children. Two methods of teaching the ulnar grasp will be discussed in detail to provide educators with an arsenal of learning tools for the benefit of young developing children.
Activity 1: Pinky-Ring Relay
Purpose: The first of these methods is a game that utilizes the ulnar grasp as a fine motor skill. The purpose of this game is to put emphasis on children utilizing the ulnar grip in isolation. The rules of the game refuse the use of any other grip because the goal of the game is simply to put children in a position to actively focus on utilizing the ulnar grip. One of the most basic ways to strengthen any part of our bodies is to actually use it. Many muscles and joints become weak due to severe underuse. The ulnar grasp in isolation, is rarely used therefore this is the perfect activity to make the children more aware of this fine motor skill.
Target Age: The onset of the ulnar grip is apparent at 8 months. At this age children are still predominantly under their parents’ care, meaning the formal teaching of the ulnar grip is dependent on the environmental context, which varies for each child. Therefore, by the time they reach preschool and kindergarten ages they can take part in this game within a formal education setting to initiate or advance the acquisition of this skill.
Apparatus/Equipment: The game requires a number of tools to complete the set up. In terms of spatial arrangement, the class will be divided into two teams (team pinky and team ring). Each team will be lined up in single file against the wall on opposite ends of the room. A relatively large table will be placed at the midpoint in the room between the two teams. Upon the table will be two small bins; each team will have a designated bin which will contain an even mix of small rubber balls and small plastic balls. Lasty, each team will also have a small/medium sized bucket. The bucket should be big enough to carry ten balls in total.
Instructions: The procedure of the game is very simple. Each team member must race to the table and place two balls within their bucket before the members of the other team. The first team with ten balls in the bucket wins. But there are strict rules that must be followed. The first and most important rule is that the ulnar grip must be used at ALL times! Carrying the bucket must be done so with the ulnar grip, and picking up the balls must also be done so with an ulnar grip.Since some children may have particularly smaller hands and fingers, they are permitted to have a teammate assist them to and from the table using the ulnar grip as well. The second rule is that each team is only allowed to collect one type of ball. Each team will be assigned either the rubber balls or the plastic balls; throughout the game they must ensure that their bucket only contains the type of ball assigned to them. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. The third and final rule, requires each player to close their eyes while digging through the bin. This promotes the sense of touch, forcing them to distinguish between the rubber and plastic balls using only the sense of feeling.
Modifications: Ideally this game works only in teams of five or less. Based on the amount of space and balls available, bigger teams can be formed. However, if the numbers are too great and the space is too small, there can be four teams assigned instead of two. With this modification, two teams will wait while the other two compete. Then winning teams can face each other , while losing teams face each other in a tournament style format. Additionally, this game can be progressed for classes that appear to be more proficient in the activities necessary for the game. A single leg hop requirement may be added to make it more challenging to move to and from the table, while adding a more advanced locomotor movement leading to more learning.
Activity 2: Ulnar and Pincer Painting
Purpose: The second method of choice is less game like and more of an activity that can be ingrained within the curriculum for creative and motor learning. Ulnar and Pincer Painting makes use of the precursor grip and stronger grip to enhance body awareness, creativity and problem solving. The purpose is to allow the children to experience the differences between both grips and devise solutions to compensate for the weaker grip when performing the same task. Simultaneously, through painting the children will be positioned to learn innovative ways to advance their creativity while abiding by these restrictions to a particular type of grip.
Target Age: The target age for this activity is the same as the game described above. It is ideal to begin teaching these skills as early as possible in the formal education setting, therefore preschoolers, kindergarteners and even early elementary school children can benefit from this activity.
Apparatus/Equipment: A basic colour pallet of paints will be required in addition to paintbrushes and a small canvas. A sheet of paper big enough to cover the desk will also be useful in order to make sure the desk does not end up with several paint markings.
Instructions: The instructions are very straightforward for this activity. Students will be given an allotted time (15-30 minutes) to paint whatever they want using only the pincer grip at first. The following day they arrive, they will be instructed to replicate the same painting using the ulnar grip. Upon completion, they will observe both paintings to see how much of a difference there is, and over the course of the term, the students will strive to reduce the differences through their own strategies based on the experience they receive.
Modifications: This activity can be done with any other type of skill such as writing for example. To progress this activity, educators can go even further by making the students use their non preferred hand as well.
Summary
The ulnar grasp is the first step towards fine motor hand function, serving as a precursor to future grasps; palmar, radial-palmar, and pincer. The ulnar grasp involves ring and pinkie finger flexion, stabilizing the object in hand. The ulnar grasp is difficult to distinguish as it is an ineffective way to hold objects and develops around the same time as the palmar grasp reflex; first 6-8 months of development. Grasping is essential in cognitive development as children use their senses to learn about their surroundings - the ability to hold and manipulate objects aids future development of fine motor skills.
References
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