Psychomotor Abilities
Let us begin by describing the clumsy person, who technically may be described as having "motor difficulties" or in need of remedial "perceptual motor learning." He can be the child who always gets chosen last in games, who is slow learning to ride a bike, and who cannot seem to catch a ball. He may even be handicapped in writing with a pencil. Whether or not he outgrows his clumsiness (and many do not) he has taken a lot of psychological punishment from his peers and has built up various compensations as he tries to work around his handicaps. But the clumsy person is not alone, at least statistically. It is estimated that some 20 percent of all school-age youngsters have psychomotor handicaps. And it is important to remember that they are. not "just stupid." They vary over the entire IQ range. Although' we do not know why, more boys than girls suffer from psychomotor difficulties. The causes may range from birth injuries to a lack of oxygen supply to the brain during the prenatal state. The perceptual-motor handicapped person often has an excellent hereditary background in terms of his or her gene structure. One authority says: "The prognosis for these kids is pretty good, if we catch them young enough. We give them writing help, have them practice tightrope walking and teach them to turn somersaults on padded mats. We try to add a little to their self-image."
The application of psychomotor skill ranges wicely, from threading a needle to flying an airplane. The ability to use one's sensory-motor equipment efficiently is necessary in many job situations and in many walks of life-for example, it! dentistry, surgery, science, engineering, and in the various skilled trades.
