GM.A.47 SITTING, FULLY DEVELOPED TRUNK BALANCE REACTIONS PRESENT

GM.A.47, GM.A.48 and GM.A.49 look at 3 different aspects of sitting balance. We suggest that you read through all 3 items together. If the child’s balance is upset in silting, she is now able to save herself in 1 or 2 ways. She can use her arm as a prop to the side and so prevent a sideways fall (see GM.A. 49), and she can also use her trunk and extremities to save herself when she is tipped to the side.

This trunk balance is extremely important. We all use our trunks, in the first instance, to save ourselves from falling, and we put our arms out to prop only when trunk balance reactions alone are not enough to save us or if we are taken by surprise.

How to Assess

Materials: A balance board, large beach ball or chair – some surface which can easily be tilted to the side.

Method: Sit your child on the mobile surface, with her legs off the ground. She must not hold on with her hands, so place them on her knees or give her two toys to hold. Be ready to support her if she begins to fall. Tip the surface to the side. Score plus if your child reacts by lengthening the downhill side of her trunk and curving the uphill side, and bringing the downhill shoulder around towards the uphill hip, and taking the arm and leg of the uphill side out to the side.

How to Teach

This skill is a combination of all the skills practised in GM.A.27, GM.A.34, GM.A.35, GM.A.38, GM.A.40, GM.A.42, GM.A.43 and GM.A.44. If your child is having difficulty with trunk balance, assess her again on all these skills and continue to practise them.