Normal Development of Functional Motor Skills

No two babies are the same. Each is a unique individual; each has a personal inventory of abilities and achievements. In this comprehensive and thoroughly illustrated resource, three renowned child-developement specialists - Rona Alexander, Ph.D., CCC-SP; Regi Boehme, OTR; Barbara Cupps, PT - discuss the process of development during the first year of life. The text follows the development of the typical infant from newborn to age 12 months in these vital areas: (1) postural control, (2) gross motor skills, (3) fine motor skills, (4) oral-motor and respiratory functions, and (5) speech and language. Included with each chapter is a summary chart and list of reference materials.

Rona Alexander, Ph.D., CCC-SP, is a speech–language pathologist specializing in assessment and treatment of oral–motor and respiratory–phonatory–sound production functioning in infants and children with neuromotor involvement. She maintains a private practice, is a part-time staff member at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and conducts workshops on oral–motor and respiratory–phonatory development, assessment, and treatment. She is a qualified speech instructor in Neuro-Developmental Treatment.Although Normal Development of Functional Motor Skills is Rona's first book for Therapy Skill Builders, she has contributed chapters on oral–motor/feeding and respiratory–phonatory function to numerous publications.After receiving an A.B. degree in speech pathology and audiology from Indiana University, Rona continued in the speech pathology field to receive an M.A. degree from New York University and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a member of NDTA, AACPDM, and ASHA. In 1990 she received the Outstanding Clinical Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Speech–Language–Hearing Association.

Regi Boehme, OTR/L, has been involved with the assessment and treatment of neurologically challenged children and adults for more than 25 years. She owns and operates a Milwaukee-based treatment clinic and a treatment center near Billings, Montana, providing assessment and treatment for pediatric and adult patients from around the world. She provides international clinical training programs for physical, occupational, and speech therapists.Normal Development of Functional Motor Skills is Regi's second publication for Therapy Skill Builders, who is also a distributor for many of her clinical practice manuals. Her first book, Improving Upper Body Control, concerns upper extremity assessment and treatment of patients with neurological challenges.Regi received a B.S. degree in occupational therapy from Western Michigan University. She is a registered Occupational Therapist with AOTA and is licensed in both Wisconsin and Montana. She has been a certified NDT Occupational Therapy Instructor since 1979.Barbara Cupps, PT, is a physical therapist with her own private practice in Milwaukee. She is a coordinator instructor of basic and advanced courses in pediatric Neuro-Developmental Treatment and gives numerous seminars and short courses pertaining to assessment and treatment of children who have central nervous system dysfunction.Normal Development of Functional Motor Skills is Barbara's first publication with Therapy Skill Builders. After receiving a B.S. degree in physical therapy from Marquette University, Barbara continued her education with courses in Neuro-Developmental Treatment as well as other treatment approaches. She is a member of APTA and NDTA.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHYRegi Boehme graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.S. degree in occupational therapy. She is a certified occupational therapy instructor in neurodevelopmental treatment and has lectured internationally on topics related to neurological dysfunction. Her Milwaukee-based treatment clinic provides assessment, treatment, and consultation services for both pediatric and adult patients from around the world.ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATORJohn Boehme graduated from St. Norberts College with a B.S. degree in psychology. His avocation of stained glass designing has led to his "love of line" which is expressed in his illustrations. He is the executive director of Boehme Workshops, offering state-of-the-art continuing education opportunities for individuals involved in the care of children with neurological dysfunction.