Development of ideomotor praxis representation

Abstract

To create a short screening instrument to investigate the development of ideomotor praxis representation (IPR), 357 normally developing children between the ages of 21/2 and 91/2 years were investigated. The IPR screening consisted of six mimed actions which had to be performed on verbal request. The greatest change in the representational style is the transition from performing the action using the body as the object to performing with an imaginary object (i.e. symbolic representation). This transition suggests a development from a concrete and egocentric level of performance to an abstract and allocentric level. Before the age of 6 years differences are evident between self‐directed and externally directed gestures. The level of symbolic representation has to be dissociated from the degree of motor precision, which shows hardly any improvement after 6 years of age. With the proposed model one may interpret the level of IPR in clinical practice. IPR screening is clinically relevant from the age of 41/2 years onwards.

A Female Advantage in the Imitation of Gestures by Preschool Children

“…These findings are consistent with a large body of research demonstrating a systematic developmental progression in symbolic gesture production during early childhood (Dewey, 1993;Kaplan, 1968;Kools & Tweedie, 1975;Njiokiktjien et al, 2000;Overton & Jackson, 1973). Our results suggest that non-symbolic gesture imitation may develop along a similar orderly continuum.…”

“…The sex difference we observed appears to be established from an early age. This contrasts with previous studies that reported no sex difference in children's gesture production skills (Cermak et al, 1990;Njiokiktjien et al, 2000;Overton & Jackson, 1973). Those studies, however, employed less refined scoring methods than the one used here, in that they did not separate praxic (motor selection) from nonpraxic (motor execution) errors.…”

“…If such scoring systems are less likely to detect individual variability in limb praxis, it may help to explain why a sex difference has not been reported in previous pediatric research (Cermak et al, 1990;Njiokiktjien et al, 2000;Overton & Jackson, 1973), where such scoring systems have been prevalent. The present findings illustrate the importance of using a more elaborated and refined scoring system.…”

Nature of motor imitation problems in school‐aged males with autism: how congruent are the error types?

“…In a group of typically developing children, Njiokiktjien and colleagues found a constant maturation of execution precision of imitation and pantomime performances until the age of 6 years. 27 The preference of a body-part-as-an-object grip instead of accurate symbolic grip is also typical for younger children. Typically developing 4-year-old children mime on verbal command a transitive gesture with a body-part-as-an-object grip.…”

Toward a Narrower, More Pragmatic View of Developmental Dyspraxia

“…Njiokiktjien et al 19. examined healthy children to develop a screening instrument for the development of “ideomotor praxis representation.” They defined ideomotor praxis as “the ideation, organization, and execution of single acts (e.g.…”