Activities and motor learning and control parameters
| Descriptors | |
| Motor activity | |
| Hand actions | Reaching, grasping, catching, throwing, drawing, punching or colouring |
| Games | Connect Four, Jenga, white board and pens |
| Toys and objects | Balloons, punching bag, balls, marbles, cars, bowling pins, strings, light-emitting and sound-emitting buzzers, constructions blocks, small cups and shape-like puzzles |
| Motor learning parameters | |
| Task nature | Discrete: Task characterised by a defined start and end. Continuous: Motor task that stops arbitrarily. Serial: An orderly sequence of discrete tasks |
| Movement repetitions | 30–50 trials |
| Motor skill progression | 50% success required to progress the complexity of the motor task: object features (size, shape, or weight) and task constraints (pointing vs grasping) |
| Motor practice | First practice without objects. Then, objects are incorporated. Whole-task training is emphasised. However, in case of learning deficits, a part-task training following a segmentation method is applied (ie, splitting the motor activity into components so that the first component is trained first, and then this component is combined with the second, and set forth) |
| Sequence skill progression | Motor task variations are progressively trained in a sequence from less to more complex |
| Verbal feedback | In case of learning deficits of the task goal or how to perform it, verbal feedback is incorporated. Knowledge of results (action outcomes) is prioritised over knowledge of performance (movement-based information). A bandwidth mode with a 50% acceptable performance error will be delivered as terminal feedback after motor practice of a block of trials (eg, in block of 10 trials, feedback is delivered after 5 unsuccessful trials) |
| Motor randomisation | Motor variability (eg, object location varies and moving vs stationary targets) and motor parameters (ie, control strategies) are addressed during postural and reaching tasks performed beyond maximum reaching distance |
| Motor control parameters | |
| Control precision | Ability to perform rapid and precise movements to control devices, games, or toys |
| Response orientation | Ability to move to specific direction/s |
| Arm movement speed | Ability to perform rapid arm movements |
| Rate control | Ability to time continuous anticipatory and compensatory movements in response to speed/directional changes |
| Multilimb coordination | Ability to move and coordinate upper extremities to achieve symmetrical/asymmetrical bilateral tasks |
| Manual dexterity | Ability to perform skilful in-hand movements |
| Finger dexterity | Ability to perform skilful finger movements with small objects such as coins |
| Arm-hand steadiness | Ability to maintain steady hand-arm and/or postures during an interval of time |
| Wrist, finger speed | Ability to perform rapid and repetitive wrist and finger movements |
| Aiming and accuracy | Ability to move the hand or finger to static and/or moving targets of different dimensions/shapes or throwing tasks that demand visual accuracy |
| Reaction time | Ability to respond as quick as possible with rapid postural/reaching movements to external visual/auditory cues |