Move to Learn: Motor Planning, Posture & Participation Across Contexts

Credit

Handouts/Brochure

Speaker

Karen Pryor, PhD, PT, DPT, CH, CFPS Related seminars and products

Health Sphere Wellness Center

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Karen Pryor, PhD, PT, DPT, CH, CFPS, has a doctorate in physical therapy and has practiced for 40 years in the field. Dr. Pryor is the owner of Health Sphere Wellness Center, an integrative therapy clinic in Nashville, Tennessee. Involved with early intervention in the birth-three population for over 30 years, she has developed neuroplasticity techniques that are used in a wide variety of settings, including homes, childcare centers, and school systems, to advanced pediatric therapy programs.

Dr. Pryor serves on several boards, including the Leadership Interagency Council for Early Intervention (2014-2019), a position to which she was appointed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. In 2010, she received the President's Volunteer Service Award for her contributions to the advanced treatment of children from President Barack Obama. In addition to her work with children, Dr. Pryor has served as an adjunct professor at the Tennessee State University Occupational Therapy Assistant program. She is a clinical instructor for several universities and colleges. With her years of experience and passion for complete wellness, Dr. Pryor advances a more expansive view of how to integrate therapy throughout the lifespan by using neuroplasticity techniques.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Karen Pryor is the owner of Health Sphere Wellness Center, LLC and is a field examiner for PDMS-3. She has employment relationships with Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Physical Therapy School, the Daymar Physical Therapy Assistant School and the Volunteer State Community College. She is a paid consultant for Evergreen Certifications. Karen Pryor receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Karen Pryor is a reviewer with Tennessee Physical Therapy Association and American Physical Therapy Association. She is an Ambassador for National Down Syndrome Society. She serves on the editorial board for APTA Journal.

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Objectives

1. Identify functional motor planning challenges—including dyspraxia, low tone, and postural control issues—commonly observed in clients with ADHD and Autism.
2. Differentiate between motor-based, sensory-based, and executive-function-based causes of task avoidance or difficulty.
3. Implement movement-based interventions that support proprioception, postural stability, and motor engagement across clinic, classroom, and home routines.

Outline

I. Introduction: Movement as the Missing Link

• Motor challenges in ADHD & Autism: what gets missed and why
• The functional cost of poor motor planning: confidence, behavior, and participation

II. Functional Motor Skill Development Across Contexts

• Role of fine/gross motor skills in daily life: handwriting, dressing, feeding, transitions
• Signs of dyspraxia and motor coordination disorders
• Identifying low tone and its functional impact: seated posture, midline crossing, fatigue
• Observation tips: what to watch for in clinic, school, or home settings

III. Orthopedic Overlap: Hypermobility, Instability & Endurance

• ADHD/Autism overlap with joint instability and connective tissue differences
• How fatigue and proprioceptive mismatch impact safety and participation
• When "sensory seeking" is compensation for poor motor control

IV. Body Awareness, Posture & Proprioception

• Body schema and movement planning: what goes wrong in the brain-body loop
• Proprioceptive and vestibular input as regulatory and organizing tools
• Movement-based interventions to support engagement, attention, and regulation
• Real-world case examples: what works and why

V. Clinical Reasoning: Motor vs. Sensory vs. Executive

• Functional comparison: why the “why” behind the behavior matters
• Decision tree thinking: how to sort root causes when a child avoids movement
• Real-time adaptation: adjusting task complexity, environment, and cueing
• HEP considerations when initiation or sequencing is a barrier

VI. Task Adaptation & Goal Development

• Matching intervention to client profile: tone, coordination, praxis, frustration tolerance
• Functional goal examples for PT and OT (e.g., dressing, bike riding, handwriting)
• Classroom and home adaptations that build confidence—not dependence
• Strategies for progression: scaffolding motor skills across environments

Target Audience

• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Physical Therapists
• Physical Therapy Assistants
• Speech-Language Pathologists