Pinch. Poke. Snap... Helping Kids to Manage Buttons, Zips and More!

We are going to be late! Hurry up!
I can't do this button up! I can't!
Put on your jacket, it's cold out! 
I can't do the zip! I can't!

The morning rush out the door to get to school can often be a struggle.  Getting dressed can be a chore and then there are fastenings on school bags to manage too!

This month in the "Functional Skills for Kids" Series, we look at helping kids with fasteners such as buttons, zippers, snaps (press studs) and more! My blogging colleagues will look at fine motor, gross motor, visual perceptual and sensory motor considerations.  We will also cover when we should expect our kids to manage these tasks and how to incorporate this learning in play.  Find the links for these articles below!
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So it is time for your child to learn how to manage fastenings on their own but where do you begin? It helps to have an understanding of the steps involved with each of these tasks.  I have outlined the steps involved in managing common fastenings here through visual photo sequences. For your printable copy of these sequences, download them HERE!
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Once you know the steps involve there are a few tips in teaching your child how to manage these fastenings.  (Actually these tips apply to teaching your child most new tasks!) 

These are tips occupational therapists use all the time!  

1. Modelling - Demonstrate the steps involved by showing your child each step, describing it as you go.
2. Verbal Prompts -  Use clear and consistent verbal prompts to correspond with each step.  I usually shorten my prompts to just the "verb" involved. For example: "Pinch and push". 
3. Backwards Chaining - This means that you teach your child the last step first.  It is a great way to encourage success for your child.  Keep each step brief and this will help with attention too!  As your child becomes successful, add another step in the chain from the end of the task. 
4. Hand over Hand assistance - Sometimes modelling is not enough to enable your child to understand what to do.  Put your hand over their hands and gently show then with physical assistance how to manage the step involved. 
5. Visual Photo Sequence - Some children benefit from going over the sequence of steps using photographs or line drawings.  These should be explained and looked at several times. When teaching how to manage fastenings, you can use the visual photo sequences that I have made! Download your copy HERE!
6. Choose the Right Time -  Choose a time where the pressure of time is absent.  Practice school related fastenings in the holidays before school starts or on the weekend.  
7. Practice Practice Practice - Practice makes perfect!

• Start with the fastener NOT on your child. For example: start with a jacket on a chair in front of your child. 
• Practice with large fasteners before smaller ones.  These are easier to manipulate and will promote success. 
• Practice skills with the correct orientation. It is important for children to learn the movement involved in managing fastenings (ie. kinesthetic movement) and feel where there body is in space in relation to the object they are manipulating (spatial awareness).  Read about a posting lid turned on its side to help with buttoning orientationhere!

      8. Variety = Novelty - Use a variety of objects with fasteners to help with motivation and with
          generalization of the skill (eg. zipper on dress, zipper on bag, zipper on pencil case, zipper on
          doll's skirt). 
    9. Reinforce and reward - We would like our kids to have intrinsic motivation to manage  
        fasteners independently! Many children do desire this independence and often "force" it
        upon their parents too early with "I can do it myself!"  

        Some children, however are not so intrinsically motivated.  They stubbornly refuse to get
        dressed or insist on a parent helping them.  For these children praise and reward are
        important to encourage desirable behavior.  Often these kids benefit from a "backward
       chaining" approach discussed earlier.  Rewards may include verbal praise "Great job!" or "You
       did it!".  The reward may include letting your child choose their preferred outfit to wear or a sticker.  

A side note about rewards:

• The specific reward your child receives will vary with what motivates your unique child.  (What works for one child will not necessarily work for another.)  This will also change as your child gets older.
• The size of your reward should match the size of the activity. Use the "smallest" reward that is still motivating!
• Rewards should be used for a short period of time to help with encouraging one specific desirable behavior.
• Don't worry if your child is ONLY doing the desirable behavior initially for the reward. That actually demonstrates that the reward is motivating and "working" the way you want it to. 
• Reduce the rewards once the new behavior is learnt. You may continue to reinforce the behavior with intermittent rewards. 

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Is your child struggling with fasteners? Have you tried these tips? 

This post is part of “Functional Skills for Kids: 12 month series by Paediatric Occupational and Physical Therapists”.  You can read all of the childhood functions HERE.  Read all Your Kids OT’s monthly posts HERE.

Find more information about “helping kids with fasteners” from other Occupational and Physical Therapists participating in the “Functional Skills for Kids series”: ​​

When Can Kids Learn to Button and Zip? | Mama OT
Clothing Fasteners and Fine Motor Skill Development | Kids Play Space
Clothing Fasteners and Gross Motor Skill Development | Your Therapy Source Inc
How to Adapt Buttoning and Zipping for Your Child   | Miss Jaime OT
Learning How To Use Buttons, Snaps, Zippers, and Buckles Through Play | Growing Hands-On Kids
Tips to Teach Kids to Zip and Button | The Inspired Treehouse
Pinch. Poke. Snap... Helping Kids to Manage Buttons, Zips and More!  | Your Kids OT
Clothing Fasteners and Sensory Processing | Sugar Aunts
The Visual Motor Aspect of Buttons and Zippers  | Therapy Fun Zone

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​Cindy is a registered Occupational Therapist practising in Sydney Australia.  She has two young children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. Cindy is the author of the occupational therapy blog Your Kids OT.