Children Gait Development as a Learning Process

Abstract

Children gait development is a particularly complex process in which motor, perceptual, and cognitive factors interact. From the moment of birth, the child integrates the information he receives and builds up a progressive cortical control on the innate neuromotor patterns to develop different forms of locomotion until achieving  independent gait. These ideas are not new but they are currently being reviewed and have encouraged numerous changes in the study of child development. Considering gait acquisition as a learning process in changing situations allows to understand gait as an action which involves the acquisition of new knowledge and interaction capabilities. This paper summarizes the main body of knowledge about this learning process and intends to highlight gait alterations as indicators of development difficulties, requiring interdisciplinary assessment and therapeutic approach.