The aim of this paper is present Fisher's ideas about the development of the body perception, by addressing body image. Three of the books written by Fisher, which were not translated to Portuguese, were used. Fisher proposed that the ability to percept the space of the own body begins in childhood, through the first body experiences, developing to more complex evaluations of the physical proprieties and self-world differentiation processes. The concept of bodily boundaries proposed by the author complements these ideas. The patterns of body perception serve specific purposes of defense, as they will inform whether a stimulus should be avoided or not. The body image approach allows health and education professionals to act in a more individualized and human way.
Body perception; Body image; Psychomotor development