Purpose: To strengthen convergence and near accommodative skills, and concentration and self-control.
Materials: Ping pong ball. ‘Blow Ball Track’ – Take a paper towel tube and cut it in half lengthwise. Color/paint in three or four coloured lines at different points along the track (these lines should be short, curving along the inside of the track, and not long lengthwise lines).
Procedure:
1. With both hands, the child holds the half tube, with ping pong ball in it, to his mouth.
2. By controlling the slope of the tube and his blowing, he is to blow the ping pong ball to one or another of the coloured lines on the track as named by the therapist.
3. The child should try to keep the ball within the particular section as long as possible by sustained, controlled blowing. Also, keep the ball within/around the line specified using short puffs of air.
4. Always keep looking at the ball.
5. While the ball is sustained on a particular line, have the child, upon command, look from the ball to various objects in the room, then back to the ball.
Emphasize:
1. Control of ball by breath control for increasing length of time.
2. Ability to control eye movements and visual attention while controlling ball.
3. Ability to hold fixation on the ball with both eyes, at all positions on the track.
4. Be sure to vary positions held on the track.
