Closed Eye Fixations
Purpose: To help develop awareness of ocular positioning and movement without recourse to seeing, and to pattern this awareness with tactile, kinesthetic proprioceptive and auditory information
Apparatus: A clicker (cricket), balance board
Method:
1. Patient is to stand erect with good posture. Do not use balance board at first.
2. Eyes are to be closed. Patient is to hold his hands out in front of himself spread about three feet apart. Home assistant is to touch first one hand and then the other. Patient is to look at the hand which is touched. Hold hands in various positions.
3. Repeat, except this time do not touch the hands. Instead, call out “Right,” “Left.” Look in direction of proper hand. Change relative position of hands from time to time. Also vary the rhythm and the sequence of your commands.
4. As a third technique, have patient now place hands at his sides while home assistant snaps fingers or a mechanical clicker in various positions around patient. He is to look in the direction of the sound with eyes closed.
5. As ability to perform increases, try it on the balance board.
Aspects to be Emphasized:
1. The feeling of the eyes against the lids.
2. Occasionally open your eyes and see if they are aimed correctly.
3. Try to make your eyes move smoothly.
