Arm Rotation at Chalkboard
Purpose: To develop freedoms and control of arm and wrist action in gross visually-monitored activity.
Apparatus: Chalkboard
Method: Patient is instructed as follows:
UNILATERAL ARM ROTATION
1. Stand facing chalkboard with slight straddle, with left eye covered and chalk in right hand.
2. Hold chalk across the fingers. See instructions in “Proper Chalkboards–Properly Used.”
3. Look at chalk as the right hand scribes a wide circle five times in each direction (clockwise and counterclockwise).
4. Keep looking at the moving chalk.
5. Repeat with the left hand.
6. Now cover the right eye and repeat procedure using each hand in turn.
BILATERAL ARM ROTATION
1. Look at a fixation point, an “X” on the chalkboard at nose level, throughout this phase of the activity.
2. Using the same stance and holding chalk in both hands in the manner described above, scribe wide circles simultaneously and rhythmically with both arms.
3. Do this binocularly unless instructed otherwise.
4. Make bilateral circles in inward, outward, clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
Aspects to be Emphasized:
1. Watch for stiffness of arm or wrist, or body involvement. The movement of the arms should be from the shoulder without a lot of body involvement.
2. Watch for loss of contact of chalk on the chalkboard.
3. Watch for loss of eye fixation on hand and chalk, or the “X” (part 2 above).
4. There should be equivalency in size, height and movement in the bilateral arm rotation.
