Ball on String with Body Phase 1

Ball on String with Body Phase 1

Ball on String with Body Participation – To and Fro – Phase 1

Purpose: To develop visually timed motor patterns related to rhythmic, purposeful, predictive manipulation in visual space

Apparatus: Sponge rubber soft ball (hard ball size) hung from the ceiling, nylon string.  Thread string through ball.  Use a button to hold string at bottom of the ball

Method:

Subject stands facing ball, feet slightly apart, hands raised to chest level, palms out.  Ball to be hung so that at end of swing it will reach hands at chest level.  Ball should be controlled with a GENTLE TOUCH.

1. Patient is to swing ball to and fro.  Hold hands at least a foot apart.  From this position, catch and push ball away with both hands.  Control movement of ball so it swings in a straight line.  Now keep ball moving to and fro with a gentle push, using both hands.  Also, control ball with alternate hands and with each hand individually.  Maintain control of direction of the ball with gentle touch.

2. Have subject time hand contact on ball with alternate gentle tapping of feet on the floor.  Then time hand contact with stomping of foot on opposite side (i.e., right hand and left foot).  Time hand contact on ball with speech by saying, “RIGHT, LEFT,” counting both forward and backward, or spelling forward and backward.  Now he is to time all three: HAND, SPEECH AND FOOT.  Maintain gentle touch and control direction of the ball.

3. When patient is proficient in these activities, the assistant should encourage discussion in some other unrelated topic while patient is still engaged in the ball control.

4. Have patient raise the ball so that it swings a little above eye level. Have him repeat all activities with ball in this position.  When space permits, lower ball and ask him to work with it swinging at waist level or lower.

5. With ball swinging at chest level, after getting the feeling of the rhythm of the ball in motion, patient is to attempt to control it with eyes closed.

Aspects to be Emphasized:

1. Maintain control of direction and movement with gentle contact.

2. Listen, look and feel for inappropriate timing of hand, foot or speech with control of ball.  All should be timed with visual prediction of hand contact on the ball.

3. When inappropriate timing between eye and hand, hand and foot or hand and speech is observed by home assistant, immediately stop the ball and ask patient what he heard (hand on ball, speech, foot on floor) what he felt (hand on ball, foot on floor, movement of tongue and lips), or what he saw (direction of ball).  Make every effort to let him monitor his own operation to recognize what went wrong, rather than tell him he did it wrong or to do it better.