The Brock String is the basis for some wonderful activities, helpful in developing visual skills. Brock Strings are used to:
- Create awareness of space and depth.
- Increase the range of motion of the eyes.
- Increase accuracy and range of targeting.
- Improve scanning ability.
Brock String — Near-Far Rock is very similar to Basic Brock: Jumps Near Range with some important differences:
- You are working with both near and distant targets, that is, beads aligned in the near and far end of the string (between a few centimeters from the nose, i.e., the ‘break point’, and targets beyond about 40 cm). (See Bug On String for details on the Break Point.)
- The client will still ‘jump’ from bead to bead in a regular sequence (see Basic Brock: Jumps Near Range), but again, the targets will be much more spread out: The near target will be at the break point, and the remaining beads will be spread more or less evenly across the remaining distance up to the 6-10 foot range, depending on the client’s restrictions.
- The doubling of vision may not be as easy to perceive at some distances, so don’t worry if the child cannot ‘see’ the string doubling beyond a certain distance. The string and beads near the nose should still appear doubled out to the first bead if the bead is near enough. See Physiological Diplopia: When seeing double is correct.
- Do not use a patch for this activity unless directed to do so by your optometrist. For example, fixating a distant object might be easier for some strabismic child when one eye is occluded. Generally, the patch should be avoided for most clients.
The Brock String posts include:
- Introduction
- Physiological Diplopia: When seeing double is correct.
- ROM OKR Pursuits 1
- ROM VOR Pursuits 2
- Bug On String
- Basic Brock: Jumps Near Range
- Far Range
- Near-Far Rock
- Saccades
You should study all notes relating to Brock String activities prior to attempting them. Always follow the guidance of your vision care provider. Do not exceed what clients can comfortably tolerate.
