Vertical Movements
Purpose: To aid in the development of reciprocity of organismic halves
Apparatus: Chalkboard, jump board, ball on string from ceiling, newsprint, crayons, mailing or paper towel tube.
Method:
1. Vertical Dimension Activities
a. Bilateral Chalkboard Activities
Patient is to draw a series of vertical lines.
Patient is to draw a series of small circles in vertical rows.
b. Jump Board With Ball Overhead.
Patient jumps and hits with head.
Raise ball as jumps improve.
c. Bilateral hand with crayons on paper
Patient uses vertical movement as much as possible, push-pull, zig-zag, etc.
2. Bilateral Gross Motor Activities on Carpet Using the Vertical Dimension
a. Patient is to lie on back under the ball on string. Swing it up and down the body. Patient is to watch it.
b. While still on back, patient is to bunt the ball with a mailing tube held in both hands.
c. He also is to hit or swing ball with alternate hands, swinging the ball up and down the body.
d. Patient is to slide back and forth across the floor on stomach and on back. Keep the body in a straight line. There should be no separate movement of parts. He should use both arms and both legs simultaneously and use a specific directional goal for each series of movements. He must decide in advance to have his head reach the target first, or his feet, or the middle of his body, etc. He should visualize the direction of movement and motor and plan how to get there.
Aspects to be Emphasized:
1. Awareness of bilateral summetry inmovement.
2. Awareness of up and down space.
3. Gentle contact of hand and tube on ball as well as adequate control of direction of the ball.
4. Ability to visualize the direction of movement toward a goal, and to develop a motor plan how to get there.
