Build the Foundation – First Steps in Therapy
Introduction
This section focuses on the development of the motor foundations of strong visual targeting. These concepts will be familiar to Occupational Therapists for the most part, though some ideas will be new.
The reader is referred to other parts of this course that describe in greater detail why we are interested in developing motor skills for learning problems. This will not be discussed here. Rather, we will present very specific activities to develop areas of concern. It is important to note that these are only sample activities and can be supplemented or redesigned to meet specific needs of your own clients. Likewise, other parts of this course discuss sequencing of activities, activity loading, and how to approach therapy. These should all be reviewed prior to engaging in a formal therapeutic plan.
Activities are classified by area of developmental concern, but it should be apparent that many activities cross over into other areas so that there are collateral benefits in practicing them. The therapist may prefer such multi-faceted activities for home practice in that they can help to accelerate therapy.
Specific activity references refer either to general concepts that are taken as being common enough that little further description is required, or they refer specifically to activities found in the drboulet.com library. To retrieve these activities, the user simply has to sign up for an account at drboulet.com and search for the activity’s name. Note, the site is under development and so if you cannot find an activity, send a note to info@dvvc.ca explaining which activity you were looking for and what the results were. We will endeavour to fix the problem ASAP. You will receive a note by email once things are rectified.
Balance
Randolf Shuffle: Simple and Complex – Library
123 Balance Board – Library
Egg Box Toss – Library
Ball on String From Teeth – Library
Gross Motor
Clapping Games – Library
Ball Bounce Instructions – Library
Jumping Jacks – Library
Hopscotch – Library
Breath Control – Library
Coding – Library
Mental Gymnastics – Library?
Kirshner Arrows – Library
Gross Motor Preliminary Instructions – Library
Harmon Circles – Motor Equivalents – Library
Harmon Lines – Space Organization – Library
Krauss-Webber routines – Library?
Yardstick and Origami – Library
Ball Hitting – body contact – Library
Ball Hitting – Hand Movements – Library
Ball Hitting – Library
Ball Hitting – Dive Bomb – Library
Explosion – Library
Cross Pattern Walking with Flashlights – Library
Egg Box Toss – Library
Balance Board – Library
(Balance Beam) – Library
Chalkboard Directionality Fixations – Library
330 String and Dowel – Library
Yoga – Library
Directionality and Laterality Awareness
Tank Commander – Library
Floor Marbles: Sitting and lying on stomach on clean smooth floor. – Library
Bilateral Integration
Chalkboard Circles – Library
Table Marbles (tossing left to right) – Library
Ball Games: bouncing back and forth. – Library
Jax – Library
Explosion – Library
Ball Juggle – Library
Simon Says Instructions – Library
Clapping Games – Library
Ball Hitting – Dive Bomb
Ball Hitting – Body Contact
Ball Bunt – Library
Angels in the Snow – Library
Explosion – Library
Trap the Marble – Library
Programming for working Retained Primitive Reflexes can also prove extremely valuable. See:
https://drboulet.com/retained-primitive-reflexes/
https://drboulet.com/postural-reflexes/
You can also order Dr. Lori Mowbray’s program:
http://visiontherapyathome.com/our-programs/primitive-reflex-training-at-home/
See also:
https://drboulet.com/postural-reflexes/