Quiet Eye Training to Help with Visual Motor Skills

Are you familiar with "Quiet Eye Training"?  This is a technique that attempts to get the eye to focus more instead of flicking about during coordination tasks.  It teaches the eye to look at the ball long enough to process the information.  The individual is reminded to briefly look at the exact spot where you want to send the ball (throwing or kicking) and then settle your eyes onto the ball and leave your focus on the ball.

A recent study in Research in Developmental Disabilities looked at using the Quiet Eye Training (QET) with 30 children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD).  Previous research indicated that QET was more effective than traditional training (TT) when teaching 8-10 year old children to throw and catch.  Traditional training teaches children how to control their arm movements during throwing and catching.

During the training the children were evaluated on performance and gaze.  In addition, motion analysis data was collected at pre/post-training and 6-week retention.

The results indicated that the QET group significantly increased QE durations from pre-training to the 6 week retention whereas the TT group experienced a reduction in QE.  QET participants showed significant improvement in the quality of their catch attempts and increased elbow flexion at catch compared to the TT group.

The researchers concluded that: QET changed DCD children's ability to focus on a target on the wall prior to the throw, followed by better anticipation and pursuit tracking on the ball, which in turn led to improved catching technique. QET may be an effective adjunct to traditional instructions, for therapists teaching visuomotor skills to children with DCD".

Do you use QET in your therapy sessions?  Would love to hear about the outcomes?

Reference:  C.A.L. Miles, G. Wood, S.J. Vine, J.N. Vickers, M.R. Wilson.
Quiet eye training facilitates visuomotor coordination in children with developmental coordination disorder.  Research in Developmental Disabilities. Volume 40, May 2015, Pages 31–41. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2015.01.005

Visual Motor Exercises includes 25 long mazes and patterns to print, assemble and complete to practice pencil control.  Find out more at http://yourtherapysource.com/vme.html

10 Ways to Practice Catching and Throwing Skills By Yourself

Here are 10 ways to encourage catching and throwing skills in children that they can do all by themselves:

1.  Toss a balloon up in the air and catch it.

2.  Bat a balloon up and down in the air using your hands.  How many times can you keep it up in the air without it dropping to the floor?

3.  Toss a scarf or small handkerchief in the air and catch it.   

4.  Try throwing up a playground size ball and catching it and then progress to a tennis ball.

5.  Try tossing and catching a ball up in the air standing inside of a hula hoop. 

6.  Walk forward and toss and catch a balloon, scarf or ball depending upon your abilities.

7.  Toss a balloon or ball up in the air, clap your hands and then catch the ball.

8.  Bounce a ball on the floor and catch it. 

9.  Bounce a ball on the floor, clap your hands and catch it.

10.  Toss a ball at the wall, let the ball bounce and catch it. 

25 Tips Sheets for School Based Therapists

 

These 25 Tip Sheets for School Based Occupational and Physical Therapists are jammed packed with information to distribute to
teachers and parents.

 

Find out more information at http://yourtherapysource.com/tipsheets.html