BALL GAMES info - Purpose - loading - developmental sequence


In Office Procedure:

PURPOSE – There are many benefits to working with the hanging ball. These include:

  • develop the ability to track a moving object in space

  • maintain concentration

  • develop an awareness of the space around & how to interact with it

  • to increase hand-eye coordination skills.

These activities provide the opportunity for a person to use their eyes free from the rest of their body.  This is a very important developmental step.   Another benefit of working with the hanging ball is the emergence of the ability to pay attention to large amounts of space all at once.  This is particularly important in sports and in nearly all general movement activities.  When a person takes in a large amount of visual information they generally make better and more accurate decisions about what action to take.  The ability to track properly, locate the exact position of something in space, and to maintain concentration are very important in the reading process.

PROCEDURE - The ball should be hung a little lower than waist high in a fairly large open space.  During all activities, unless specifically directed, the patient should keep their eye on the ball at all times.  The following activities are graded in terms of the demands they place on your patient.  Please refer to the videotape to see how each level of the activity should be performed.

Adjusting Difficulty Levels

It is important to challenge your patient by providing them with an experience that is at an appropriate demand level. The following table includes the various ways that you can modify the activity patient to ensure just the right visual demands to develop their abilities.

Developmental Sequence

  • Hand ball

  • Punch ball

  • Thumb ball

  • Clap catch

  • Fist catch

  • Finger tip catch

  • Look at catch

  • Three circles and catch

  • Three circles around head

  • Bunting straight

  • Bunting “V”

  • Bunting half circles

  • Money ball

  • High levels - keep eyes on partner and track and interact with the ball peripherally

  • Shoulder twist hit

  • Leg hit

  • Bilateral Reach


how to throw the ball in circles

Here Paul demonstrates how to throw the ball in circles for activities like: 3 circles and catch and circles around head.