see 3 coins

We begin this activity standing.  We need 2 small coins and a pencil. At the beginning, the coins are not to be fastened onto a card at the beginning of the activity. The coins may be laid on a card or sheet of paper to reduce visual noise. Using a physical coin with its relief (depth of the coin itself and what is on its face) aids in building a stable visual space world at early stages of therapy.

See 3 Coins Setup

At this point the patient has demonstrated their visual skill and has earned the right to tape the coins to the card.  This is necessary because now the card will be held up in front to the patient.

  • Hold your coins up in front of you.

  • Can you see the third coin now?

  • What happens if you move the card closer?…farther?

  • Side to side? 

  • What if you move the card one way and turn your head the other?

there is another way to see a third coin

So far, we have been looking “in front” of the card.

There is another way to see the third coin.

It is possible to look “behind” the card.

Pick a spot on the other side of the room or even outside the window.

Hold up the card and see if there is a place where it possible to hold the card so the third coin is seen.

Is the new coin bigger or smaller?

Closer or farther?

Can you switch from seeing a near coin to seeing a far coin?

Which coin looks bigger, the near coin or the far coin?

Place the two coins on the desk about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.  (Or just a little closer than the patient’s interpupillary distance)

Lay a sharp pencil on the desk with the tip of the pencil between the coins.

Slowly lift the pencil toward your nose.

Keep watching the pencil but pay attention to the coins.

Soon, you may notice the two coins have become double.

As you raise the pencil further, two of the coins may appear to overlap and appear as if they are one coin centered between the other two. This is where the procedure gets its name.

Where is the third coin? - The third coin should appear right where the patient is looking—hopefully right on the tip of the pencil.

  • Can you continue to look at the (magic) third coin as you take the pencil away?

  • What happens if you move one of the coins on the desk?

  • Are all the coins the same size?

  • Are all the coins clear?

  • What happens if you move one of the coins a little to the side?

  • What happens if you turn your head?

  • What happens if you nod your head?

Two US Pennies mounted on a piece of card stock.

See 3 Coin Circles

Combining see 3 coins with coin circles

Just as we learned to do coin circles with a real coin, now we can do the same activity with our virtual coin. 

Using the card with the coins attached, it is possible to make the same shapes, vertical circle, horizontal circle, etc. with the virtual coin.

This can be done convergent with the smaller coin floating closer or divergent with the bigger coin floating farther way.

Can we switch from looking closer to looking farther when ½ way around the circle?

Home Practice

Every aspect of this can be practiced at home.

Once you identify the level you believe will afford the patient the opportunity to grow and develop best with this activity over the following week, feel free to assign that as home practice and exploration.