Develop Visual Tracking Skills Through Play
Raising Kids with Special Needs
Therapy in Disguise
When I work with children I focus on positive reinforcement and skill building through play so when I became a parent it felt natural for me to apply that focus to my own child. This really came in handy when I decided to find ways to help my son develop his visual tracking skills.
A few weeks back we took L to the eye doctor for his annual appointment. Everything checked out fine except that the doctor noticed that L’s visual tracking skills were a little delayed. He said it wasn’t a big concern but that we should implement some vision exercises to strengthen his visual tracking skills.
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![Vision Therapy in Disguise Help Children develop skills & learn through play! Therapy in Disguise: Develop Visual Tracking Skills Through Play #visiontherapy #trackingskills #gamesfortheeyes #mosswoodconnections](https://www.mosswoodconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Vision-Therapy-in-Disguise-Help-Children-develop-skills-learn-through-play.jpg)
What are Visual Tracking Skills?
Visual tracking skills are the ability to quickly and accurately look (fixate), visually follow a moving object (pursuit) and efficiently move our eyes so we can fixate on objects from point to point (saccades: more information here). It’s a skill we use every day to explore our surroundings, play sports, and in reading and writing which can affect academic performance.
![Therapy in Disguise: Develop Visual Tracking Skills Through Play #visiontherapy #trackingskills #gamesfortheeyes #mosswoodconnections Therapy in Disguise: Develop Visual Tracking Skills Through Play #visiontherapy #trackingskills #gamesfortheeyes #mosswoodconnections](https://www.mosswoodconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Develop-Visual-Tracking-Skills-Through-Play-e1588088958550.png)
Doing Vision Therapy at Home
This afternoon we made our own version of a standby vision therapy exercise “the pendulum ball”. We hung several balls and large water balloons from a rope that we strung between our patio and a tree. For the next hour or so, L entertained himself (and us) as he batted at the balls and balloons with various objects (tennis racket, wooden paddle, baseball bat, etc…).
This was a simple activity to set up and it captivated his attention far longer than I expected. It was especially exciting when he was able to burst the water balloons and the water sprayed in a magnificent waterfall. He had a lot of fun and therapy disguised as fun is always a good thing.
![Vision Therapy in Disguise Help Children develop visual tracking skills & learn through play! Therapy in Disguise: Develop Visual Tracking Skills Through Play #visiontherapy #trackingskills #gamesfortheeyes #mosswoodconnections](https://www.mosswoodconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Vision-Therapy-in-Disguise-Help-Children-develop-visual-tracking-skills-learn-through-play-1.jpg)