Purpose: To build good muscular coordination and establish symmetrical motor development with emphasis on the role vision plays in controlling and directing the action.
Materials: Jump rope, large manilla folder or the cardboard back of a school pad
Patient is to:
1. Jump up with both feet together while looking straight ahead and be able to stay in an 18 inch square for at least 20 consecutive jumps.
2. Be able to jump up 10 times in a row and hit his head on a manilla folder held approximately eight inches above the head.
3. Be able to jump rope for a minimum of 10 consecutive times while someone else turns the rope from behind over his head. He is to be looking straight ahead and jump when he sees the rope come into his field of view.
4. Practice flipping the rope over his head without jumping until he can do it for 10 consecutive times. The proper technique for flipping the rope is not to make large movements with his arms. We want him to practice flipping the rope by holding his hands low at his sides and literally flip the rope from behind and over his head by using a sharp wrist action.
5. Flip rope as in #4, jump over rope once and then continue to flip it until the rope hits the floor. This is a single jump each time. Repeat these single jumps until he is able to do this for 10 consecutive times.
6. Jump rope with both feet 25 times looking straight ahead and not at his feet, flipping the rope as slowly as possible. We don’t want hard, high jumping that easily exhausts, but we want slow, easy and smooth jumping.
7. Jump rope in the same manner as #6 on one foot 15 times and then on the other foot for 15 times.
Aspects to be emphasized:
1. Never proceed to the next step until each previous step has been mastered and fully achieved.
2. Ability to jump rope in smooth, easy, slow manner.
3. Awareness of the role of vision and visualized in triggering the jump action and in maintaining position in the room.