This post is part of a mini blog series documenting four weeks of Constraint-induced Movement Therapy (CIMT).
More and more, my daughter is exploring with her hemi-hand. I often catch her reaching out to play with the Mardi Gras necklaces hanging from her stroller. I hung them two weeks ago when we first arrived in Manchester, UK and they’ve proven great at giving her something to look at and reach for during our daily walks to the Constraint-induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) clinic.
Today we do several cause and effect activities that she really enjoys. Here are just a few of the activities we tried:
Push the red communicator button
I record my voice on a communication button and when she pushes it, she hears me say, “tickle, tickle, tickle!”
Play the drum
The drum has a busy, colorful pattern but we cover it up with shiny yellow paper so it can be more visually accessible due to her Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). Ruth helps my daughter hold the drumstick and they bang away on the drum.
How much do we love curly ribbon?
Curly ribbon is one of those things that my daughter is visually familiar with and loves to play with. Months ago when I first learned about her Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), I purchased a handful in shiny red and yellow so I could hang it around for her to look at. It’s not easy to keep out of her mouth so I only let her play with it under my supervision. Knowing how much she loves it, I brought some along with me to Constraint-induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) in case it came in handy. And it did! She reached her arm out to touch it many times. We had very good success with this one.
Time for blueberries!
Seeing my daughter’s daily progress in bringing her hand to her mouth is fascinating. Building snack time into our daily CIMT routine means that she knows what to expect (snack time while sitting in the corner of the couch), what she needs to do (bring her hand to her mouth with our help) and what the incentive is (yummy blueberries and raspberries!).
Cindy has a deep interest in Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and is currently studying Early Childhood Education. She focuses most of her time on her energetic daughter: playing, cuddling and helping to make her world visually accessible. Cindy holds a degree in Marketing and has worked in the not-for-profit sector for many years.