Purpose: To improve the patient’s visual skills by breaking down residual primitive reflexes that remain from the patient’s infancy.

Materials: Tape line Dowel or yardstick

Procedure:

1. Put down a line of easily-removed tape (like masking tape) on the floor so that you can walk on it the length of the room.

2. Stand with the dowel in your hands, palm up so that you can hold it level resting on your palms at arm’s length. Place your hands toward the ends of the dowel so that they several inches farther out than your shoulders on each side.

3. Stand at one end of the tape with your toes on the tape and your heels turned outward to each side. Walk down the tape with your toes turned in as you step, keeping your heels out and the dowel in your hands held level out in front of you. Try to keep your body straight and relaxed.

4. Continue walking this way the length of the tape and back to where you started.

5. For the second part of this activity, hold your hands close together toward the center of the dowel with your palms down, gripping it from the top.

6. Stand with your heels on the tape and your toes pointing outward to each side. Walk down the tape with your heels on the tape as you step, keeping your toes turned out and the dowel in your hands held level out in front of you. Try to keep your body straight and relaxed.

7. Continue walking this way the length of the tape and back to where you started.

8. Practice both parts of this activity several times until you feel you are able to walk with a relaxed posture and keep the dowel in front of you level.

9. Try the above activities again without a dowel, just holding your hands as if you were balancing an invisible dowel. Keep your body straight and relaxed and try to walk as normally with your toes/heels turned.