Balloon Magic
I love using shiny mylar balloons as visual targets. They hang in a child’s best visual field for as long as needed to allow the child to location using peripheral vision and turn to look. I can pick the color to support looking. The balloon waves gently all the time giving movement. I can make sure it hangs at the correct distance for optimal viewing. I have tried tying the string onto the child’s arm or leg where the child’s own movements create a great visual event. Kids figure out pretty quickly how to get the balloon to move! If they struggle, you can provide hand under hand assistance to demonstrate.
Look at that! One simple balloon can be the basis of building a child’s visual attention. The motion helps visual location. the attachment of the balloon in a predictable place allows the visual target to be present as long as the child needs. Hanging it in the best visual field supports visual location. Allowing the balloon to be controlled by the child builds a child’s understand of their own abilities to create a visual event.
Great investment for a few dollars! One classroom bought a tank to refill because they are so popular.
cvi teacher 