Ball Play and Sports. What is your favourite?

Who is excited for the AFL to be back?

Let’s talk about ball play and sports. There are lots of different ways to modify ball games depending on your child’s goals and needs. Below are some general ideas for modification to some ball games for the whole family to play together.

Bowling:

• Use a ramp to angle the ball towards the pins. You can lean the ramp on a coffee table, table or dining chair, depending on the right height for your child

• Your child might like to direct you about the position of the ramp to get the best aim to their pins. For children who are unable to use speech to communicate, try showing them all the options, then going through one at a time and they can indicate ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ until they have made their choice

• Hold the ball at the top of the ramp. If needed, tell your child the movement they need to use to push the ball (e.g. stretch out arm, arm to the side)

• Provide the minimal amount of physical assistance needed for your child to push the ball down the ramp

• Celebrate when they hit the pins!

Bat and ball:

• Consider the type of bat your child is using: for many children, something lightweight and plastic works well

• If needed, try a neoprene strap to help maintain grasp of the bat

• Use a tee-ball tee to hold the ball. This modification works well for all bat and ball sports

• Increase the size of the target – a mid-size foam ball will likely be easier to hit than a tennis ball

• If extra support is needed, consider using an arm wrap so your child can focus on taking their arm to the side and across to hit the ball.

Throwing and catching games:

• Take some air out of the ball so it is easier to grasp and rolls more slowly

• Place the ball on your child’s lap or tray, encourage them to bend and stretch their arms to push the ball off.

Chat:

• Practice initiation of communication by calling out for your turn

• See below for an Aided Language Display for ball games.

If you would like more ideas for modifications to ball games or sports, please speak with your child’s physiotherapist or email info@cpec.org.au